Visually Observing Fermentation

[RPh_Guy]

Are you adding priming sugar? Or simply finishing primary fermentation in the bottle?

My goal was to finish fermentation in the bottle (spund), but it fermented too quickly and I missed my chance. I think it finished in less than 48 hours by the look of it.

I ended up priming the fermenter with sugar, waiting 15 minutes, and then bottling straight from there.

 

[kh54s10]

Not necessarily. My last beer (a hefeweizen) I bottled on day 4, after I missed my spunding gravity. I routinely bottle beers 3-5 days after brewing, even sour beers. Then they carbonate in another 2-3 days and are ready to drink.

It depends entirely on your process.

Since you say that you missed your spunding gravity I assume you measured it. This thread was started about using visual clues for determining when it is finished fermenting.

I have had one stalled fermentation and some that were slow. They definitely took longer than 3 days. I have never spunded any and would disagree that a beer would be ready to drink in 5 - 8 days. When I bottle (batch primed) I have tasted most of them at 2 weeks some were fully carbonated some were not. But, IMO, ALL of my beers have tasted better at 3 weeks or longer, some heavy beers have taken much longer.

And I would say that my process is pretty normal.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Since you say that you missed your spunding gravity I assume you measured it. This thread was started about using visual clues for determining when it is finished fermenting.

I have had one stalled fermentation and some that were slow. They definitely took longer than 3 days. I have never spunded any and would disagree that a beer would be ready to drink in 5 - 8 days. When I bottle (batch primed) I have tasted most of them at 2 weeks some were fully carbonated some were not. But, IMO, ALL of my beers have tasted better at 3 weeks or longer, some heavy beers have taken much longer.

And I would say that my process is pretty normal.

That's your experience based on your process.

I'm giving my experience based on my process. We can both be right.

I'm certainly not using the visual clues as the only source of information, but it does provide some useful information that I listed above. I would not use it as the sole method of determining a beer is finished fermenting.

 

[J_Flint]

I would disagree that a beer would be ready to drink in 5 - 8 days.

And I would say that my process is pretty normal.

I've made plenty of batches that we're ready to drink in that time frame. I busted out Orfy's Mild in 7 days. That beer was fantastic. I bottled some, but the majority was kegged and gone in 3 weeks. The bottles were opened a couple weeks later and much less fantastic than when they were young. It really just depends on the beer.

And there is no such thing as normal here. Everyone will do what suits them best and if it works, more power to you.

 

[Jag75]

Now guys , I'll be the judge to tell if a beer can be done in that short of time . I'll pm you my address for you to send them to lol