I am brewing my second batch of Muntons IPA, and have used a second can on malt in place of sugar to try and get a greater depth of flavor. The ferment went vigorously for 24 hours and after 36 hours has virtually stopped. Is this what I can expect with a brew made using no sugar? I am brewing in a plastic fermenter with an airlock. Any advice would be appreciated.
what yeast are you using? Try bringing the temp up a few degrees for a week and see what happens. I usually keep ny temps lower for at least the first 3 - 5 days though.
Your beer is most likely done. Check your gravity it is your best indicator of whether or not fermentation is done.
How do you know the fermentation has virtually stopped? Airlock bubbles? Almost useless quantitatively. Wait a few days and take a hydrometer reading.
Thanks a lot for the feedback, which has been very helpful (and reassuring). I was using the yeast that came with the kit, and the brew was in my hot water cupboard at 21 deg C. My concern arose because of the difference from the first batch I made which bubbled away for over 4 days. I now understand that this is a poor indicator of what is really going on with the brew. I will take the hydrometer reading as advised and see how it looks from there.
Regardless of yeast strand, if fermentation apears to have slowed/stopped after 2 days, a swirl of the primary fermentor (bucket or carboy) should, in my experience, reignite the yeast. The theory is the same as that of at yeast starter. If any fermentation has taken place the CO2 should have purged any remaining oxygen creating and anerobic evironment in which any shaking/stirring shouldn't be effected by introduction of additional oxygen (since there shouldn't be any).
Upon further reading I noticed the original post said, "...used a second can of malt in place of sugar." If the original recipie called for an addition of regular (white) sugar to reach a specific original gravity and LME was substitutted the end resulting beer may not be as dry as intended. However as long as the original specific gravity matches the original recipies, the end result should turn out ok.
Unless there's nothing left to ferment. Or unless activity had not actually stopped (and therefore ther's nothing needing to be 'reignited.') What?
Since you did have signs of fermentation I wouldn't even bother with a gravity reading until two weeks at the earliest. I've had good luck with letting all of my beers sit in the primary for around 3 weeks with no secondary. Three weeks gives it plenty of time to ferment out, allow the yeast to clean up by-products and then settle to the bottom.
Once again, thanks a lot to your assistance. I have now bottled and am drinking the brew, which has turned out to be OK to drink. I found out that brewing with no sugar (just malt), has quite a different ferment. At least now I realize that I had nothing to worry about.
