Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Discuss all aspects of fermentation
Post Reply
Paddington
Piss Artist
Posts: 157
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:07 pm

Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by Paddington » Sun Oct 07, 2018 8:54 pm

I have just brewed a session IPA, OG 1042 using US-05. Within four days the krausen has started to dissipate and it looks as if it is finished fermenting. I took a hydrometer reading which is 1.010. Beersmith suggested it should reach a FG of 1.009, so it could just be finished but it seems a trifle quick to me. I will leave it on the yeast in any case, but should I try to rouse it or is US-05 just a quick fermenter (I'm sure I've heard it is)?

guypettigrew
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2626
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Christchurch, Dorset

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:28 am

Four to five days for the primary fermentation sounds right. A good strong yeast in the right conditions will easily achieve this.

Guy

chefgage
Hollow Legs
Posts: 492
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:37 am

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by chefgage » Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:33 am

I agree. Mine usually finish in about 4 - 5 days. I then leave them untill they have had 2 weeks in the fementer. This also then means i can bottle at the weekend as i brew on a weekend.

Paddington
Piss Artist
Posts: 157
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by Paddington » Mon Oct 08, 2018 10:09 am

Thanks, both.

User avatar
Kev888
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7701
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:22 pm
Location: Derbyshire, UK

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by Kev888 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 1:49 pm

Beersmith's FG will just be an estimate, useful for recipe formulation; many things can affect the actual attenuation so it isn't unusual to differ a little bit from the prediction. 1.010 is only a point off, and the time taken to get there was fine, so this all seems quite normal to me.

However, to establish FG you should always check that the gravity isn't still falling, by taking another reading a few days later. Sometimes the yeast can dribble on slowly (IMO US-05 has slight tendencies to do this, occasionally).
Kev

Paddington
Piss Artist
Posts: 157
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by Paddington » Mon Oct 08, 2018 2:57 pm

Thanks, Kev. I've used it before and never had it reach FG so quickly. I always leave it on the yeast for two weeks anyhow. I took another reading today and it hasn't moved. On a related topic, In March, I did a small beer using the 'spent' grains from an ESB brew (using WY1968). I only took 5 litres as an experiment, which came in at 1032. I then never got around to bottling it until last week. I took a sample which was fine and FG was down to 1.001, which surprised me. I now have a drinkable (if dry) 4% beer, rather than the 2 - 3% I was expecting

User avatar
HTH1975
Piss Artist
Posts: 224
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:24 pm
Location: Thirsk, North Yorks (ex-pat Geordie)

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by HTH1975 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 5:28 pm

4-5 days is about right - I had grain to bottle on my last brew in under two weeks, including cold-crashingvtime and dry hopping.

Robwalkeragain
Hollow Legs
Posts: 374
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:19 am

Re: Stuck fermentation or just finished?

Post by Robwalkeragain » Mon Oct 08, 2018 9:08 pm

Basically what I get out of us-05 using it twice a week, so I'd say it's ready. The dead giveaway with us-05 is that if you leave it at room temperature, it'll form a crusty head that doesn't drop without chilling the beer/syphoning off.

Post Reply