Ale fermentation time

[Doctormcbrewdle]

I almost can't believe I'm asking this question after brewing for so many years now, but I'm encountering a somewhat strange phenomenon

I started using Mangrove Jacks M44 American pale ale yeast which I like for it's clean taste, but my question is: I've been fermenting these standard 1.044 odd ales for about 8 days at 19 degrees before cold crashing and bottling which should be ample time to reach fg. But I can reach Beersmith precicted fg between days 6-8 and the hydro tube will continue bubbling hard for another 3-4 days while dropping to lower fg's (BS predicts 1.012 but it seems to get to 1.010 fresh from the fermenter really and can reach 1.008 odd before really settling after a further 3 days in the tube at about 28 degrees ambient temp. Is this possibility due to wild yeast getting into the tube and attenuating lower than the M44 yeast or is BS possibly reading wrong? This latest brew was mashed 'full body' @ 68.4.. and was supposed to end at 1.012 but 1.010 from fv after 8 days and now 1.008 a few days later

I do often find that my lagers reach predicted fg within a week with the fast lager method of 3 days at 13 then a further 4 days at 18 so it makes little sense for a higher temp ale strain to take longer(?)

 

[S.E]

Yes it is possible, try searching gusher bug.

 

[brewgasm]

like this?

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Yeast count? That's all that comes to my mind. Standard for me for ales is to hit fg in 2 to 5 days. Anything longer than that is, longer etc. I still let them sit out for 7 to 12 days but the active ferment is done in 4 days usually. Look into yeast pitch calculations?

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

View attachment 112251like this?

Almost exactly! Though less krausen

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Yeast count? That's all that comes to my mind. Standard for me for ales is to hit fg in 2 to 5 days. Anything longer than that is, longer etc. I still let them sit out for 7 to 12 days but the active ferment is done in 4 days usually. Look into yeast pitch calculations?

Cheers Dan

I have been suspecting old packs of M44. Unfortunately they lack a use by date on the pack.. abd bew sources show the labrls green. I've only ever had maroon. Tbey do take almost 2 days to begin forming actuve krausen too

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Dates are on the pack but its hard to see. Its like a heat pressed impression on the vertical sealed edge of the satchel. That's a reasonable criticism for MJ yeast satchels they really need to make it more easily read.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Dates are on the pack but its hard to see. Its like a heat pressed impression on the vertical sealed edge of the satchel. That's a reasonable criticism for MJ yeast satchels they really need to make it more easily read.

I never knew that, will have a good look for it next time

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Sure is strange. I've just taken a sample from the fermenter at 3 days cold crash. 1.012 as was supposed to be after half an hr warming but it's bubbling like a soft drink.. I know too well that bubbling is never a sign of fg but it doesn't make me any less apprehensive to bottle

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

now 9hrs later it's still bubbling at 1.010. Going to warm the fermenter back up for another few days to see if it keeps fermenting before crashing a second time. I'm too scared to bottle this one yet

 

[Chap]

Might sound like a silly question, but is your hydrometer calibrated correctly? And are you temp correcting your readings? I.e 1.008 at 28*C calculates to be 1.010 at 20*C, if that’s what temperature your hydrometer is calibrated to

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Update. It's sitting very close to 1.008 upon today's testing. Why is it attenuating so far down? Beersmith predicted 1.012 with these exact ingredients and I mashed at 68.3 degrees using two thermometers.. one french

 

[philrob]

Some brews will ferment way down for no reason I can figure out, even after 11 years of AG brewing.

I bottled a batch of APA yesterday which started out at 1.046 OG.
Took about a day plus to take off, from West Coast IPA WY1217 yeast harvested from the previous batch.
FG read 1.003, but it tasted just fine and is not infected.

 

[Doctormcbrewdle]

Some brews will ferment way down for no reason I can figure out, even after 11 years of AG brewing.

I bottled a batch of APA yesterday which started out at 1.046 OG.
Took about a day plus to take off, from West Coast IPA WY1217 yeast harvested from the previous batch.
FG read 1.003, but it tasted just fine and is not infected.

Wow, that's low. What was predicted fg?

 

[huez]

Some brews will ferment way down for no reason I can figure out, even after 11 years of AG brewing.

I bottled a batch of APA yesterday which started out at 1.046 OG.
Took about a day plus to take off, from West Coast IPA WY1217 yeast harvested from the previous batch.
FG read 1.003, but it tasted just fine and is not infected.

Really? Over 90% attenuation?

 

[philrob]

Yup, it's not unusual for me to get over Wyeast's predicted range.
I always mash for at least 90 minutes, grow good size yeast volume on the stirplate, or use an adequare harvested amount, and use Brewman's pure oxygen system.
In other words, I give my yeasties every help I can.
I don't use BS2 to predict FG, I rely on my hydrometer at bottling time.

 

[fungrel]

Yup, it's not unusual for me to get over Wyeast's predicted range.
I always mash for at least 90 minutes, grow good size yeast volume on the stirplate, or use an adequare harvested amount, and use Brewman's pure oxygen system.
In other words, I give my yeasties every help I can.
I don't use BS2 to predict FG, I rely on my hydrometer at bottling time.

I use pretty much the same techniques as you do (including a high pitching rate), and 1056 just achieved 1.008 from 1.048 at 85% without any real explanation.
I do find this phenomenon somewhat randomised as I've struggled to find a cause