1st Brew

[S.R.S]

Disappointed! Pitched the yeast on Sunday and there appears to have been some decent white froth on the top when I checked this morning, so it was all looking good. Checked this evening (so 3 days after pitching) and the nice frothy stuff has subsided a lot.
So there doesn't seem to be much activity now.
I have kept the temp at a constant 20c and I am concerned fermenting seems to have stopped for some reason.
I also drew a sample through the tap and tasted it. It tastes just like the cr.p I used to create many years ago.
Any advice/pointers would be hugely appreciated.

 

[Andrew Hodgson]

Krausen dropping about 3 days after pitching doesn't seem abnormal to me. Let it finish out for another week to ten days, check the gravity, package and see. In my experience tasting this early doesn't really give a great idea of what the finished beer will be like.

 

[BobBailey]

Not odd at all for active fermentation to be finished in 3 days. Let it sit for a weel or so and then do a gravity check. Do another gravity check in a couple more days. If it's the same and reasonably close to expectation, it's ready to bottle.

Don't put much weight in what it tastes like now. There's a bunch of yeast in suspension and the yeast hasn't had time to clean up any byproducts it produced during fermentation. Patience will be rewarded.

 

[S.R.S]

Not odd at all for active fermentation to be finished in 3 days. Let it sit for a weel or so and then do a gravity check. Do another gravity check in a couple more days. If it's the same and reasonably close to expectation, it's ready to bottle.

Don't put much weight in what it tastes like now. There's a bunch of yeast in suspension and the yeast hasn't had time to clean up any byproducts it produced during fermentation. Patience will be rewarded.

thanks very much both. feel a little more relaxed now. when you say leave it for a week, do you mean a week from pitching or a week from now? instructions refer to removing the krausen collar after 3 days when the foam has subsided. there is still some foam left. should I remove the collar now or when all foam has disappeared?

 

[RM-MN]

I've bottled beer at one week from pitching yeast. I don't do that any more. Time does wonders for beer. It lets the yeast do the cleanup of byproducts, it lets the trub and yeast settle, and it lets the beer begin to mature. I don't know if there is a benefit from removing the krausen collar as I've never had one. I usually bottle on day 10 (if the beer is at final gravity, cleared, and I'm in a hurry for beer) to day 30 or more. More time seems to lead to better tasting beer.

 

[BobBailey]

That would be a week from now. Leave the krausen alone it's above the beer and won't affect it.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Key takeaway: for typical ales, a week, and for lagers 10 days after activity starts you can consider checking the gravity for completion. Standard caveats: typical means not huge OG or abnormal temps. Let gravity tell you when it's done, and don't trust anything you taste before that.

 

[wmubronco]

I had brewed a Czech Pils and pitched at 50degreesF.... did not see any real activity until day 4. Depending on your yeast strain and viability, and if you made a starter (how big is your batch?), could all affect your anticipated timing.

 

[kh54s10]

Also tasting from the spigot is getting a lot of sediment. I would expect that to taste horrible.

I ferment for at least 14 days. It may be finished earlier but IMO, it is always better to err on longer than to err too early. For both taste and the risk of bottling before reaching final gravity and possibly creating bottle bombs.

 

[wallyLOZ]

As mentioned above, I also wait longer before bottling. I'll check the gravity around day 17, and again on day 20. If stable I bottle on day 21. Sometimes longer if schedules are an issue. I believe it allows the yeast to clean up and drop out of solution. Makes for a clearer beer and since it's aging at the same time, a better tasting beer. MTCW.

 

[BobBailey]

I agree with waiting longer and needing to be sure gravity has stabilized before bottling. One of the great things about kegging is no bottle bombs. This, coupled with lots of experience, allows many of us to visually gauge when a beer is finished fermenting and ready to package.

 

[IslandLizard]

instructions refer to removing the krausen collar after 3 days when the foam has subsided.

Ignore that, there's no need for it, leave the beer where it is as it is. Do not use a secondary either. They don't cure anything since nothing needs to be cured. But chances are doing so will oxidize or infect your beer.

 

[Jayjay1976]

RDWHAHB, ur beer will be great!