worrying signs from first batch?

[timg12]

I brewed my first ever batch on Saturday and it all seemed to have gone great! Within a couple of hours in the carboy, there were clear signs of yeast activity. By Sunday morning, there were plenty of bubbles going through the airlock and a nice head of foam was on top and remained that way through Sunday. But the next morning (day 3), the head was all gone and barely any bubbles going through the airlock. The carboy temp on Saturday was about 68 and about 66 on day 3 so fairly constant.

Is this normal? Or has my yeast gone dormant? Is there anything I can do to kickstart it?

 

[ACbrewer]

Sounds normal. I'd not worry about it. You can't judge much about fermentation from the foam other than 'something is/has happened' What you need to do now is take a hydrometer reading as see what numbers you get. Typically if you brewed a OG(original gravity) of 1.040 you will finish around 1.010. - but not always.

After you take the reading, post the OG (what you got before pitching the yeast) and the current gravity

 

[brtisbuck]

I know you are excited and want your beer to hurry. Relax, and be patient. I let mine go 3 weeks in primary and no secondary before I touch it, unless I'm dry hopping for the last days. It ends up clear enough to read the mail through it (with no additives) and no off flavors.

Patients and you will be rewarded.

Cheers

 

[timg12]

Just saw that the temp has dropped to 64. Won't have a chance to take a hydro reading until the weekend but I read somewhere that even a 2-3 degree temperature swing can cause yeast to go dormant and drop to the bottom. That is what I'm really concerned about.
I am using Danstar's Windsor Ale Yeast if that makes a difference.

Thanks again

 

[Newbeerguy]

Just saw that the temp has dropped to 64. Won't have a chance to take a hydro reading until the weekend but I read somewhere that even a 2-3 degree temperature swing can cause yeast to go dormant and drop to the bottom. That is what I'm really concerned about.
I am using Danstar's Windsor Ale Yeast if that makes a difference.

Thanks again

Honestly - don't worry. I routinely ferment my ales at 60-64 degrees. I suspect that 3 days at 68/66 degrees that the bulk of your active fermentation is done! Just wait until the weekend and take your gravity ready. I bet everything will be just fine.

 

[timg12]

Just took a hydrometer reading and my gravity stands at 1.02 at 59 degrees. The OG was 1.049 at 70 degrees.
What should my course of action be? Should I try to bring up the temperature to the 60s and give the carboy a swirl to suspend the yeast, while i let it sit there for a few weeks?

 

[amandabab]

move it to the kitchen and brew a second batch.

the temp will rise a couple degrees, moving it even gently will disturb the yeast cake.

its the closest thing to leaving it alone without actually leaving it alone, and you'll have a second batch going. win,win.

 

[ACbrewer]

OP, it is possible you are done, at 70F, the adjustment should be about +.001 to +.002 which gets you to 1.050/1.051. While 1.020 would be high, it isn't impossible. But I agree with amandabab, move it to a warmer location allowing you to stir up the yeast while moving it, not with a stiring device. Let it sit for another week or more. The last few points can be really hard to get when it slows like this.

 

[timg12]

I was thinking of a water bath with aquarium heater to warm up the carboy.
Would pitching more yeast be helpful as well?

 

[brtisbuck]

I was thinking of a water bath with aquarium heater to warm up the carboy.
Would pitching more yeast be helpful as well?

Probably not neccessary. Just move it to a place that is near 70 and give it some time. It hasn't even been a week yet. The more you mess with it the higher possibility there is for something to actually go wrong IMO.

 

[timg12]

Water bath is my only option to get the carboy to 70

 

[Newbeerguy]

Water bath is my only option to get the carboy to 70

I really don't understand why you are messing with it at all.....What was your recipe? Certain recipes have more unfermentables and there is a very good chance your beer is done fermenting. Also certain yeasts attenuate better than others. Remember, the yeast has been doing this for a LONG LONG time....swirling (and possibly oxidizing) the beer probably won't do any good.


I understand it's your first batch and you're excited, but the best thing you can do is forget about it for another week, then check and see where you are at.

 

[acidrain23]

+1

My rule of thumb is when in doubt, do nothing and wait another week (or two). Of course taking measurements doesn't hurt, but the more hydrometer readings you take, the less beer you have to drink! Having the krausen fall after three days or so is 100% normal. Moreover, your beer will improve with more time on the yeast cake.

 

[timg12]

Thank you all again for the great advice. About 10 days ago, I ended up moving the Carboy into a storage tote filled with warm water and threw in an old 50w aquarium water heater to maintain the temp of the water. The wort has been at a steady 70 degrees since!

I took two readings within that time and was left a bit frustrated as I came up with 1.02 both times but over the past couple of days bubble activity really picked up again. The bubbles aren't nearly as vigorous as they were at the very beginning but very steady which I assume is a good sign. I also noticed that the top inch of the wort is far clearer than the rest which again must be a great sign

Will take another reading at the weekend and hopefully will finally see another drop.

The recipe calls for secondary. When is a good time to make the move?

 

[brtisbuck]

Bubble are really only a sign that the vessel is expelling co2...which can happen even after fermentation is complete, although typically rapid bubbles tends to be an indicator of active fermentation. As the beer sits, yeasties and hop particles and other residues will drop out of suspension. This lends for a nice clear finished product. I typically go 3 weeks in primary.

Unless you are adding fruit in secondary, there is no need to transfer. Just let is sit in primary for the duration of the instructed secondary time, then go straight to bottling. Transferring only increases risk of contamination, oxidation, and stirring up sediment...all which you want to avoid.

 

[ACbrewer]

Thank you all again for the great advice. About 10 days ago, I ended up moving the Carboy into a storage tote filled with warm water and threw in an old 50w aquarium water heater to maintain the temp of the water. The wort has been at a steady 70 degrees since!

I took two readings within that time and was left a bit frustrated as I came up with 1.02 both times but over the past couple of days bubble activity really picked up again. The bubbles aren't nearly as vigorous as they were at the very beginning but very steady which I assume is a good sign. I also noticed that the top inch of the wort is far clearer than the rest which again must be a great sign

Will take another reading at the weekend and hopefully will finally see another drop.

The recipe calls for secondary. When is a good time to make the move?

Brtisbuck has it basically right. There is a this vs that on secondaries, but he has hit the major points.

If you are going to move it to a secondary which I personally would not recomend, but am not a secondary smashing iconoclast either, generally after 2 weeks is when you move 'typical gravity beers'. Enough time for most of the fermentation to finsih. Moving to a secondary is really for clearification in this case more than fermenting, and you'd expect maybe 1 or 2 points max of gravity change.

But you don't have to move it. People who are 'non movers' only move it for things like dry hopping or adding fruit or a spice. I'm a 'non mover' In fact I'm wonder if I can not move AND add fruit or dry hop, but I've not tried it yet (no right beers).

So if you want to rack to a secondary, you can, but you don't have to just because the instructions said to. If you leave it in the primary, I'd add the primary recipe time and the secondary recipe time together (usually 2w+2w=4 weeks) or go 3 to 4 weeks as is convienent. I've left on in a primary for 8 and others longer with no adverse effects.

In your case I'd let it go 2 more weeks after it gets around expected FG

 

[brewmaster101]

I have had good luck doing a one week secondary in a carboy. At bottling time it has really settled and cleared up. There is always plenty of yeast left in suspension for carving in the bottle. I never go past one week in the secondary.

 

[brtisbuck]

Brtisbuck has it basically right. There is a this vs that on secondaries, but he has hit the major points.

If you are going to move it to a secondary which I personally would not recomend, but am not a secondary smashing iconoclast either, generally after 2 weeks is when you move 'typical gravity beers'. Enough time for most of the fermentation to finsih. Moving to a secondary is really for clearification in this case more than fermenting, and you'd expect maybe 1 or 2 points max of gravity change.

But you don't have to move it. People who are 'non movers' only move it for things like dry hopping or adding fruit or a spice. I'm a 'non mover' In fact I'm wonder if I can not move AND add fruit or dry hop, but I've not tried it yet (no right beers).

So if you want to rack to a secondary, you can, but you don't have to just because the instructions said to. If you leave it in the primary, I'd add the primary recipe time and the secondary recipe time together (usually 2w+2w=4 weeks) or go 3 to 4 weeks as is convienent. I've left on in a primary for 8 and others longer with no adverse effects.

In your case I'd let it go 2 more weeks after it gets around expected FG

Correct. Secondary fermentation is really a misleading term. A better term is bright tank referring to "clearing" the beer. Fermentation is actually complete in most normal cases.

I dry hop in primary as well. I wait a minimum of 2 weeks before doing so. I don't necessarily take a gravity reading before, but for most average gravity beers 2 weeks is enough time for the majority of fermentation to be complete. Call it lazy if you want, but it has been successful for me and I just don't see the need to do any different.

Adding fruit...well that is another story.

 

[timg12]

Thank you all for the great info. Took another gravity reading and im down to 1.01! The water bath did the trick
I've also decided to use a.secondary to free up my primary as I am eager to get another batch going already! Besides, I figure there is only one way to learn