So about 4 days ago I put my first batch into the fermentation bucket and within 24 hours there was quite a bit of activity going on in the air lock so i assumed going off of that that fermentation was taking place…yesterday in my curiosity i wanted to take a look and not only have i read of brewers opening up the containers during fermentation but it was never advised against in the instructions nor the dvd…well about the 3rd day in when i finally opened it i noticed the foam head which from what ive read and seen i a good sign the the process i going well…but today i noticed that the airlock wasnt bubbling as much and decided to open it and there was little to know foam going on…is this something i should worry about? being that process was supposed to go on for at least 1-2 weeks?
No need to worry. I’m fairly new myself but I’ve got a dozen batches under my belt. I have yet to see “active fermentation” last more than 2 or 3 days. Just because you aren’t seeing bubbles through the airlock and no krausen doesn’t mean it’s not active. The yeast are still working away in there cleaning up. Leave it in primary for at least 2 weeks. If you’re not doing a secondary, leave it a week or 2 longer. And don’t rush it even after you’ve bottled/kegged. It will get better with age! I know it’s easier said than done but it’s advice that I ignored on my first batch. By the time my first batch really started tasting good, I only had a few bottles left! I think you’ll be OK with the Irish Red Ale though, pretty quick turnaround. Welcome!
:cheers:
Thank you so much for clearing that up! I was starting to get worried that i fucked something up and ruin a batch.
If your fermentation is actually finishing in such a short period, it’s likely that your fermentation temperatures are higher than they should be to produce the best flavor.
So… three definitions/comments are in order:
“Actually finishing” means your gravity has stayed the same for two or three samples taken two or three days apart.
“Best flavor” means minimal fusal alcohol (fusal alcohols produce unpleasant flavors and hellacious hangovers), reasonable levels of lots of other compounds produced by higher temperatures. Most ale yeasts like low to mid-60s. Fermentation produces heat and can push your fermenting beer a few degrees above the ambient air.
Fast, hot fermentations still produce beer, and you can still enjoy it. Take notes, follow this forum (and others) and make each brew a little better than the one before.
Well im more than postive that its not the temp. the house is set to 70 at all times when the heat is on…which is not all the time…so the room that the fermentation bucket is in probably ranges from mid 60’s to 70 and maybe slightly higher if its a warm day which isnt very often this time of the year in colorado springs.
Put my first home brew batch ever of Irish Red Ale in the fermenter 3 weeks ago after doing a partial boil, bottled after two weeks in primary plastic bucket fermentation. Conditioned in the bottle for one week and just cracked open the first one. Had a small head, plenty of active carbonation, a little bitter at the end. However, this beer was just as good as any you could have bought at the store. Going to wait another week before breaking it out wide scale with some friends, but I wanted a baseline to compare the flavor to next week.
I don’t think I did a great job brewing it, but I took the forum’s advice and RDWHAHB.
Got my next one ready to go. This time, I’m doing the Irish Red Ale again, but I ordered an 8 gal. stainless brew kettle and am going to do a whole 5 gallon boil, using some of the clarifying agents from NB. If this can only go “up” in taste, then I’m pumped!
[quote=“mmBeer”]No need to worry. I’m fairly new myself but I’ve got a dozen batches under my belt. I have yet to see “active fermentation” last more than 2 or 3 days. Just because you aren’t seeing bubbles through the airlock and no krausen doesn’t mean it’s not active. The yeast are still working away in there cleaning up. Leave it in primary for at least 2 weeks. If you’re not doing a secondary, leave it a week or 2 longer. And don’t rush it even after you’ve bottled/kegged. It will get better with age! I know it’s easier said than done but it’s advice that I ignored on my first batch. By the time my first batch really started tasting good, I only had a few bottles left! I think you’ll be OK with the Irish Red Ale though, pretty quick turnaround. Welcome!
:cheers: [/quote]
mmbeer may be relatively new, but he/she is wise. If this forum had a ‘like’ button, I’d be hitting it!
