Hi all. I’m new to AHA so why not start with a question for the experts. I just brewed my first all-grain this past weekend. I steeped at 152 degrees and batch sparged. I hit all of my numbers and it looks like I was at around 85% efficiency. I pitched Wyeast 1056 at about 72 degrees. My carboy is in my basement where it sits at around 72 degrees.
Once the fermentation took off, it had a very good, steady fermentation that only lasted about 48 hours. This is my concern. Did this ferment too fast maybe because 72 degrees is too warm? I did not use a starter so maybe there weren’t enough yeast cells to finish the job? I’m worried that the finished product will not have the best flavor due to the fast fermentation.
I wrapped the carboy in a wet towel and shook it up to hopefully get the process going again. I’m thinking about pitching another bag of 1056 on this 4th day of it being in the primary.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Any help would be appreciated.
72 is warm and the actual temp in your fermentation vessel could be up to 8 degrees higher during active fermentation. 1056 ferments cleaner at a lower temp like 60-64. You can use a swamp cooler method to keep your temps down. We would need to know more details about your recipe to know whether or not you pitched enough yeast. The only way to know for sure is to check the gravity of your beer. My guess is that it fermented quickly because of the high temps.
Thanks for they reply Dan. The grain bill was as follows:
11 lbs American Pale 2-Row
1 lb Caramel 40
1 lb Munich 10
1/2 lb Cara-Pils
Steeped at 152 and batch sparged. Original gravity was around 1.068. I pitched one pouch of the Wyeast 1056 that I smacked about 6 hours prior to pitching. The bag was fully expanded.
Yeah, I would say you under-pitched. Check out the Mr.Malty site for proper pitching rates. You really should check the gravity to know where the beer is at this point.
Thanks guys. According to the calculators, I under pitched big time. I’m short 2 packets (not using a starter). I’ve never pitched this much yeast in any beer I’ve made (6.25 gallons going into the primary). Guess I could have had much better beer all these years. Thanks again!
I would check the gravity first after a week or so. You might have some fusel alcohols and some off flavors, but it might still be drinkable. You will never know until you taste it.
+1 to pretty much everything said. I’m sure it will be fine. Many, if not all of us, have pitched single packs over the years and made good beer. It could be done, but you won’t know until you pull a sample.
My guess is it is mostly done and will continue to work slowly for the next few days
no point in pitching more yeast into this batch. it’s probably done in terms of available sugars being consumed. it just happened really fast because of the higher than optimal (flavor wise) temp.
Those temps are optimal for yeast health and activity so it went really fast but not optimal for what WE want from the yeast in terms of compounds produced/not produced.
Give the beer a taste and text the gravity. that is the only way to KNOW if it’s done and if it’s worth saving.
Jeff - The bubbling stopped in the airlock. I’m going to transfer it to the secondary today and get a gravity reading. I will post back here where it’s at. Thanks!
Noooooooo! don’t transfer it. leave it alone. if there are undesirable flavors some of them the yeast may be able to clean up. if you remove the beer from the majority of the yeast this becomes a much more difficult task for them.
Just forget about it till next wednesday man. Beer takes patience:D Fyi Fermentation is done when you take a gravity reading, wait three days, and take another and the gravity hasnt changed. I start taking gravity readings after a week(when im in a rush)