wheat beer fully fermented in 3 days?!

[joe1988]

ok guys im wondering if i have a stuck fermentation i brewed a coopers wheat.pitched yeast at a little over 80 degrees. It went crazy till day 3 all the hard core air lock bubbling stoped. Has it fully fermented or is it stuck? and ideas? sense the temp was high am i gonna have off flavors?

 

[OhCrap]

Leave it for at least 2wks to clean up etc. did you take any hydrometer reading? I'm no expert so look up Revy's patience post, it's a sticky.....

 

[Pappers_]

Everything is likely fine. Even without airlock activity, the yeast could be doing their work. You might leave it be for another week or so, as suggested above, which is good advice. Or you could see what's going on by taking a hydrometer reading now and again in a few days.

When the gravity readings are steady for a few days, you know that active fermentation is done and it's safe to bottle or keg.

You may leave the beer, though, for two or three weeks, to let the yeast clean up any of their off-flavor producing by products.

 

[iowabrew]

I just made an american wheat OG 1.045 pitched 1L starter of wyeast 1010 and it was done in 3 days easy, gravity was down to 1.01. I'm still letting it clean up for at least 2 weeks tho.

 

[duboman]

ok guys im wondering if i have a stuck fermentation i brewed a coopers wheat.pitched yeast at a little over 80 degrees. It went crazy till day 3 all the hard core air lock bubbling stoped. Has it fully fermented or is it stuck? and ideas? sense the temp was high am i gonna have off flavors?

In order for anybody to tell you anything you need to take a gravity reading and hopefully you took a gravity reading before you pitched the yeast to establish an OG.

Airlock activity does not mean anything other than your fermentation creating enough CO2 to push out and create bubbles. Gravity readings need to be taken to answer your question and while the airlock may not be bubbling anymore I can pretty much assure you that complete fermentation has not completed in 3 days, just the active phase has.

 

[dobe12]

You pitched the yeast WAY too hot. That yeast should ferment between 60-74F. That means ambient temp of 55-69F. If you pitched at 80F the temps most likely climbed into to low to mid 80's which is easily 10-20 degrees above optimal temperature for that yeast. That's why it was such a fast fermentation. You're gonna have some funky flavors in there including unwanted fusel alcohol. Give it time to sit and hopefully some of those off flavors will dissipate.

 

[joe1988]

kit said if it was between 60 and 90 pitch yeast

 

[OhCrap]

kit said if it was between 60 and 90 pitch yeast

Did you read Revy's thread on patience yet?
Look in the beginner forum stickies for 'did I ruin my beer'. You'll find it there. I suggest you read it ASAP. It will answer many if your questions. Also there is a hugh amount of info on ignoring kit instructions....But Joe RDWHAHB, the worst that can happen is that you'll have beer

 

[dobe12]

kit said if it was between 60 and 90 pitch yeast

Your going to get wildly different flavors with such a wide temp range. Ignore the instructions. Find out what yeast comes with the kit and go to the manufactures website and read up on that yeast. See what they recommend. 90% of the time you'll want to pitch yeast at the bottom end of the temp range to get a nice, clean fermentation. Higher temps lead to off flavors and fusel alcohol.... two things you don't want in a finished beer.

 

[smyrnaquince]

OP said he pitched at a little over 80 degrees. For a Hefeweizen where you want banana notes, this would probably be a good thing. I didn't see mention of what yeast he used, though.

 

[joe1988]

coopers wheat

 

[smyrnaquince]

Sorry, I'm only familiar with the Wyeast and White Labs Hefe yeasts for wheat.

 

[dobe12]

OP said he pitched at a little over 80 degrees. For a Hefeweizen where you want banana notes, this would probably be a good thing. I didn't see mention of what yeast he used, though.

Don't care who's yeast it is, unless you're talking about a Belgian strain or something for a Saison or sours, you don't want to be pitching yeast in the 80's. Even if you want to ferment in the 80's (which is still way to warm for even a wheat yeast IMO) you still should pitch closer to the upper 60's or low 70's and let the temperature rise as it ferments. The OP asked why fermentation stopped after 3 days. It's from pitching hot. The yeast worked real hard in that heat and got done quickly. I bet there are some funky flavors in there though. Let it sit for at least 2 weeks and give it a taste. If it's off, you may need to let it sit a little longer.

 

[afr0byte]

Airlock activity does not mean anything other than your fermentation creating enough CO2 to push out and create bubbles.

Well, I'd rather doubt he developed a leak all of a sudden, so the bubbles slowing down does tell him that his fermentation is slowing down. I would say that means something.

 

[duboman]

Well, I'd rather doubt he developed a leak all of a sudden, so the bubbles slowing down does tell him that his fermentation is slowing down. I would say that means something.

True, but the OP was questioning the completion of fermentation simply by looking at the airlock so in that reference activity means nothing

 

[growlergeek]

I just finished an IPA - it stopped bubbling in 3 days. Used BRY-97 American West Coast Yeast. Air temps were kept between 70-75, that's the coolest my house gets in the summer. OG was 1.061, FG was 1.011. Do I need to be concerned about off-flavors. How long should I wait prior to bottling?

 

[Yooper]

I just finished an IPA - it stopped bubbling in 3 days. Used BRY-97 American West Coast Yeast. Air temps were kept between 70-75, that's the coolest my house gets in the summer. OG was 1.061, FG was 1.011. Do I need to be concerned about off-flavors. How long should I wait prior to bottling?

Yes, you may have off flavors (fruity esters most likely). I'd try to keep the beer at 70 degrees or less, so if you can get a "stick on" thermometer that will help keep an eye on the actual beer temperature.

You can bottle when the beer is clear. With that yeast strain, it should clear quickly.