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Author Topic: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern  (Read 2397 times)

Offline braz24

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First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« on: July 22, 2014, 12:15:54 pm »
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.

Thanks.

Craig
Craig

Offline dannyjed

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2014, 12:28:34 pm »
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.
Dan Chisholm

Offline braz24

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2014, 12:41:17 pm »
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.
Craig

Offline tommymorris

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2014, 12:53:49 pm »
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.

You can use a yeast pitch rate calculator to estimate how many yeast cells to pitch.

http://www.yeastcalculator.com/
http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

I like the brewers friend calculator because of the three I listed it is the only one which works on my cell phone.

Offline dannyjed

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2014, 12:56:57 pm »
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.
Dan Chisholm

Offline braz24

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2014, 01:07:00 pm »
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!
Craig

Offline dannyjed

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2014, 01:12:01 pm »
Getting your fermentation temps in control and pitching the correct amount of yeast will significantly improve your beer.
Dan Chisholm

Offline braz24

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2014, 01:15:53 pm »
So do you think this batch still has a chance if I pitch based on the calculator and get fermentation temp down?
Craig

Offline dannyjed

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2014, 01:22:43 pm »
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.
Dan Chisholm

Offline Stevie

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2014, 01:45:10 pm »
+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

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2014, 01:47:05 pm »
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.

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Offline Jeff M

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2014, 05:04:09 am »
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.

+1.  What did you do to know fermentation is done?

Jeff
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Building a clone of The Electric Brewery to use as a pilot system for new recipes!

Offline braz24

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2014, 08:52:56 am »
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!
Craig

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2014, 08:55:36 am »
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.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
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"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
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Offline Jeff M

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Re: First All-Grain Fermentation Concern
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2014, 09:12:03 am »
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)
Granite Coast Brewing Company.
Building a clone of The Electric Brewery to use as a pilot system for new recipes!