Irish Ale Yeast Fermentation Stall?

Depending on yeast manufacturing date, likely over pitched.

I've never used this strain. However, universally you can't judge yeast activity visually. I suggest you take a gravity reading and then take a reading in a day or two to see if a stable reading.

UK strains, once again don't know this one, typically are high flocculating strains. In parallel to taking your readings, it wouldn't hurt things to rouse to help keep the yeast in suspension.

Last, for further evaluation, it'd be helpful to post fermentation temp (increasing temp may help finish), grain bill (understanding you fermentablies) and mash schedule (again understanding suger structure).

 

Using 2 packets may have been a bit of an overpitch but that shouldn't be any problem. I'd say relax and just let it ride. It may have been a quick fermentation but not totally impossible for it to be done or close to it. I've never had any issues with Irish Ale yeast stalling out but like InVino said take a reading and see where you are at. If the gravity is still a bit high you could rouse the yeast and raise the fermentation temp a couple degrees.

 

Unless you've taken a specific gravity reading, you don't know if your beer has stalled prematurely or not. Signs of fermentation can abate rather quickly, as others have said.

 

I'll say that I'm 99 percent sure that fermentation is complete, except for the time it takes for the yeast to clean up after themselves. Wait a few more days, take a gravity reading to see if you are at the expected final gravity for your recipe, and then confirm gravity stability with another reading two days later.

 

Does the reference to "48 hours later" mean from the time you pitched the yeast....or does it mean 48 hours after the 36 hours you mentioned earlier?
....maybe I missed something else in the timeline.

I've never pitched two packs in 3 gallons. Anyone know if it's reasonable to think that yeast could/would be finished in 3.5 - 5 days?

 

If you're referring to attenuation, it would not be unheard of.

 

You will have to take a gravity reading to know for sure. White Labs packets usually have 60-80 billion cells each, so you did not over pitch much, if any, by using two packets.

 

I'm going with the consensus, that is, major activity is pretty much done. There still might be a few points of gravity to go down, and even if not, there is still work to be done. There will be a lot of cleanup for the yeast to do. Even if the gravity is stable, I would leave it in primary for another week or so to let things settle. I use the Irish Ale yeast on my stouts, and I have good luck with it. I do ferment a little low - I like to keep in the low 60s, I prefer things going slower, and most yeast won't throw the esters out at those temps like they do in the mid to high 60s. Keep in mind that the temps are the outside, unless you have a thermowell and long temp probe, the inside temps are several degrees warmer inside there - I wouldn't be surprised if the fermentation was in the low 70s.

 

Yeah, if you aren't in any hurry, 10 days will benefit this beer. You can take gravity readings now to know exactly where you are.

A good rule is to never expect every batch of any beer to be the same for fermentation time, krausen amount, etc. Each yeast type has its own story to tell, and variability occurs with style types and fermentation conditions too.

 

Some of my beers appear to be done fermenting in a 2 day window, some never drop the Krausen. Watching the krausen and counting bubbles are poor tools for determining what's going on in your fermenter. Taking gravity readings and a taste sample are the only things I rely on. I check for gravity and taste for off flavors.

 

Wanted to report back that I made an Irish stout saturday using Wyeast 1084 (the equivalent of the White Labs Irish) with an OG of 1.040. When I got home yesterday the krausen had completely fallen (less than 48 hours) so I can confirm that this yeast can wrap up really quick. Planning to let it sit for 2 weeks before bottling so will check gravity later this week.

 

I like 1084 for my porters and I've fermented a 7%er that was fermented in a smidge over 2 days (per hydro reading, was curious after seeing the krausen drop and zero airlock activity), cleaned up and bottled in 7. Mine was a 2.5 gallon batch, but you may be headed down a similar path.