[dmtaylor]

Can’t remember exact brew day but I think it was 29th.  Used the Wyeast Hella Bock PC yeast.  Date on the yeast was 10/30.  Used 4 smack packs in a 2.5L starter on a stir plate..  Built the starter on 12/19.  Had to leave town for 5 days on 12/22 so starter sat for those 5 days at 40* while I was gone.  Wanted to try to ferment this one cold as long as I could.  Pitched at 46, ferment at 48 in SS Chronical.  I aerated for 2 minutes at .5 with pure O2 through a .5 micron Stone.  Used yeast nutrient at 10.  Ferment has been very slow.  Checked last night and only down to 1.018.  Three days ago I turned temp control off and let it free rise to ambient which is between 58 and 60 usually.  With my mashing schedule, theoretical amount of yeast (pitch rate should have been over 2 I believe, aeration I was thinking I would have had a much faster and seemingly healthy fermentation.  Only thing I can think of is the starter didn’t produce as much yeast as I thought?  Sure looked like a lot.

At only 11 days in the fermenter, I wonder if you are in too much of a hurry.  Keep it warm now and give it time.  I doubt the pitch rate has anything to do with it.  Furthermore I would recommend swirling the fermenter to bring the yeast back up into suspension.

[couchsending]

I would think at that pitching rate if it was a healthy fermentation it would be lower than that by now.  OG was 1.047 I believe.