Why does Youngs America IPA take so long?

[Random Badger]

It seems to be generally acknowledged that the Youngs America IPA kit can take a while (often more than two weeks - sometimes much more) to finish fermenting. Does anyone know why? Is it the yeast strain or something else?

I've got one on the go and after about 6 days airlock activity had slowed significantly. On day 11 now and it's bubbling occasionally with a hydrometer reading of 1014 (started out at 1060) so it's mostly there but I have a feeling it may take a while yet to reach around the target of 1007. In the first few days of fermentation when it was going great guns I was thinking that I would reuse this yeast in my next brew, but if it's the yeast that slows things down at the end then I will probably abandon that idea.

 

[nordberg]

Mine was done in 8 days. What temp are you fermenting at?

 

[Random Badger]

20C for the first week or so then after the main fermentation activity had finished I've increased it a couple of times up to 22C.

I just took a hydrometer reading and it's 1010, which is the same as it was two days ago. What did yours get down to?

 

[nordberg]

EDIT - just re-checked my notes.. Mine took 10 days and dropped to 1007


I fermented mine in a fridge at a steady 22C for the duration. Dry hopped on day 7 which was arguably a bit late based on the SG, but I was caught out by the speed of the fermentation.

The first couple of days were volcanic and I was cleaning the bubbler out every few hours. It steadily settled down after that and only really became lively again when I dry hopped it.

Turned out pretty good. It's not as hoppy as I would have liked, but it's more than drinkable and I was pretty chuffed for my first brew..

 

[Random Badger]

I'm just sipping my sample from the fermenter now. Unfortunately it's a bit flat but it's very hoppy/fruity in flavour.

 

[Random Badger]

How long did you let it condition before drinking? The conventional wisdom for home brew seems to be 2 weeks somewhere warm then 2 weeks somewhere cold with most beers improving if you can leave them a few months. However for the American IPA there seems to be a view to drink it young before the hop character fades.

 

[nordberg]

How long did you let it condition before drinking? The conventional wisdom for home brew seems to be 2 weeks somewhere warm then 2 weeks somewhere cold with most beers improving if you can leave them a few months. However for the American IPA there seems to be a view to drink it young before the hop character fades.

I batch primed and bottled. Did the full 2 weeks conditioning at 22C and then under the stairs in the cool for another 2 weeks. I'm now drinking it from the fridge and it's definitely improved with age. It was quite bitter initially, but that's subsided over the past few weeks.

 

[Jon1964]

Here's my notes
Primary start 12.10.20
SG 1.051
28.10.20 Gravity 1.010
Hops added 31.10.20
Removed Hops 03.11.20
FG 1.010
ABV 5.64%
Moved to PB Primed 04.11.20
Moved to cold13.11.20

It's a patience tester

 

[Random Badger]

Here's my notes
Primary start 12.10.20
SG 1.051
28.10.20 Gravity 1.010
Hops added 31.10.20
Removed Hops 03.11.20
FG 1.010
ABV 5.64%
Moved to PB Primed 04.11.20
Moved to cold13.11.20

It's a patience tester

Interesting to see FG of 1010 as that's where mine has been a for a couple of days now. Maybe it is ready for adding the dry hops....

What was the brew length? I made it up to 21.5 litres and had an SG of 1060. Although I did get every last molecule of malt extract out of the bag!

 

[Jon1964]

Interesting to see FG of 1010 as that's where mine has been a for a couple of days now. Maybe it is ready for adding the dry hops....

What was the brew length? I made it up to 21.5 litres and had an SG of 1060. Although I did get every last molecule of malt extract out of the bag!

Full 23 litres

 

[SouthDownsBrewer]

Just bottled this one, it was my first brew in a new Grainfather fermenter and first attempt at cold crashing -
Started: 21st April, OG: 1.067 (seems too high, did I write that down wrong?)
29 April - 1.007/8 - Hops in, bubbling restarts
1 May : 1.007. Start cold crash, down to 6.5-7c
3 May : bottled, used 2 x easybrew dextrose drops per 500ml bottle.

Interested to read that people find the hop flavour mellows out, I might have to dive in early before that.

 

[Random Badger]

Just bottled this one, it was my first brew in a new Grainfather fermenter and first attempt at cold crashing -
Started: 21st April, OG: 1.067 (seems too high, did I write that down wrong?)
29 April - 1.007/8 - Hops in, bubbling restarts
1 May : 1.007. Start cold crash, down to 6.5-7c
3 May : bottled, used 2 x easybrew dextrose drops per 500ml bottle.

Interested to read that people find the hop flavour mellows out, I might have to dive in early before that.

1067 is certainly a lot higher than the 1051 Jon1964 reported. I got 1060 made up slightly short to 21.5 Litres. If it was actually 1057 and you finished at 1007 then that should be on target at about 6.5% ABV. If you really started at 1067 then you should be looking at the beer being 7.9% ABV, which does seem a tad high! Unless of course you added extra fermentables or reduced the brew length.

 

[Random Badger]

Just bottled this one, it was my first brew in a new Grainfather fermenter and first attempt at cold crashing -
Started: 21st April, OG: 1.067 (seems too high, did I write that down wrong?)
29 April - 1.007/8 - Hops in, bubbling restarts
1 May : 1.007. Start cold crash, down to 6.5-7c
3 May : bottled, used 2 x easybrew dextrose drops per 500ml bottle.

Interested to read that people find the hop flavour mellows out, I might have to dive in early before that.

Have you used 2 dextrose drops per 500 ml bottle before?

 

[SouthDownsBrewer]

1067 is certainly a lot higher than the 1051 Jon1964 reported. I got 1060 made up slightly short to 21.5 Litres. If it was actually 1057 and you finished at 1007 then that should be on target at about 6.5% ABV. If you really started at 1067 then you should be looking at the beer being 7.9% ABV, which does seem a tad high! Unless of course you added extra fermentables or reduced the brew length.

I am very surprised at that reading too, and there is certainly a possibility that I mis-read it or mis-wrote it. I tasted strong in sampling for sure.

 

[Milesey]

My last one took 3 weeks , but by Christ it's a lovely pint

 

[Random Badger]

Mine still reads 1010 today so I'm going to assume that's about it in respect of primary fermentation. Time for some dry hopping!

 

[Milesey]

Mine still reads 1010 today so I'm going to assume that's about it in respect of primary fermentation. Time for some dry hopping!

What good are you adding ?

 

[Random Badger]

What good are you adding ?

Sorry, not sure exactly what you are asking?

Dry hopping is to add extra hop flavour and aroma (but not bitterness). What I'm adding is the packet of hop pellets included with the kit.

 

[Random Badger]

After adding the hop pellets it bubbled away again for a few days but no discernible change in the gravity from 1010. Bottled it yesterday and discovered that amount of hop pellets leads to issues with bottling. Tried filtering using the Little Bottler but it kept clogging so eventually switched to a syphon with a boiled pop sock around the end in the fermenter. I think I managed to keep bits of hop out of the bottles - now to see whether it clears and conditions nicely.

 

[nordberg]

After adding the hop pellets it bubbled away again for a few days but no discernible change in the gravity from 1010. Bottled it yesterday and discovered that amount of hop pellets leads to issues with bottling. Tried filtering using the Little Bottler but it kept clogging so eventually switched to a syphon with a boiled pop sock around the end in the fermenter. I think I managed to keep bits of hop out of the bottles - now to see whether it clears and conditions nicely.

Did you just throw the hops in or use a bag or something?