Newbie with a stalled brewbie

Just did my first ever brew. NB English Bitters kit. Everything went great, OG was perfect when it went into fermenter. Yeast was pitched at about 74. Activity started after five hours, nice cap by morning. Next day cap was flat and random bubbles. Temps sits at 64/66. I’m at day 3.5. Ideas?

Its probably not stalled. It probably fermented fast. Beers can reach their final gravity in a few days sometimes. Check your gravity. Leave it for two to three weeks and check the gravity again. If its the same both times you finished after a few days. If its lower in a few weeks youve allowed enought time for it to be done anyways.

So, it’s not bad to have the beer in the carboy for that long before bottling when the fermenting is done? Dumb question I guess.

No such thing as dumb questions. Youre learning which is awesome. The answer to your really good question is no. Leaving a beer on the yeast for an extended amount of time is not bad. It will only result in the beer cleaning up. The longer its on the yeast, the better chance the yeast have to eat up all the sugars and clean up the nasty stuff they produce. One main nasty people discuss is Diacetyl. This byproduct has a buttery taste and will be left in the beer if the beer is taken off the yeast.

I learned this fairly recently actually. I have been brewing for a year, but got impatient with a beer and put it in bottles too soon. Now Im drinking slightly buttery beer. So, long story short, leave that beer alone for at least two weeks. Then take a gravity reading. Then wait a few days and take one again. If its the same both times, move it to secondary for aging or bottle depending on the beer. Thats thet minimum basic process you should follow when your beer is fermenting.

But mostly, keep reading this forum, asking all sorts of questions and relax. In the end youll have a beer and youll think it tastes better than any beer ever cause you made it.

Thank you for your help. I thought I messed up some where. I’ll leave it alone for another 11 days and take that gravity reading. Then recheck a couple days later like you suggest. Thanks for your support.

Beings it’s a bitter, a low gravity brew to begin with, coupled with the high fermenting temperature it’s most likely about finished. I agree with keeping it in the fermenter a little longer to let the yeast clean up after themselves. You may not need to go 2 weeks since it’s a low gravity beer, check it after 7-8 days and then a couple days later and if the reading is the same bottle it up.

On your future batches you should cool you wort to 65° or less before pitching your yeast, besides good sanitation, it’s probably the #1 key to making great beer.
:cheers:

Well, an extended period of time is bad. Once the yeast start to die off in large numbers they will autolyse, which contributes a rancid/spoiled/meaty flavor. “Extended” in this case means several months, though.

Is it a rule of thumb that the lower starting gravity the faster the beer goes through the bubbling fermentation? For the most part, do all beers get that frothy top at first then it goes flat when finished fermenting? Do all beers usually finish up the aggressive fermintation in the first couple I days? Thanks for the help.

Yes to all three, although active fermentation can take anywhere from 2-10 days (for an ale), depending on pitching rate, temperature, and OG.

“You may not need to go 2 weeks since it’s a low gravity beer”

Yes. I should have clarified. I typically give it a two weeks and then check then a few more days. Glug master is right.

“Well, an extended period of time is bad. Once the yeast start to die off in large numbers they will autolyse, which contributes a rancid/spoiled/meaty flavor. “Extended” in this case means several months, though.”

Right. I agree with this too. Thats why I said “depending on the beer” You wouldnt leave a bitter or low gravity beer on for several months.

Thanks for the clarification guys.

Give the carboy or bucket a swirl to get the yeast moving again. If there is more fermentation to happen it will take off again.