As many of you have read I just started my first batch of homebrew ever and I know I should relax and just go with it but I confess to being a little nervous about doing it right. I cooked it Saturday and had good fermentation activity about 4 hours after putting the lid on. I left for work this morning and it was still bubbling well but when I came home around noon there is no apparent activity. I haven’t sat there and watched it for a long period of time but I have not heard or seen is do anything while I worked around were it was located. It’s NB’s Irish Red Kit in their bucket fermenter and it’s in the laundry room where the temp hovers around 68-70*. Is this normal and I’m just acting like an expectant father in the delivery room for the first kid or do I need to be proactive and do something. If that darn book will ever get here maybe I can quit bothering you guys with my FNG questions. Thanks for your help.
RDWHAHB! That’s a low gravity beer (1.044)+ high fermentation temps = quick fermentation.
If the ambient temp was 68-70F, then your fermentation probably got up into the low to mid 70’s.
You really want to keep that temp in the low to mid 60’s. Find a cooler spot to ferment, do a search on swamp coolers, or buy a used mini-fridge w/temp controller to better control your fermentation temps. There is a huge difference in the final product when talking about fermenting at 65F compared to 75F.
BUT… you made beer… enjoy!
:cheers:
I’d just add that bucket lids don’t seal that great unless they have a gasket. I have some that won’t even push an airlock unless it’s a very aggressive fermentation.
Even though the bulk of the fermentation may be done it helps to leave it on the yeast for 10 days or so for the yeast to clean up and settle out, I go 2 to 3 weeks for medium gravity ales then straight to the keg. If you don’t have one it would be a good time to pick up a hydrometer. Take a gravity reading in a week and then a few days later, if they’re the same you’re good to bottle.
