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Author Topic: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.  (Read 8540 times)

Offline nppeders

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Okay, so I feel like kindof an amatuer for even having to ask this, but I'm having an issue with a current beer that I'm 'trying' to make.   It was my third ever all-grain batch and I think I got a little cocky or something cause I wasn't paying attention to the fundamentals.   I ended up forgetting to take a gravity reading before pitching.   I suppose that was my first mistake because it's kinda hard to tell what is going on in a brew if you don't know where it started.   I had 15 lbs of grain in a 5 gallon batch and I was thinking that it would start out around 1.065 or so depending on my effeciency.   Anyways, here's the second problem.   I ended up getting Wyeast 1056, and I also had a pack of Munton's dry yeast sitting around.   I smacked the Wyeast pack only about 1/2 hour before pitching when the wort was around 75 degrees.  I also threw in the dry yeast as well without re-hydrating.  That's three things that I did wrong.    I remember checking the day after pitching and the air lock seemed to be bubbling, but just a little bit.  I was expecting vigorous fermentation though.   Just three days after pitching though the bubbles completely stopped.  I did a gravity reading last night and it was at 1.015 so I'm thinking that I just missed the fermentation and that if I let it sit, it will be a nice IPA.   When checking my gravity though, I noticed that there wasn't much krausen at the top of the wort (beer) line like there normally is.   Wondering maybe if I had contamination, or if maybe I didn't convert the sugars properly.   The wort seemed nice and sticky from the pitcher I used for the vorloff.  Maybe I'm just freakin out and nothing is wrong at all.   

Has anyone pitched a beer with both Liquid and Munton's dry yeast?  and how has that effected your beer and fermentation?

Here are the things I did wrong.
1. didn't take a gravity reading after the boil before pitching yeast.
2. Didn't smack the pack early enough on the 1056
3. Also used Munton's dry yeast, and didn't rehydrate.
4. Boiled Irish Moss for only 5-10 minutes, and not the recommended 15 minutes.


Shed some light on this if at all possible.

Grazie,

Nick

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2010, 02:30:33 pm »
Well, #1 and #4 don't really hurt much so no biggie.  On #2, smacking the pack really doesn't make any difference as it's only purpose is for you to see that the yeast in the pack is viable before you pitch - all the yeast is already there so again, no biggie.  Finally, #3 isn't going to make much difference either hydrate or not.

Basically, none of those mistakes are fatal and you're probably fine.  Most likely, by pitching a pack of liquid AND a packet of dry yeast, the fermentation finished (for the most part) within your three day window.  Let it sit for the normal time to clean up after itself and you should be fine.
Joe

Offline tubercle

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Re: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2010, 02:43:06 pm »
+1 on #3. Re-hydrating doesn't matter. Big debate but I think there is enough history to back that up.

 Of all the things you have mentioned as mistakes, "freaking out" is far and above #1. Relax and enjoy your hobby.

  If you don't dump one in the ditch every now and then you're not getting anywhere. 
Sweet Caroline where the Sun rises over the deep blue sea and sets somewhere beyond Tennessee

Offline enso

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Re: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2010, 02:55:06 pm »
Yes, relax.

No, don't dump it!  Wait.  Patience.

Now, not knowing your OG it is hard to determine where your FG will approx. be.  However, when it is done, it is done.  3 days it is not done so again, relax.  

In two to three weeks you can take a gravity reading.  It will likely be lower.  When the gravity remains stable for a few successive days it is ready to package.

As to your concerns of contamination, did it taste "off" when you took the gravity sample?  I highly doubt that it is.

It is possible for a fermentation to not produce much kraeusen and be over very fast.

Now, some advice for the future.  Smacking the yeast pack really only lets you know that the yeast is still viable.  Even if it does inflate and is viable, you really, really should make a starter to have sufficient healthy yeast to ferment.  Especially if your gravity is up near (and especially over) 1.070.

As to re-hydrating being debatable here are the facts.  The manufacturers of dry yeast may state pitch it directly on their sachets for the homebrew market, however they advise pro brewers to rehydrate.I believe they tell home brewers not to bother because a)they want their product to seem easy to use and b) it is possible to have a successful ferment pitching directly, it just is not best practice. Check their websites.  While their is a large amount of yeast in those packets not all of it will successfully be revived.  If you rehydrate it the viability will be vastly improved.  Here is why.  When the yeast is rehydrating it's cell walls are vulnerable and it cannot control what passes through them.  Drop them into a batch of sugary and nutrient rich wort and many will not survive as these passing through the cell wall can increase the osmotic pressure damaging, possibly rupturing the cell.


That said, by pitching a pack of dry yeast in addition, you probably had a good amount.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2010, 02:58:59 pm by enso »
Dave Brush

Offline nppeders

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Re: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2010, 03:30:30 pm »
You've all confirmed what I was thinking.   It didn't taste contaminated when I sampled it yesterday and tasted fine, although it was very cloudy.   I'm sure that it will clarify after a few more weeks.  I tell myself, relax, throw a couple of yeasts in there and see what happens, then I freak out.    My next big step is making starters.  I have everything I need to do it, now I just need to buckle down and make one.  It just makes it tough cause you have to plan ahead a couple days.   My other big step will be controlled temperature fermentations.   Yeast is a Beast!

Thanks,

Nick

Offline enso

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Re: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2010, 03:32:53 pm »
No, yeast is your friend!  Treat it nice and it will treat you nice.   ;D
Dave Brush

Offline tubercle

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Re: Slow, to, no noticable fermentation...and no kruesen after 4 days.
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2010, 04:25:00 pm »


No, don't dump it!  Wait.  Patience.



 No, Don't! That's not what I meant. I was saying relax because everything doesn't go as planned every time. I should have been more clear.

   But, as far as the dry pitching in lower gravity worts, I stand by it after several hundred successful batches. If we listened to the yeast manufactures we would be fermenting at 80 degrees. Not trying to start another debate on this, just saying...
Sweet Caroline where the Sun rises over the deep blue sea and sets somewhere beyond Tennessee