Fermentation time, first brew

[Mr Majik]

Hello everyone

Those that have read my posts recently will know im very new to this. I finally managed my first brewday yesterday (sorry no photos) and all went well (i guess, not having a basis of comparison)

I didnt have enough ingredients to make a 23l batch but i had laying around a pet food (rabbit grain) bucket that comfortably holds 10l with a good headspace so hunted for a 10l recipe.

Everything was sterilized and ingredients got together (had to adapt a bit but the wort tasted nice, if a bit bitter) and off i got to work.

When all was done i pitched my packet of wiko's yeast in and went to bet. Got up this morning and everything was frothing and bubbling away nicely.

My question is, with a 10L ale wort of 1.050 og how can i calculate fermentation times?

Thanks

 

[calumscott]

You don't calculate fermentation times. Fermentation is finished when it's finished!

Give it 10 days. Take a gravity reading. Give it another 4. Take a gravity reading. If it's the same (and under about 1.014), bottle it. If not wait two days and take another...

...keep sampling at two day intervals until it stays the same (and under about 1.014).

:thumb:

 

[Mr Majik]

Would that be the same then dispite the quantity? Forget times and go by the hydrometer . Thanks fir the info :

 

[calumscott]

Yup, yeast is a single celled living organism, it has no concept of time (regardless of the volume of liquid it's living in)...

 

[Mr Majik]

Ha, and i pictured little yeast cells with watches on :lol: "we have a deadline boys!"

What i did have in mind though was a one packet of yeast going in to 10L would eat its available "sugar" in less time than a packet going in to 23L of the same density.

But giving it more thought now there is less volume so they would still reproduce to the same yeast cell to "sugar" molecule ratio. I did come across a formula explaining it during my search, but it was a bit intense for this afternoon...

Once this batch is drinkable, i'll sit and ponder it further :drink:

Thanks for the help Callumscott

 

[calumscott]

There will be variations in actual time down to a lot of factors.

Number of yeast cells you start with, viability of your yeast starter, temperature, total available sugars, yeast strain etc etc. It's way too complex to even bother about (unless you are a mega-corp brewer who can control the environment to stupid accuracy).

The short answer is much simpler.

A week or two should do it...

 

[PD]

Yup, yeast is a single celled living organism, it has no concept of time (regardless of the volume of liquid it's living in)...

bit like my wife in a shoe shop....