Fermentation Notes

Starting specs:

Initial Specific Gravity: ~ 1.047

Fermentation was done in the 65-70 F range. It was the best I could manage given the drafty nature of my abode and the accuracy of my thermostat ( +/- a few degrees).

After 1 day, nothing seemed to occur. I tried to have some patience.

After 2 days, I woke up and noticed that the airlock still wasn't bubbling, but that foam had formed inside the drum tap indicating fermentation was taking place. Being ever so OCD, I still wasn't convinced so I looked online and also called the people at Wind River and verified that often the airlock won't bubble because the lids on these plastic fermentors aren't air tight. So I was ok with it. I put my ear to the lid and couldn't definately hear it fizzing and bubbling away so I was satisifed.

DAY 3:

Check the gravity with the hydrometer. It had dropped down to 3% on the potential alcohol scale, was carbonated, and tasted more like beer. That means fermentation is kickin and I'm stoked.

DAY 5:

Primary fermentation seems to have ended (sound wise at least). I am going to let it sit for at least 2 weeks to condition in the fermentor because I don't have a carboy to condition it in and apparently it isn't that neccessary for ales (ie, the fermentor will serve the purpose fine.

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From day 5 on, various smells, the most noteable being a banana aroma (apparently the smell of a common ester produced by the yeast), came about and eventually died down as it the time went on (and hopefully the yeast reprocessed some of their early esters, I don't want my beer to be overpowered by them).

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DAY 15:

Checked the specs with hydrometer:

Specific gravity: 1.014

Calculated attenuation: ~ 70% (Not quite the 73-77% advertised for this yeast, but its ok for teh first time. Possible reasons why are many, possible not giving the yeasts a big enough head start in the smack pack, who knows).

Calculated potential alcohol = 4.2%

It tasted like good beer, albet flat, which should be corrected when I bottle condition them.

I decided it was time to bottle.