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Caribou Slobber - Fermentation Help

Northern Brewer General
#1

Good Evening,

A friend of mine recently ordered a Deluxe Brewing Kit as a housewarming gift for me. This past Friday evening, we starting brewing. By Saturday morning, fermentation had begun and the lock was bubbling slowly. By the time I got home Saturday evening, the foam had grown close to the top of the carboy, so I decided to attach the blow-off hose in place of the fermentation lock. It was bubbling at a steady pace into my sanitized container, then I went to bed. When I woke up Sunday morning, it was bubbling at a very slow pace and it looked like foam had started to get smaller. This morning (Monday), the foam level was really low and it was barely bubbling…now it’s not bubbling at all. Is it really possible that primary fermentation is done already? I know your sheet says to not be alarmed if it takes a few less or few more days, but this was hardly 48 hours, something doesn’t seem right. If you don’t think the beer is going to come out right, is there any way you can send me a new recipe kit for this beer?

Thanks,
Anthony

#2

Just relax and let it do its thing. Leave it in the primary 2 weeks then pull a sample and get a hydromoter check. It will probably be ready to bottle or keg. ENJOY!!

#3

[quote=“anthonysacks”]Good Evening,

A friend of mine recently ordered a Deluxe Brewing Kit as a housewarming gift for me. This past Friday evening, we starting brewing. By Saturday morning, fermentation had begun and the lock was bubbling slowly. By the time I got home Saturday evening, the foam had grown close to the top of the carboy, so I decided to attach the blow-off hose in place of the fermentation lock. It was bubbling at a steady pace into my sanitized container, then I went to bed. When I woke up Sunday morning, it was bubbling at a very slow pace and it looked like foam had started to get smaller. This morning (Monday), the foam level was really low and it was barely bubbling…now it’s not bubbling at all. Is it really possible that primary fermentation is done already? I know your sheet says to not be alarmed if it takes a few less or few more days, but this was hardly 48 hours, something doesn’t seem right. If you don’t think the beer is going to come out right, is there any way you can send me a new recipe kit for this beer?

Thanks,
Anthony[/quote]

What you described sounds 100% normal. Fermentation is likely not complete, but obviously slowing. The best way to confirm that fermentation is complete is by taking gravity samples on three consecutive days with identical readings. Cheers, and enjoy your beer!

#4

I had a beer finish in 18 hr before . the grav went from .060 to .010 in less then 24 hr. all I could do was think I did something wrong, turns out I must have done something right, it was a vary good beer after 7 days in the bottle . please do not get me wrong ,I did let it sit in the fermenter for a week but all the airlock action was over in one day so, it happens.

#5

Sorry to thread-jack, but I’ve encountered a similar issue with Caribou Slobber. This is my third home-brew (1 gallon) and 2nd from Northern Brewer. We brewed this past Tuesday evening (12/10) and put the fermenter away with a blow-off tube attached. Since we needed a blow-off tube, rather than an airlock for our last two batches, thought it prudent to just start with that then move to an airlock after a few days.

Checked the beer this morning, and the kreusen had moved all the way through the 3ft blow off tube and into the sanitizing solution in the bowl sitting nearby. The fermenter was filled about 2in. below the “One Gallon” mark, so I don’t think it was over-filled. I’d be OK with the overflow into the sanitizer solution, but there is NO activity now. The kreusen has completely gone away and there is no bubbling and the top of the beer is clear.

Note, I hydrated the yeast (half of the included packet, according to directions) in some water in a measuring cup prior to pitching. Aerated the heck out of the fermenter prior.

Still new, so I do not have a hydrometer.

Normal? :?

#6

[quote=“Whatever”]Sorry to thread-jack, but I’ve encountered a similar issue with Caribou Slobber. This is my third home-brew (1 gallon) and 2nd from Northern Brewer. We brewed this past Tuesday evening (12/10) and put the fermenter away with a blow-off tube attached. Since we needed a blow-off tube, rather than an airlock for our last two batches, thought it prudent to just start with that then move to an airlock after a few days.

Checked the beer this morning, and the kreusen had moved all the way through the 3ft blow off tube and into the sanitizing solution in the bowl sitting nearby. The fermenter was filled about 2in. below the “One Gallon” mark, so I don’t think it was over-filled. I’d be OK with the overflow into the sanitizer solution, but there is NO activity now. The kreusen has completely gone away and there is no bubbling and the top of the beer is clear.

Note, I hydrated the yeast (half of the included packet, according to directions) in some water in a measuring cup prior to pitching. Aerated the heck out of the fermenter prior.

Still new, so I do not have a hydrometer.

Normal? :? [/quote]
Do you have the means to monitor the temperature of the wort while it is fermenting? Wort temperature can increase up to 10° during fermentation. A super quick fermentation is sometimes indicative of high wort temperature. High fermentation temperatures can produce some fairly yucky flavors.

#7

Am ordering a fermometer today, so other than opening the carboy up and dipping a sanitized thermometer in I unfortunately can’t tell exactly. The fermenter feels about room temp to the touch, and is stored in a closet that does not see widely varying temperatures during the day.

Yeast was pitched in wort that was about 63-65 degrees, if I recall correctly.

Thanks!

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