Complete fermentation under 4 days?

Under favorable conditions (fresh yeast, warmish temp) the fermentation can go quickly like you experienced. Your gravity reading was below target, so you're probably done. Another reading to validate the first one might be a good idea, especially if you might be bottling your beer. I'm not sure about your description of getting a funky flavor from your sample, but if it's a hint that you've picked up a wild yeast, another reading will help verify that the bug is not continuing to have lunch.

Typically the off-flavors from fermentation will be cleaned up by the yeast in the few days after fermentation is complete. I'd wait a couple more days, confirm the gravity reading, then package your beer.

 

Can you please provide more details here. I am familiar with London Ale III (Wyeast 1318) but not this strain.

The important metric is fermentation temperature (not ambient). Do you know what was your fermentation temperature? Fermentation is an exothermic process (i.e., it generates heat) and it is likely your fermentation temperature was too high (yeast strain dependent) and you possibly created some undesired chemical compounds due to a higher fermentation temperature (e.g., higher alcohols/fusel oils).

Cheers!

 

At 3 days the fermentation may be "done" but it is a little soon to judge. Yeast are still cleaning up and I sure you still have yeast and whatever else still in suspension. I would give it a few more days.

 

According to the Omega website the recommend fermentation temperature for OYL-011 is 64–74° F (18–23° C) so it is possible you were fermenting near the upper range (e.g., 74 °F).

https://omegayeast.com/yeast/ales/british-ale-v

More often than not I personally tend to target the middle portion of the yeast vendor’s recommended temperature range. For example, for OYL-011 I would target a fermentation temperature of 69 °F. For the situation of an ambient temperature condition 66 °F that would mean that I would have to cool down the fermenter. I would place my fermenter into a shallow Rubbermaid tub filled with water (this encourages the dissipation of heat from the fermenter) and if needed I would also add refreezable blue ice packs to get the temperature to meet my target.

Fermenting warmer can produce more esters and also other stuff like for one example higher alcohols (fusel oils).

I will send you a PM with more information included.

Cheers!

 

At the same time, is it possible that there is a flavor you were not expecting from hops? You might think you are going to get something from a description, but end up with something different in the long run.

 

You can turn a Haze around in a week. The three key elements are Fermentation temp, Dry hoping at high Krausen, and purging with Co2. Oxidation can kill a hazy and present off flavors. Water profile can also make or break a hazy. It needs to mash at a low P.H, I prefer 4.8 to 5. The salts really help the hops pop and give a nice juice quality when paired with biotransformation. London Ale 3 (or other strains from Omega, white labs, or imperial) can be stubborn but can also take off, especially with a starter. Sometimes it stalls out and slow finishes. Typically, I start at 67 and after dry hopping I raise my temp to 70 to help motivate the yeast to do their job. Cheers to ya! They don't always come out great, but with a few key components you can really help dial it in.

 

I'm just making a Munich Helles using Wyeast 2124, and trying pressure fermentation for the first time. The fermentation completed in 36 hours at about 65 F ambient temperature! Went from 1.048 to 1.010 where it's currently sitting while doing a diacetyl rest. So yes, complete fermentation can be achieved in a day and a half.

 

I haven't paid attention to much beer literature lately but this is the lowest mash pH I've ever seen anyone suggest. It's not in the reputedly optimal enzyme efficiency range for starch conversion -- 5.2-5.8. What benefits does it provide?

 

Hopefully this article will be helpful for you:

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Diacetyl_Rest

Cheers!

 

You increase the fermenter temperature for a few days toward the end of fermentation. The idea is that the yeast will stay active during the higher temperature diacetyl rest, and thus absorb diacetyl that would otherwise be left in the beer.

 

Jack and VikeMan have provided useful information on how to do a diacetyl rest. It is especially important for lagers, and certain types of yeast that don't clean up too well. I was particularly concerned with how fast the fermentation went so I wanted to give the yeast extra time to 'clean up' before they drop naturally. Cold crashing right after fermentation is over would not give the yeast time enough to clean up, and would also stress the yeast and produce additional off-flavors.

 

Omega English V is their version of 1318. When warm if will ferment pretty fast. Plenty of commercial breweries ferment it at 72. That timeframe seems pretty normal for decently fresh yeast fermented that warm. (66 ambient means it fermented at 72 at least).

You’ll get a lot more higher alcohols fermenting that warm but for an English Yeast this one might be the most forgiving of higher temps. Uncontrolled warmer ferments will create significantly more diacetyl than a controlled colder ferment.

just give it a bit of time. If you’re dry hopping if at 66 give it at least a week. You’ll most likely get a decent amount of hop creep and you’ll need to leave it at least that long in order for the yeast to stop fermenting and clean up the Diacetyl. Willing to bet it finishes closer to 1.014 after a week on the hops due to hop creep.

 

Many folks don't follow up on their brews to let others know if/how the tips 'n tricks helped. Thanks for doing that.
I have some bottles with a noticeable fusel character. They've been packaged for over two years and I occasionally taste one to see if it has dissipated....nope.

Something that helped me keep my temperature somewhat in check was to put the fermentor in a tub of cool water with ice packs (as you did). Drape a damp towel or heavy shirt over it with the towel/shirt hanging down in the water so it can wick it up, then direct a fan at it. Evaporation, in my experience, cools it another 1°-3°. It ain't much but every bit helps when struggling to maintain a desired temperature.