Paulgs3

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I'm brewing a Greenbelt ale from AHS, and I took a huge chance with the yeast shipping halfway across the country in 90+ heat.

I made a starter 24 hours before and it it was happily fermenting along. Brew day (Sunday) dumped them in and had strong air lock activity Monday morning (5am).

Yesterday I come home to check on my babies and the greenbelt blew off the airlock four days later!? Why the sudden burst of activity so many days later? Was my starter not good enough?

This is my first time using greenbelt, temp has been a constant 66F. Usually I get the yeast kaboom within 48 hours not four days later after constant significant air lock activity. If anything I was expecting it to finally slow down.

Normal for this yeast? Should I have let the starter go another 24 hours?

Paulgs3

Recipes 

Came home from work and it blew up again! This yeast is crazy!! Better be kicking out some damn good beer with all of the mess its making.

beaksnbeer

Recipes 

Use a tube first week................my.02

Clementine

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I don't see the problem, love the yeasties, respect the yeasties, at least they are working hard for you, beats a stuck fermentation.

Also if it is actively fermenting like that there is little to no chance of infection creeping in even though the vessel was uncovered. I saw an episode of brewingtv where they went to a brewery that used open fermentation, they said the fermentation was only open while there was a krausen as this provided a effective block, all that CO2 being given off stopped bacteria/wild yeast from getting to the wort. Sanitize the opening and put a airlock/blowoff tube on and all is good (aside from the mess).

On how long to leave a starter, I have seen an interesting article showing yeast numbers in a starter and a lot of really good information about yeast growth etc etc

http://maltosefalcons.com/tech/yeast-propagation-and-maintenance-principles-and-practices

The long and the short of it all the graphs I look at showed around 24-36 hrs there is little growth in number. The reason there is lag time is due to the yeast needing time to acclimatize to the wort and multiply sufficiently to do the job of fermenting all the wort into beer.

Clem

Paulgs3

Recipes 

That was a great read, thank you!

I wasn't worried, this was my first time using this strain of yeast and its been...different than my usual 1056. After the second explosion, its been done, not even a bubble in the air lock since.

I just find it all very interesting that each strain can be so different.

beaksnbeer, I usually do for the first 48. I'm going to have to revise that policy.

Paulgs3

Recipes 

Oddly, I'm stuck at 1.021 now for a few days now. Kinda screwed as I can't get another packet of greenbelt since AHS only sells them. I could...but I'm looking at 7+ days of shipping and making a new starter (90+weather).

Seriously odd strain. My target was 1.014, I was expecting this to be beyond done by now from the explosive fermentation. Lesson learned: don't ship yeast in the summer.

I have another two weeks, maybe I'll get lucky, if not: I'm still gonna drink it. Its still incredibly sweet still, I couldn't let the test SG sample go to waste. Has a great after taste! but the front is all sweet malt still.

Clementine

Recipes 

First try yeast energizer then try a clean neutral yeast so the flavors don't clash.

I'm starting a theory on stuck fermentation, Low O2 and nutrient level = stuck fermentation and this has nothing to do with how active the initial fermentation is rather how long the yeastises can keep working under pressure.

How well did you oxygenate?

Clem

Paulgs3

Recipes 

I happen to have some yeast fuel left over from AHS orders, I'll try two capsules in 1/4 cup of water? I already used one during brewing.

My aeration was my normal process: whirlpool when cooling --> pour between two brew buckets --> add to carboy --> swirl a bit add yeast. Nothing special, maybe I need to increase it with this strain.