AllHoppedUp

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I've made many batches of huckleberry beer before w/o any problems. Sometimes I add to primary, sometimes secondary. Berries have always been previously frozen and thawed just before adding them to the beer.

Yesterday I dumped a half-gallon of previously frozen berries into a bucket and then racked my one-week-old blonde ale on to them. Airlock action had pretty much stopped after the first four or five days in the bucket. Every time I've done it like this before I've seen fermentation activity pick up again - heavily - within a couple hours as the yeast start doing their thing on the new fermentables. This time, however, it's been about 24 hours and there is zero visible airlock action.

The berries were thaw but cool - I've considered that I may have cooled the beer beyond the ideal temp for the yeast but I'd think after 24 hours it would have warmed back up. I had it in the basement at about 66* - brought it upstairs to see if it needed to be warmed a bit. Current temp is about 68* or 68*. Still nothing. I've checked the lid and the airlock and all seals are tight.

The yeast was Nottingham dry. First time I've used that particular variety - not sure if that could be a clue to anyone. Other than that I can't think of anything that I've done any differently than the other times I've made fruit beer.

Am I jumping the gun hear? I'd think there'd be enough active yeast in suspension that the fruit addition would have made serious bubblin' by now. Any ideas? Thanks!

Aclay

Recipes 

What kind of berries did you use this time? The amount of fermentable sugar in each fruit is different. Peaches have the highest amount of sugar. Avacados the highest amount of fat. It really depends on what you used.

AllHoppedUp

Recipes 

Huckleberries.

AllHoppedUp

Recipes 

60 hours since fruit addition . . . still no visible fermentation. Any objections to pitching some more yeast? I'm out of the Nottingham but I have a couple random yeast packets in the freezer for "emergencies".

Gedvondur

Recipes 

I know its a basic question, but it needs to be asked. Ya sure you have got the lid on tight?

If you are really worried about it, bloom another batch of dry yeast and drop it into the bucket. Honestly, everything is probably fine.




Gedvondur

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Natural 20 Brewery

AllHoppedUp

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Yeah, quadruple checked lid and airlock for tightness. You might be right - everything could be cool - but I've just never made a fruit beer where the addition of all that sugar didn't result in some vigorous fermentation.

Think I'll add some more yeast tonight and see what happens.

Aclay

Recipes 

I don't think huckleberries would have enough sugar to produce a "violent" fermentation. I'm sure there is some fermentation going on in there, but it's just not what you're used to. Check the sugar content of each of the fruits you're using. The more sugar the fruit the more violent the fermentation will be.