24 replies to this topic

[No Party JKor]

This is kind of a spin off of the 'fermentation time' thread. I see a lot of recommendations for two weeks of primary, which I think is a perfectly good recommendation, don't get me wrong. I'm wondering, though, how closely people are monitoring their fermentation and for people who are doing multiple gravity checks, how long until you are actually hitting TG, or how long until you see significant slow down.The last year and a half or so I've been much more active in measuring my gravities throughout the batch, almost daily during active fermentation. Both my ales and lagers consistently drop 7-12 points per day (most often 8-10 ppd) until hitting TG. I often see people talking about beer fermenting for two weeks, or slowly dropping the last few points over the course of a few days, or even weeks. I don't experience this much, if at all. I'm wondering what is causing this for other brewers? I suspect it might be underpitching, but I'd like to hear from you guys. I'm vigilant about following pitching rate guidelines, 0.75 million cells/ml-°P for ales and 1.5 MM/mL-°P for lagers (I let Jamil's calculator do the math for me). I rarely have a beer actively ferment for more than 4-5 days. I started a 1.090 RIS last Saturday night, it was at 1.032 on Thursday night and I suspect it's reached TG by today.Anyway, let me know what you guys are doing and how fast your beers are fermenting.

[positiveContact]

I'm guessing most of my stuff has done has hit TG in under a week. I've only actually checked gravity in under a week a couple of times. At least one time was for a lager of average strength (1.057ish OG) and it hit TG in about 5 days. Based on observation of the fermentation my ales are probably done even sooner in most cases.When I hear about ales "fermenting" for multiple weeks from other people I start to wonder what the hell is going on.

Edited by mashleyJwilliams, 25 December 2010 - 05:06 PM.

[No Party JKor]

I started a 1.090 RIS last Saturday night, it was at 1.032 on Thursday night and I suspect it's reached TG by today.

Just checked it. It's about 1.026. I don't expect it to drop much, if any, more.

[cbbrown40]

I rarely check gravity at all anymore. I wait until all activety has stopped and throw it in a keg for conditioning usually 7-10 days.

[BarelyBrews]

I rarely check gravity at all anymore. I wait until all activety has stopped and throw it in a keg for conditioning usually 7-10 days.

I knew a guy like that,just throws the same type of hops in around the same time too.I am the 'i got's to know guy myself'.To the OP:in warm weather normal is 3-4 days, but my basement is colder now and airlock activity is normal for up to 7 days now.

[No Party JKor]

I wonder if there are even many homebrewers who are checking their gravity 3-4 times during fermentation, or am I obsessive?PS I don't have an airlock, nor any other type of indicator CO2 generation (except the acrylic window in my fermenter lid, which is actually really nice to have).

Edited by JKoravos, 25 December 2010 - 06:29 PM.

[pete maz]

How are you checking? I assume with a refractometer? I'm still using a hydrometer - I generally let mine go 3-4 weeks, and only check the gravity when activity ends. Too worried about contamination to check multiple times. I'd love to get a refractometer and do what you're doing, though. I know starting gravity and ending gravity, but would like to know more about what happens in between.

[positiveContact]

How are you checking? I assume with a refractometer? I'm still using a hydrometer - I generally let mine go 3-4 weeks, and only check the gravity when activity ends. Too worried about contamination to check multiple times. I'd love to get a refractometer and do what you're doing, though. I know starting gravity and ending gravity, but would like to know more about what happens in between.

do you see activity for 3-4 weeks?

[No Party JKor]

How are you checking? I assume with a refractometer? I'm still using a hydrometer - I generally let mine go 3-4 weeks, and only check the gravity when activity ends. Too worried about contamination to check multiple times. I'd love to get a refractometer and do what you're doing, though. I know starting gravity and ending gravity, but would like to know more about what happens in between.

No, I use a hydrometer. I like to taste the progress as well. I have a conical, so I use the draw-off valve to pull my samples. I can see why people using carboys or buckets would be less likely to take samples mid-ferment, since it's a little more of a PITA and a higher contamination risk.

[positiveContact]

No, I use a hydrometer. I like to taste the progress as well. I have a conical, so I use the draw-off valve to pull my samples. I can see why people using carboys or buckets would be less likely to take samples mid-ferment, since it's a little more of a PITA and a higher contamination risk.

I def wouldn't do daily samples but I sometimes do a few: 1 prior to pitching yeast, 1 during fermentation, 1 during transfer to secondary/keg.

[pete maz]

do you see activity for 3-4 weeks?

No, it usually dies down after 1-2 weeks but the extra time definitely knocks off a few more points from the FG. That "one bubble a minute" may not look like much, but after 2 weeks it might drop another 3-4 points. Makes a big difference with Belgians.

[No Party JKor]

No, it usually dies down after 1-2 weeks but the extra time definitely knocks off a few more points from the FG. That "one bubble a minute" may not look like much, but after 2 weeks it might drop another 3-4 points. Makes a big difference with Belgians.

This is what I'm talking about. I generally leave my beer in primary at least 10 days, usually more like 14. I do regular gravity checks, I'll see it drop to 1.015, or whatever, over the course of 4-5 days, but I don't see it drop at all, not even a point, from day 5-14. Maybe my memory is a little fuzzy because I don't usually record the gravities after the first week or so, but I don't recall getting any additional drop on my beers after the active fermentation stage is done. Maybe I'll go back through my records and see what I can dig up.

[No Party JKor]

The fastest I've ever done was a stout a few months back. OG 1.058 FG 1.010 in 26 hours.

Geez, that's crazy. What temp was the ferment?

[davelew]

I wonder if there are even many homebrewers who are checking their gravity 3-4 times during fermentation, or am I obsessive?PS I don't have an airlock, nor any other type of indicator CO2 generation (except the acrylic window in my fermenter lid, which is actually really nice to have).

I check my airlock daily, and then when I think the fermentation is done I take a single gravity reading. So, only one gravity reading, but daily feedback on the rate of fermentation.

[HVB]

About 66-68* with a gallon starter of WLP004 in 5 gallons. It was a coffee chocolate stout, so I think there were a ton of nutrients and nitrogen.

Care to share the recipe? This sounds like something I would like to try.

[shmgeggie]

Depends on the yeast and OG. S-05 is pretty slow. I've had a 1.085 ale take over a full week of active fermentation to get down to 1.018 with S-05. Nottingham goes like it's no tomorrow. Put it in a 1.044 OG wort and it's over in a heartbeat.

[CaptRon]

I wonder if there are even many homebrewers who are checking their gravity 3-4 times during fermentation, or am I obsessive?PS I don't have an airlock, nor any other type of indicator CO2 generation (except the acrylic window in my fermenter lid, which is actually really nice to have).

I used to be all obsessive about it. Then I quit caring as my beers always came out good. I've only had one batch go south on me. So I quit worrying about it and to be honest I don't even check for TG any more. After 2 weeks, into a corny it goes - on gas, pulling first pint 2 to 3 days later. When carbonation is where I like it, I turn down the co2 pressure to about 8 lbs or so and enjoy it.I will take a reading if it seems to finish too fast just to make sure it doesn't stick. Other than that, I'm more of a set it and forget it guy.

[cbbrown40]

I ferment in a sanke keg with a blow off tube going into a bottle sitting on top of the keg. I have a ball valve on the bottom of the keg so it would be very easy to check gravity whenever I want. However I usually wait until I see less than one bubble per minute comming into my blow-off bottle and that is when I keg. I was taught this when I was first starting to brew 25 years ago and it has always stuck. I never worry to much about final gravity unless it is a real heavy beer and I am just curious. Maybe I'm Medieval in my ways but just never worry about it to much.

[positiveContact]

I ferment in a sanke keg with a blow off tube going into a bottle sitting on top of the keg. I have a ball valve on the bottom of the keg so it would be very easy to check gravity whenever I want. However I usually wait until I see less than one bubble per minute comming into my blow-off bottle and that is when I keg. I was taught this when I was first starting to brew 25 years ago and it has always stuck. I never worry to much about final gravity unless it is a real heavy beer and I am just curious. Maybe I'm Medieval in my ways but just never worry about it to much.

How long does that typically take?

[denny]

I just want to thank those of you who are so OCD about this for making me look a lot less geeky!