Woodfords Wherry, is this normal

[escapizm]

Hi Yalll

2nd brew on Sunday Woodfords Wherry, has all evidence of yeast crust etc and was bubbling nicely but seams to have only been active 3 days as now it has stopped, where as previous IPA kit was going for about a 5-7 days and bubbling frantically (may have been I checked every hour as it was first and I’ve left this one alone I may have missed it)

Thinking of leaving till weekend Sunday and bottling...

Tasted IPA last night 3-4 weeks early, is the green taste people mention the acidic sharp taste, its not rotten just not ready

escapizm

[alefric]

If you have a hydrometer take a reading before you start worrying, sometimes a brew can ferment out faster than normal....did you do anything different, use a starter etc ?.

Andrew

[escapizm]

If you have a hydrometer take a reading before you start worrying, sometimes a brew can ferment out faster than normal....did you do anything different, use a starter etc ?.

Andrew

Oh yes, forgot about the old hydrometer, will try tonight.

THanks

[paul]

my woodfordes wherry kit i started 4 weeks ago was quiet for the first day or so then went mad for 3 days then stopped, so i left it a few days then took the hydrometer readings and it was bang on the right fg

[NickK]

Yeast follows four phases - the bloom which creates the crust is basically the most active part as the yeast is most active. The rate of sugar to alcohol (and other by-products) is highest. As the rate slows (through attenuation of each yeast cell) it will go quiet and will continue to convert down to the attenuation point.

Once attenuation is achieved for each cell, it moves into another phase where it reprocesses some of the by-products - this is why people suggest leaving for a couple of days after the gravity remains the same.

Attenutation is the amount of sugar the yeast will convert before calling it a day and reconverting the by-products. How it relates to your gravity drop depends on how much yeast is in the wort (over pitching with a large starter will result in a bigger drop as each yeast will not have achieved attenuation, less will result the attenuation being achieve for all the yeast but with sugar still available). Just for background info..

My Wherry kit dropped to the 1014 and this is a regular level where the kit appears to halt first fermentation. It will continue a little in the keg and it will become drier too as it conditions. I used sugar to prime the keg then 3 days in the warm before moving to the cool for the rest of the conditioning time.