Seem to be 'suffering' super fast fermentations at the moment

[hoppyscotty]

My last 4 or 5 brews across 3 different fermenters seem to be alot quicker than they used to be. Like Kveik speed. This is across Verdant Yeast, S04 and BRY-97 yeasts. Not doing anything different in my process...still use the same yeast nutrient I always do, give the wort a good splashing when transferring and that's about it. This weekend's batch was brewed on Saturday, S04 yeast pitched Saturday afternoon and it's already just about finished..will probably finish up overnight. Doesn't seem to impact final beer at all so not really concerned, but just curious as to why things seem to have sped up.

What tends to drive fermentation speed?

 

[QED]

Are you keeping consistent temp control?

 

[hoppyscotty]

Certainly in the fermenter. Across the 3 fermenters I have one in a fermentation fridge, one is a Grainfather conical and the other a unitank with heating and cooling.

Two brewing setups is a Brewzilla 30l for smaller batches and a larger 3v system for bigger batches.

Seem to have hit the target FG or at least within a point or two, but this later batch has overshot but yet to confirm with a proper hydrometer reading.

Just a bit odd, not sure if it's something to be worried about or not.

 

[Stewart Brewing]

I have had this recently. After a bit of googling and looking through home brew books I think it may be low mash temperature. Actual temp 63 deg instead of 65 target. Simpler sugars getting gobbled fast by the yeast.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Sounds about right for S-04 to me

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Pitch size also plays a part but I guess this is a constant using dried yeast. I certainly find that my ferments all seem quicker than 7 days plus that a lot of people seem to suggest. A big pitch of ale yeast in a 1.044 beer seems 90 percent done in about 72 hours.

 

[jayk34]

I've had similar the last 3 but never really worried about them. On Friday past I kegged an AIPA with verdant that over attenuated to 1.008 and another one with bry-97 that over attenuated to 1.007. Both were hit that after 2-3 days.

I done a stout on Sunday. Pitched CML The Firm yeast yesterday at 1pm at 1.061 and it's currently at 1.016 at this minute which is 98% complete. Fastest ever for me !

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@jayk34
98% provided it doesn't go to 1.007 as well!

 

[jayk34]

@jayk34
98% provided it doesn't go to 1.007 as well!

Yeah it doesn't seem to be holding back !!

 

[Weizenberg]

Yeast vitality can play a role in fermentation speed, as well as improved oxygenation.

Maybe your arms got stronger over time?

 

[SMP Brewery]

Pitched on Sunday afternoon a beer that was 1.068 and today the ispindel is saying 1.019 already. Using Mangrove Jack M15.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Maybe it's just more real time data showing a truth we never knew. A floating hydrometer is a beer mythbuster.
My first brews I left a tea towel over the top of the fermenter to start then put the lid on once the krausen had fallen. Then left it for a good week in far too warm an environment and used to give it a good stir as well.
No airlock and then into a pressure barrel. No wonder I didn't make a beer kit for 20 years after those first few adventures.

 

[Rwilts]

Maybe it's just more real time data showing a truth we never knew. A floating hydrometer is a beer mythbuster.
My first brews I left a tea towel over the top of the fermenter to start then put the lid on once the krausen had fallen. Then left it for a good week in far too warm an environment and used to give it a good stir as well.
No airlock and then into a pressure barrel. No wonder I didn't make a beer kit for 20 years after those first few adventures.

I would second this..I always leave for two weeks but since using ispindle and seeing 'indication' of gravity readings most seem to finish in about four days, but I would never have know previously..

 

[hoppyscotty]

You're probably right about better monitoring. Also a while since I've used S04 so cant remember how long it has taken me in the past with that yeast. Verdant has always been quick for me and BRY-97 was a new yeast to me.

 

[obscure]

Maybe it's just more real time data showing a truth we never knew. A floating hydrometer is a beer mythbuster.
My first brews I left a tea towel over the top of the fermenter to start then put the lid on once the krausen had fallen. Then left it for a good week in far too warm an environment and used to give it a good stir as well.
No airlock and then into a pressure barrel. No wonder I didn't make a beer kit for 20 years after those first few adventures.

Similar observations as well especially with S-04 which seems to be a monster of a yeast.

Typically I find most beers ferment out in 3-5 days depending on the yeast and temperature. A recent batch with S-04 for example dropped about two points in the first 24 hours (1.045-1.043) then from 1.043-1.015 in the second and by the end of day three had finished at 1.011.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Verdant has always been quick for me

I find they get the bulk of the fermentation done in a few days, but have a long tail. I haven't found my fermentation to be as quick as others, but I've realised my acid additions to the mash have been off for the last few brews, so I will correct it in the next one and hopefully fermentation will be a bit better.
This was CML Clipper (which I assume is Verdent)

 

[SMP Brewery]

I find verdant the same of the 4 brews I’ve used it in, it seems to be split 50:50 first 3 days virtually done and then it takes it about 3 days to drop the final 3 points before flattening off.

 

[JaggersBrewingCo]

S04 has been a pretty fast fermenter for me as well, and from my understanding I thought Verdant was suppose to be as well, but I have not used it yet.

I remember reading somewhere that the bulk of the fermentation is done within the first three to four days pretty much anyways, and that the two week recommendation is just to help let things finish out and meld together.

From my experience with Kveik I have had the brews pretty much be done-done in three days. Well minus one, first time I used Voss Kveik and made a Raw Ale it actually stalled out on me at 95F/35C. I normally pull my Kveik brews off of heat fermentation after a week and let them sit for a week at room temperature. This thing took back off!

I usually have things sitting in the fermenter for about month until I get to it anyways, minus Raw Ales.

 

[Pennine]

I brewed a batch Tuesday evening, pitched S-04 dry into the fermenter. It was completely done Thursday morning. It is still cloudy and the yeast needs to flocculate but went from 1.054 to 1.010 in less than 48 hours. I did not have temp control on it and it went up to 23c.

 

[peebee]

I'm not having that! @Agentgonzo is pinching my spot for frivolous pretty picture posts. Fortunately, I have one in reserve:

Take that @Agentgonzo! Like most yeasts I use (this is Lallemand's "Windsor") the yeast is averse to fermenting dextrin (like malt-triose) so I don't get the "long tail". But 36 hours is a bit quicker than I'm used to (maybe by a day?). Perhaps the OP is making a point ...

... Got it! Putin has had all our water supplies spiked with a slow acting Russian nerve agent that beer yeast is seeing as an "accelerator".

Aaarrgg ... We're all going to die! ... clomp, clomp, clomp ... I'm hiding in this box in the garden and drinking nothing but my hamster's wee-wee until Easter ... bye.