Fermentation times

[Hamish Jones]

I have just been using dried yeasts as a constant while I get myself fully conversant with all grain brewing, I haven't been using starters but my next step will be making starters before going to liquid yeast, lately my brews have taken about three to four weeks to fully ferment out with US-05, all brews have been sitting aroung 16 degrees pretty consistantly, has anyone else found this yeast to be slow fermenting lately or is it something peculiar to my brews, I have used it in the past and found three to seven days its all done

It has been a whole range of beers from high strength IPA's to lower strength Saison's so no real pattern to speak of, any thoughts why it's taking so long, or am I just being impatient as my kegs are empty?

[Hamish Jones]

most brews are around the 20 litre mark and have only ever used one packet in the past, was thinking temperature but a few people have ementioned about running US-05 down around 15 degrees for cleaner results which was my thinking in keeng it lower, maybe I should chuck two packets in per brew and see if that gets things going a bit quicker

[mattd2]

16C is right on the lower end of the recomended temp range - http://www.fermentis.com/fo/pdf/HB/EN/Safale_US-05_HB.pdf so I would be expecting to see it take a while (4 weeks is a really long while though!)

I have typically use US05 at around 18°C like Guy and got a good clean flavour, 05 is pretty good with being clean.

I am using S04 at the moment and have read that this one does produce a fair amount of esters when used at the mid-top end of the recomended temp range. But given it is an english ale yeast that is also expected. This time round I did want a cleaner taste so I am fermenting right down low at 15.5°C and it is chugging along nice and slow, been 2 days now and it now has started to krausen.

My other comment would be how are you controlling your temps, as I have only got my chest freezer hooked up for cooling (no heating yet) so in winter even if in the afternoon it is sitting at the right temp overnight it can drop another few degrees which would slow down the yeast a fair bit if you are already at their limit for going to sleep.

[Hamish Jones]

it sits in the garage which for some reason is fully insulated and stays at 16, the brew I have going now had a hell krausen probably 7cm thick, now its down to about 2cm, so its definately doing the business might wrap it to see if I can bring the temp up a bit and try that,

cheers

[Grant R Baker]

Starting at 16C is fine but you really want to get it up to the 20C mark.

 

I am not sure what 'cleaner' results can be achieved by hold the yeast back, most yeast a very active in the first 2-3 days then slowly settle down. That said if you'er happy to wait 4 weeks for primary fermentation and you're happy with the results then there is no problem.

For really clean beers I recommend a secondary fermenter (or a conical fermenter). After 10 days (or so) rack the beer to the secondary leaving most of the yeast cake behind. Leave it in the secondary for 2 weeks then bottle (longer for heavy beers).

[Hamish Jones]

I do normally secondary my beers but this one I haven't yet and its been going for about 2 and a half weeks, I usually wait for the krausen to die down before I transfer it, this one still has about 2cm on top, I wrapped the fermenter last night and it's now at 18-20 degrees so will see if that speeds things up,

cheers

[Grant R Baker]

Should be good. I know really high temps can produce some off flavours.. but we are talking at about 26C.

[Hamish Jones]

its sitting at 20 degrees and trucking along nicely now must have just been too cold, poor wee yeasties all they needed was a blanket,

cheers

[Grant R Baker]

Mine is an old woolen jersey that shrank in the wash... works well on carboys and conicals.

 

It's really starting to warm up now... great for summer ale brewing without any heating or blankets.

[Hamish Jones]

I have just taken an SG on it and it's down to 1.004 so somethings going right, it was supposed to be about 4% looking like about 4.5% so the yeast is certainly doing its thing

[mattd2]

Grant, I would take "cleaner" as being low levels of esters/phenols which are usually associated with higher fermentation temps or specific yeast strains. One thing I have seen mention is when you do ferment lower and the yeast is less active they might not clean up all of the fermentation byproducts like Diactyle, for this some do a Diactyle rest by warming it up to 20°C for a few days once the most active part of the ferment has happened so the yeast don't give up too early (if I remember correctly this is common for lagers).

Would secondary help with cleaning up any undesired flavours in the beer anymore that leaving it on the yeast for the same amount of time? I can see it possibly helping with clarity as then when you transfer to you bottling bucket/keg there is less trub to potentially accidently suck up. But I have never secondaried and never had a problem with clarity, that I could tell anyway. I might have to do a larger split batch and seconday one to see if I can tell the difference.

[Grant R Baker]

Good point... but since I have been using the secondary carboy my beers all got better.

There are a few I make fast, 10 days in the primary only., but my best beers all go through the secondary.

 

That said I am playing with a conical fermenter, following a bit of advise from Smithy, I hope to get a really clean, clear beer from a single vessel but over the same time I would normal do Primary & Secondary fermentation.

[Shelley Raskin]

Hmm, I tend to ferment for anywhere between two weeks (minimum) to four weeks before transferring to secondary for at least another two weeks. most brews tend to be down between four and six weeks before bottling or kegging.

Actually I leave it longer if I am bottling, less if kegging (who lazy, what me).

My fermenting room tends to be be around 16-18 in Summer, 12-14 in winter. Brews have usually stopped bubbling by the time I bring them up to bottle (in the warmer kitchen) and start bubbling again whilst I am sterlising the bottles.

I find transferring to secondary makes the beer a lot clearer and seems to taste better, but as I have been trying new recipies lately I cant really recall the difference. I figure less trub less chance of off taste though.