Wanted: 1 Fast Fermenting Beer

[slc7883]

Ok guys and gals, its asking quite a bit i know, but I havent had alot of time of late to brew and have got myself into the situation where I am intending to christen my kegging setup this friday night but alas have only one of my 2 kegs full. Being the first time I am going to show off my kegging creation I had hoped to have it firing on all cylinders with both of my kegs full.

This leads me to my question, is there any way I can make a relatively decent tasting beer which will be ready to keg and force carbonate by friday afternoon? As I said, I dont really like my chances, but if anyone would know it would be someone from this forum.

Cheers in advance for your help

PS - probably should have added that as yet Im only an extract and additions brewer

 

[Jye]

Ive gotta say no. If you are showing off your new kegerator and beer then you want to be serving great beer and this isnt going to happen in 3 days.

 

[dial90]

I have had a decent beer ready to drink in 1 week. The only way I know that you can do it is by making something like a brown ale or porter and fermenting with Fermentis SO4 yeast at about 24 degrees. 3 days primary, the remaining in secondary and straight to keg. You could try, but I think Friday is still pushing it a bit.

Could also try a wheat beer and run it quite warm because the flavours from warm fermentation work quite well with a wheat.

 

[Enerjex]

you could buy a couple of slabs of commercial beer and pour em into the keg, don't shoot me down it's just an idea if he really really wants it up and running

 

[Zwickel]

you could buy a couple of slabs of commercial beer and pour em into the keg, don't shoot me down it's just an idea if he really really wants it up and running

hey, thats just what Ive done when I got my first keg setup
I couldnt wait until my first beer was kegged and matured, was like a child at chrismas night

It worked a treat

 

[jimmysuperlative]

Get to your local ale house and ask them to fill a keg for you ...I don't think it's legal for them to do it, but you may have luck with more "independent" pubs rather than large megaswill tappers? It's worked for me in the past

 

[slc7883]

haha! that doesnt sound like a bad idea, have a pub down the road from me which serves hunter beer company beers on tap which might be decent to fill a keg with. However I dont think they would take too kindly to filling 19 litres worth I think the go is probably going to be just one keg of good beer coz, as I thought, anything that i manage to ferment out before friday will just be liquid hangover haha..... thanks for the replies tho...gave me some ideas to fill the other keg at some point.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I went grain to brain in 6 days with an Irish Stout.

S04 @ 19C for 3days up to 22C for another day or so and crashed down to nearly zero for 1.5-2 days. Out of the fermentor, into the keg and drinking less than 2 hours later.

It was good, but I have to say it was better a couple of weeks later.

6 - 7 days yes, less than 5... don't really think so.

Do you have a local Micro brewery ?? They might consider filling up a keg for you. Other wise... have a talk to your local Cricket or Footy club, you might find that their attitude towards filling a keg for you might be along the lines of... "well, really, its just a bloody big pewter tankard isn't it??" I have noticed that small sports clubs tend to have a more liberal interpretation of the licensing laws than your average pub..

just a thought

Thirsty

 

[barneyhanway]

Hoppy beers can be fast for me. Pale ales around 5%abv with lots of American hop character. Can be drinking in a week, couple more days to get proper clarity. US05 yeast, fined with gelatin. Force carb and drink the next day.
In my experience, you can only really do this with all grain though, I've never been able to get an extract brew taste any good in such a short time.

 

[KoNG]

Where do you live.? Maybe you could ask really nicely to "borrow" or "buy" half a kegs worth off another brewer in the area... just force some beer from keg to keg and off you go. May only need to be a few litres/pints.

 

[Brewer_010]

In my experience, you can only really do this with all grain though, I've never been able to get an extract brew taste any good in such a short time.

I've done a few unhopped extract pale ales/wheats that are pretty well ready to go within three weeks of the boil, but I don't think a beer is ready to go in less than a week....certainly not one to impress your friends with.

Go buy a couple cases of good beer and plan better in future .

 

[enoch]

I think there was a recent "fast brews" or similar article in BYO which was about gettiing beer fast .

"Rules": AG, low gravity 1035-1040ish, quick dry yeast like Nottingham, low/moderate hopping 20-28, warmish mash for body (66-67). Ferment out in 3 days, crash cool in the fridge to drop yeast, keg on the 5th day and force carb. I have done the odd one like this - you really need to use a fridge for the crash cool to make the deadline.

 

[enoch]

New I'd seen it somewhere: Speed Brewing.

 

[randyrob]

My Fastest effort to date that has been an enjoyable beer was 8 Days from grain to brain.

it was a simple apa 24L @ 1042 with 28 Ibu's bitterness.

from memory it lasted about the same time in the keg as it did in primary.

Rob.

 

[Steve]

My Fastest effort to date that has been an enjoyable beer was 8 Days from grain to brain.

it was a simple apa 24L @ 1042 with 28 Ibu's bitterness.

from memory it lasted about the same time in the keg as it did in primary.

Rob.

my quickest is one that im drinking now - 6 days (with nottingham ale)....bloody lovely drop.

 

[Occa]

If you're not set on beer, but still want to dispense some alcohol from your new beaut system, you could force carbonate some water with 4 bottles of vodka in the keg, then have some cordials to flavour after everybody pours themselves a glass/pot/pint/jug/yardglass.

Warning though: if you do do this then don't be surprised if you are asked to do it again,
and again,
and again.

 

[Ross]

Bitters are easy to turn out in well under a week.
My 1st gold bitter for the July Xmas swap, was brewed on the Thursday, yeast pitched on the Friday, crashed chilled to 0c on the Tuesday, filtered & kegged on the Wednesday & put on tap. Took a keg to the meet on the Saturday where it seemed to be thouroughly enjoyed.

cheers Ross