Added Yeast Too Soon?

BrewSwag 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
S

Stew

New Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I may have misread the thermometer on my fermenter and added my yeast when the batch was still too hot. Generally how long does it take for the "bubbling" to start occurring and if I did add my yeast too soon can I add more yeast?
Thanks in advance
 
I just brewed my first batch of True Brew Pale Ale All Malt. About 8 or so hours after I put in the yeast I started to see the air lock bubbling. About 2 days later it has stopped bubbling. Now I have a satellite beer sitting with my fermentor so I can check the specific gravity every once and a while. I started out at 1.040 and now 5 days later I am down to 1.020. The bucket is by my bed so I can keep an eye one it very easily and I have not seen it bubble in a few days. I think that I may have added the yeast too early but the directions said I could have added it as early as 90 degrees. But from every thing that I had read 75 was a good target. If I did manage to kill the yeast should I get more and add it in? Also I realize that the airlock is not a good judge in when determining if the yeast is done but it just worries me.
 
deitzberg said:
I just brewed my first batch of True Brew Pale Ale All Malt. About 8 or so hours after I put in the yeast I started to see the air lock bubbling. About 2 days later it has stopped bubbling. Now I have a satellite beer sitting with my fermentor so I can check the specific gravity every once and a while. I started out at 1.040 and now 5 days later I am down to 1.020. The bucket is by my bed so I can keep an eye one it very easily and I have not seen it bubble in a few days. I think that I may have added the yeast too early but the directions said I could have added it as early as 90 degrees. But from every thing that I had read 75 was a good target. If I did manage to kill the yeast should I get more and add it in? Also I realize that the airlock is not a good judge in when determining if the yeast is done but it just worries me.
Click to expand...

If the SG is down 20 points, the yeast are not dead. I usually pitch my yeast when my wort is around 65 degrees, but even much warmer won't kill the yeast. You may just have some fruity flavors if it was too warm.

Just because you don't see airlock bubbling doesn't mean that things aren't happening inside. Try not to think about the beer for at least another 10 days, then open it up and take an SG sample.
 
I have pitched as hot as 82 and ended up with great beer.

Yeasties are tought little buggers.

P.S. I love that you keep it next to your bed!!!!
 
Update - 6/22/09
My air lock is happily percolating away...thanks for the advice guys.
 
Hey guys...I'm a newb...and I think I screwed up. Go figure, right?

I KNOW I added the yeast to my brew too soon, but how long does it take to kill the yeast?

I didn't have a thermometer handy, and didn't think I had enough time to get to the store and back before I had to add the yeast. The instructions said it was more important to add it sooner than later, even if the temperature was not correct.

I added the yeast and capped the bucket. It sat for an hour until my wife got home (asked her to pick up a thermometer on her way home). I checked it and it read 98 F.

I threw in some icecubes and got it down to 85 F...the kit said anywhere between 64 and 90 degrees was ok, however I did not use the dry yeast that came with the kit. I bought the liquid stuff. Anyone know its tolerance to temperature??

As the OP asked, if the yeast is dead, can I add more later? Is the entire kit ruined?
 
RyanSweeney said:
Hey guys...I'm a newb...and I think I screwed up. Go figure, right?

I KNOW I added the yeast to my brew too soon, but how long does it take to kill the yeast?

I didn't have a thermometer handy, and didn't think I had enough time to get to the store and back before I had to add the yeast. The instructions said it was more important to add it sooner than later, even if the temperature was not correct.

I added the yeast and capped the bucket. It sat for an hour until my wife got home (asked her to pick up a thermometer on her way home). I checked it and it read 98 F.

I threw in some icecubes and got it down to 85 F...the kit said anywhere between 64 and 90 degrees was ok, however I did not use the dry yeast that came with the kit. I bought the liquid stuff. Anyone know its tolerance to temperature??

As the OP asked, if the yeast is dead, can I add more later? Is the entire kit ruined?
Click to expand...

If it was an hour later and sitting at 98 I'd say that's a whoops. Did you make a starter from liquid by chance? In either case it's perfectly ok to pitch more, but best to give it a day or two to see if the first one takes. It may take quite a while if some of the yeast did die to breed enough to really get your brew going.

In a common vibe your bound to run into RDWHAHB, oh and welcome to HBT :mug:
 

Similar threads

Mb23
Added yeast to early
Replies
12
Views
948
Ninoid
Ninoid
F
Transferred to secondary too soon. Dump it?
Replies
10
Views
783
WesBrew
WesBrew
chrispokey
Time for another round of "Is this beer infected?"
Replies
15
Views
404
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
J
Beginner Mead Mistake?
Replies
8
Views
515
JamieDanger
J
nyoksol
Stuck fermentation-- how can I rescue it?
Replies
11
Views
955
dmtaylor
dmtaylor

Latest posts

Back
Top