Ok, so I’ve done some reading and everything tells me I just need to be patient…but I’m not…
I brewed my first batch on Saturday. All was great. After about 24 hours I had an inch of Krusen on the top of my primary and the airlock was going crazy bubbling away. Monday the krusen was at about 1 1/2" and still bubbling crazy.
On Tuesday I noticed the krusen was gone (but I have the 1 1/2" ‘ring’ around the BMB) and my airlock is less crazy.
Today (Wednesday) Krusen still gone and the airlock is passing a bubble about every 20 seconds. I back-lit the BMB and I can see TINY little bubbles coming up (but just barely). There is not a lot of movement in there…but clearly it’s not dead…something is still happening in there.
Is it ‘normal’ for:
Krusen to disappear after a day or two
The bubbler to slow to about a single bubble every 20ish seconds
This is an Irish Red Ale (extract)…I used a single dry yeast packet that I rehydrated per the instructions. My primary fermenter is sitting in a dark closet in a spare bedroom. Based on my AC thermostat, and an infrared thermometer, the temperature is right at 75*.
Sounds like a perfectly normal fermentation for an ale yeast at that temperature. The most active phase is over when the krauesen drops but the yeast is still working on your beer. My advice is give it 3 weeks to finish up but if you can’t wait you need to take a gravity reading with your hydrometer every day for 2-3 days. If the reading is the same then you can bottle assuming that’s how you’re packaging.
If you can use a swamp cooler or something to control fermentation temperatures your beer will finish much cleaner in the low 60s. It should be fine at 75 but may have some estery or fruity flavors.
That’s on the warm side… But it’ll still make beer… Ifn it was me… Don’t move it… Give it until this W/E… Pull a test jar and check the gravity… Do again in 2 more days… When the readings are the same… THEN ITS TIME… Please don’t rush it… You won’t like the brew as much as ifn you wait… Sneezles61
So this is my take away…this batch is fine - press on - business as usual. Be patient you impatient noob.
I’m also hearing…in the future…control fermentation temps better. The instructions on my extract kit did not list an ideal fermentation temperature. I’m in Houston and it’s 75* inside and 80* outside. No place cooler except my kitchen fridge which is set at 34* or kegerator which is at 38*.
I’ve been thinking I’d like to find an old used fridge to ferment in…I already have an inkbird temp control unit that was on my kegerator before I fixed/replaced the thermostat. I’m guessing that’s what @dannyboy58 means by a “swamp cooler”.
No, a swamp cooler is a tub with some water in it… Towel/T-shirt over the jugs… Fan blowing on it… Put frozen ice jugs in a few times a day to keep it cool… Look it up… There are some great examples out there…
I use a freezer with a controller on mine wwaayy up here in Mn. During the summer months for Ales… 63 is the ideal temp for me for Ales… Lagers like low to mid 50’s…
And yes, patience pays off tremendously… Sneezles61
Give it more time. To clean up. I know its hard to be patient. For your first few brews. You want to sample and drink. But what danny said. Take several. Grav readings. Over several days. If grav the same. It should be done. You could use for your next brew. A swamp cooler. Works perfect for temp control. Or try different yeast. Me do live on a tropical island. I do use kveik yeast as my main yeast strain. Kveik likes to ferment at high temp.
Yea google or search here for swamp cooler. Much less elegant than your temp controlled freezer idea. I still use mine even for lagers. Just two cube coolers that my fermenters fit inside with about 5 gallons of water in each, then I place frozen water bottles inside to keep the temp even while I ferment. Two frozen 12 oz bottles ever 12 hours for ales in low 60s and 2 1L frozen bottles every 12 hours for lagers in low 50s. Works great in my 70ish degree basement. I keep threatening to build a fermentation chamber with a window AC unit. Hoping to get around to it this winter.
Update: I found a FREE full-size refrigerator on craigslist to use as a fermentation chamber in the garage (outside is ugly but the interior is as clean as the one in my house). I picked up a small space heater off Amazon and both are plugged into my inkbird. The thing works like a champ. I’ve got my temp controller set to an ideal temp of 65* and it will cool at 67* and heat at 60*.
Purchased Hard Seltzer kit started brew process on 01/18/20. Followed all supplied directions. Has turned a light brown color. Smells like it fermenting. Is this normal or a problem?
Also what can be done to keep the airlock from needing constant refilling?
