Hello,
I commenced my first brew of Honey Porter on Saturday, and yesterday (3 days into fermenting) I noticed the foam has dissipated and the airlock seems to be stagnant. Is it still fermenting, or have things gone bad? During the first 24 to 48 hours into the fermenting, the foam was about an inch thick. Room temperature is about 65F and it’s quiet and dark. Wort temperature was about 60F when I pitched the yeast. One thing I know I didn’t do correctly was syphoning up the trub into the fermenter, but I didn’t think that would have any impact on fermenting.
This is a one gallon batch?
It is possible your fermentation is complete. An ambient temperature of 65° may have allowed for a fermentation temperature up to 70° so it went fast.
Wait a full week from the time fermentation started to take a hydrometer reading. If the reading is near the target final gravity take another reading in three days.
If fermentation is complete leaving the beer in the primary for about three weeks will give the yeast time to clean up some natural off flavors produced by fermentation.
Fast ferments will produce more off flavors. Some are correctable by the yeast.
Yes, it’s a one gallon batch. If there is more yeast in the batch (let’s say 2/3 of the pack instead of 1/2) will that help with cleaning up off flavors, or make matters worse?
I will give it a full week and then take the first sample.
The extra yeast will not be detrimental. The entire pack might be overpitching. Grossly overpitching will not allow the yeast to go through normal cell division. This can have some effect on the final flavors.
The extra yeast will not help clean up off flavors either. Once the complex sugars are used up the yeast begins flocculating out and going into dormancy. The yeast remaining in suspension for a period of time are the clean up crew.
