[Village Taphouse]

Buckets notoriously are leakers…

I've seen it but wouldn't the Tilt still report a change in gravity?  Truth be told .. I had a Tilt and used it for awhile but eventually gave it away to another brewer because I realized I don't need it.  I don't need to chart the progress to Google Sheets, etc.  If it were me I would definitely open the fermenter to see what was up, warm it up, swirl it, etc. and watch. 

[BrewBama]

When I asked what the gravity is (above), I mean now — after the 3 to 4 days post pitch. If a floating hydrometer is in use, and it was calibrated (temp and specific gravity), then it would indicate current temp and gravity (within a tolerance).

I use a TILT in every brew because I want to know when fermentation kicks off without going to the basement and, as fermentation slows, when to raise the temp for a D rest. It is unreliable for finished gravity IMO but it is a decent tool to judge progress.

I do not like it when fermentation takes a long time to start. I would pitch a pack of dry yeast and call it a day.

 I have had really good experience with fast starts using go-ferm to rehydrate in a Mason jar, let it sit ~ 15 -20 min, shake the bageezes out of it a few times during a brewday, then adding Fermax as a nutrient prior to pitch, shake again to mix, and pitch. I have been seeing hours vs days wait time.

[denny]

Buckets notoriously are leakers…

I've seen it but wouldn't the Tilt still report a change in gravity?  Truth be told .. I had a Tilt and used it for awhile but eventually gave it away to another brewer because I realized I don't need it.  I don't need to chart the progress to Google Sheets, etc.  If it were me I would definitely open the fermenter to see what was up, warm it up, swirl it, etc. and watch.

Not if there was something wrong with the Tilt.

[Village Taphouse]

So, wha hapeen?  Did it start?

[Chris C]

Sorry, work took over my life for the past couple days (I need a beer!)

No Krausen, no fermentation at all.  The tilt is working fine.

I shook it up this morning.  Felt like I was poking a potentially dead animal with a stick....

So lets talk escape plans?  Do I just add another pouch of yeast to it?  The Not-quite-beer has been sitting there almost a week now....

[jeffy]

Have you taken a gravity reading? If you actually find out whether it has fermented, you can add dry yeast.

[Chris C]

Have you taken a gravity reading? If you actually find out whether it has fermented, you can add dry yeast.

It's exactly where it started.

[Village Taphouse]

I think I would sanitize something and try to get a small sip of the wort and just taste it.  I assume it's fine and unfermented (sweet).  This will tell you that it's still in good shape.  Then drop some dry ale yeast in there to get it to take off.  I hate to mention this but the time I tried this with Omega's version of 1056/001, I took it out of the fridge to warm it up and I just pitched right from there.  There is no nutrient pack but I figured it was fine.  It wasn't.  3 days later it was not fermenting.  It did eventually take off but by then it was contaminated and the resulting beer was gross and cloudy AF.  That may say more about my sanitation on that batch than anything else.  I won't do that again.  I'm suggesting you taste it just to make sure the wort is still in good shape.  Not necessary but I would do that just to make sure I wasn't dropping new yeast into a failed beer.

On the topic of the original 1056 .. that is really mysterious.  In 25 years of brewing I don't think I've seen a swollen pack of Wyeast ale yeast NOT do its thing.  You roused it and you warmed it up.  Someone mentioned the idea that you pitched into wort that was too hot.  Any chance of this and you killed the yeast?  Seems unlikely but otherwise I am shrugging. 

[Megary]

Have you taken a gravity reading? If you actually find out whether it has fermented, you can add dry yeast.

It's exactly where it started.

Well, that's a first for me.  How did seemingly healthy yeast die from pouch to fermenter?  I can see a slow start, or maybe not attenuating all the way, but nothing???  Doesn't seem biologically possible.  Only thing I can think of is that the wort was too hot on pitch.

If it were me, I'd seek atonement and sacrifice this beer on the altar of the brew gods. 

I'm sure you'll get better answers than that though.   

[Chris C]

I gave the bucket a quick little shake yesterday morning and warmed the beer closet up to 66 degrees or so, when I walked past the beer closet (that's what I call my fermentation chamber) I could hear bubbling.

It is in full fermentation mode now, just 6 days after brew day!  I'd like to thank everyone for keeping the faith and holding such high spirits around me while I was going through such trying times.  There is sunlight after a string of cloudy days!

[ynotbrusum]

Is the Tilt showing a declining gravity, too?

[Village Taphouse]

Wow, that is absolutely wild.  Someone (much smarter than me), somewhere has a theory on how this happened.  Glad it took off. 

[Megary]

Wow, that is absolutely wild.  Someone (much smarter than me), somewhere has a theory on how this happened.  Glad it took off.

I don’t think it did.  It was a mirage. I’m going to pretend this thread never happened. 

j/k

Hope the beer turns out great!

[Chris C]

Is the Tilt showing a declining gravity, too?

Yup, everything is normal now, just a week removed!

[Chris C]

Wow, that is absolutely wild.  Someone (much smarter than me), somewhere has a theory on how this happened.  Glad it took off.

I don’t think it did.  It was a mirage. I’m going to pretend this thread never happened. 

j/k

Hope the beer turns out great!

That's my question now!  How will the taste be effected on the back end?  I'm sure it'll be a perfectly drinkable ale, but will it be the same as usual?