Are there ways to speed up fermentation without producing off-tasting by products? Does increasing the viable yeast quantities work?
Increase temp and/or yeast strain choice.
To a point yes. Adding more yeast should ferment faster. The risk is not so much off flavors but a lack of fermentation flavors - esters, etc. You might be able to pick a yeast that finished faster.
Probably better to think of the whole process. With the right yeast and good temp control you could get a good ferment time and reduced post ferment aging time, move to bottling faster.
I think Windsor is a beast with normal beer. Very fast ferment. So is BRY-97 (sometimes). And that is at the mid-60’s.
I have noticed on the few times I have let the temp crash too cold that ramping the temp up (say, from 50 to 68-70 over 3-4 days) quickly accelerates fermentation time with no off flavors (assuming that yeast can work that cold.) Also, pitching a second batch of beer on a equal size beer 24 hours into its growth cycle really speeds up fermentation with no off flavors. So, say you brew 5 gallons of beer day one, aerate and pitch an adequate yeast pitch for that size beer, then put 5 more gallons on top of that 12-24 hours later you will drastically speed up fermentation time. Just be sure to aerate each batch well.
+1. When i want a “faster” ferm. I plan my beer around that. Pick a style that i can use such yeast that flocculates faster along with not requiring requiring long aging. Above all i never do anything to"stress" the yeast
Increasing fermentation pressure will help as well. If you ferment at 15psi you can go warmer with reduced esters.
san diego super (WL090) ferments pretty quick.
good call, if you are able to run a pressurized fermentation that can really speed things up without compromising the quality of the brew.
EDIT
plus, you are already half carbed up at the end as long as you can transfer under pressure as well.
Yeah a spunding valve is pretty cheap and easy to make for a ball/pin lock keg. I have 2 10 gallon corny kegs I use to ferment in.
Give your yeast an impassioned pep talk daily.
+1. Sure does. It’s done and over in ~ 24 -72 hours, typically. The new Wyeast 1217 PC release is allegedly the equivalent as well.