Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: OG right after pitching yeast  (Read 3946 times)

Offline In The Sand

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 398
OG right after pitching yeast
« on: December 03, 2012, 09:00:40 am »
So I'm an idiot.  I guess I was so happy that I had enought volume at the end of the boil that I forgot to collect some wort for an OG reading.  However, we noticed it as soon as we put the carboy in the fermentation chamber.  We immediately took it out and grabbed a sample for an OG reading.  I was going for 1.086, but got 1.071.  We already aerated and pitched the yeast.  I would estimate about 8-10 minutes passed between the pitching of the yeast and the OG reading.  Is this OG reading valid, or did the yeast start going that quickly?  FYI, I pitched two packs of US-05.
Trey W.

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2012, 09:02:27 am »
So I'm an idiot.  I guess I was so happy that I had enought volume at the end of the boil that I forgot to collect some wort for an OG reading.  However, we noticed it as soon as we put the carboy in the fermentation chamber.  We immediately took it out and grabbed a sample for an OG reading.  I was going for 1.086, but got 1.071.  We already aerated and pitched the yeast.  I would estimate about 8-10 minutes passed between the pitching of the yeast and the OG reading.  Is this OG reading valid, or did the yeast start going that quickly?  FYI, I pitched two packs of US-05.

1.071 is the number.  Did you take the reading at the right temp?
Dave Zach

Offline In The Sand

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 398
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2012, 09:14:06 am »
So I'm an idiot.  I guess I was so happy that I had enought volume at the end of the boil that I forgot to collect some wort for an OG reading.  However, we noticed it as soon as we put the carboy in the fermentation chamber.  We immediately took it out and grabbed a sample for an OG reading.  I was going for 1.086, but got 1.071.  We already aerated and pitched the yeast.  I would estimate about 8-10 minutes passed between the pitching of the yeast and the OG reading.  Is this OG reading valid, or did the yeast start going that quickly?  FYI, I pitched two packs of US-05.

1.071 is the number.  Did you take the reading at the right temp?

Yes, we pitched at about 75F & I corrected the reading we got using Beersmith.
Trey W.

Offline majorvices

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 11326
  • Polka. If its too loud you're too young.
OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2012, 09:46:06 am »
I'd recommend not pitching until the wort is below 68 for best results. Most esters and, more importantly, fusels are generated in the fist two days of fermentation. Starting the fermentation off cool will lower the fusel and ester production. I pitch WLP001/1056/WS05 around 64.

Offline tschmidlin

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8198
  • Redmond, WA
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2012, 10:16:04 am »
If it was a partial boil and you added water to it after the fact, then it's possible that you didn't mix it well enough and 1.071 is not the right number.  If it was a full wort boil then yeah, 1.071 is the number.

And I agree with what major said re: pitching temp.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27090
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2012, 10:25:23 am »
And I agree with what major said re: pitching temp.

+ 1.060
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline In The Sand

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 398
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2012, 10:36:30 am »
If it was a partial boil and you added water to it after the fact, then it's possible that you didn't mix it well enough and 1.071 is not the right number.  If it was a full wort boil then yeah, 1.071 is the number.

And I agree with what major said re: pitching temp.

It was a full boil.  I may have to get a more efficient chilling process if I want to get it down to 68 or below.  I use a homemade immersion chiller and ice bath in a big wash tub.  I can chill to 70-75 range in about 20 minutes.
Trey W.

Offline repo

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 326
  • San Diego CA
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2012, 10:48:38 am »
You were not going to hit 1.086, with that recipe. You would be lucky to get 75% mash efficiency at this point in time. You told beersmith you would get 75% brewhouse efficiency, this is a quite an aggressive expectation this early in your brewing. I think 1.071 was about what to expect.

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2012, 10:56:37 am »
If it was a partial boil and you added water to it after the fact, then it's possible that you didn't mix it well enough and 1.071 is not the right number.  If it was a full wort boil then yeah, 1.071 is the number.

And I agree with what major said re: pitching temp.

It was a full boil.  I may have to get a more efficient chilling process if I want to get it down to 68 or below.  I use a homemade immersion chiller and ice bath in a big wash tub.  I can chill to 70-75 range in about 20 minutes.

you have a controled temp fermentation chamber? just pop the wort in there over night after getting it down to 75ish with the temp control set to 62-64, in the morning it will be just right. aerate and pitch then.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline davidgzach

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1698
Re: OG right after pitching yeast
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2012, 12:29:15 pm »

It was a full boil.  I may have to get a more efficient chilling process if I want to get it down to 68 or below.  I use a homemade immersion chiller and ice bath in a big wash tub.  I can chill to 70-75 range in about 20 minutes.
[/quote]

I agree with the pitching temp as well.  If you can get to 70-75 in 20 minutes, I would think you can get to 65F in 30 minutes?
Dave Zach