WPL004, pitched ~58F, fermenter sitting in ~62F space...
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Its probably a little cold. I pitched a batch at 60F and after 24 hours of absolutely no activity, I let it warm up to 65F to start. Everything proceeded normally after that.
I would pitch it at 65, then let it drift up to 68 as the fermentation slows. I like the flavor profile, slight esters, mostly neutral. I quit using it because it flocculates poorly. I had to go to secondary to get it somewhat clear. If you cold crash it, the yeast goes back into suspension when it warms up.
I would pitch it at 65, then let it drift up to 68 as the fermentation slows. I like the flavor profile, slight esters, mostly neutral. I quit using it because it flocculates poorly. I had to go to secondary to get it somewhat clear. If you cold crash it, the yeast goes back into suspension when it warms up.
'Bout noon-ish it'll be 48 hours with no outward signs of activity and temp is ~66F now.
Does this stuff normally ferment agressively? BTW, wort was 1.045.
Thinking I may have cold-shocked the yeast because the pitching temp was a bit lower than I had expected and yeast starter would have been 66-67F(so almost 10F difference). Is there an approximate time to expect for recovery assuming that's the case?
Does this stuff normally ferment agressively? BTW, wort was 1.045.
Thinking I may have cold-shocked the yeast because the pitching temp was a bit lower than I had expected and yeast starter would have been 66-67F(so almost 10F difference). Is there an approximate time to expect for recovery assuming that's the case?
Time to panic. When I pitched the batch at 60, it did nothing for 24 hours. I raised the air temperature to 65 and it took off in an additional 18-20 hours.
My best guess is dead yeast from the get go. Time to make a run to the store or pitch your emergency dry yeast.
I wouldnt think a ten degree shock would kill all of em. It would slow them down, but it wouldnt stop them. People routinely do a lot worse.
Then again I can hear the airlock activity means nothing crowd thundering over the ridge. Very often noobs will panic when all thats happening is that their buckets or stoppers are leaky. You should still see something going on up top. A little foam at least by now.
My best guess is dead yeast from the get go. Time to make a run to the store or pitch your emergency dry yeast.
I wouldnt think a ten degree shock would kill all of em. It would slow them down, but it wouldnt stop them. People routinely do a lot worse.
Then again I can hear the airlock activity means nothing crowd thundering over the ridge. Very often noobs will panic when all thats happening is that their buckets or stoppers are leaky. You should still see something going on up top. A little foam at least by now.
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
I'd check the gravity before you panic. The exact same thing happened to me but it fermented super quickly - same temps too.
Shouldn't have been dead from the get go because I made a two-step starter and both of those fermented - krausen and all. The second starter was pretty much finished Saturday and I pitched it Sunday.
Maybe this evening I'll take a sample to see if anything is going on.
Maybe this evening I'll take a sample to see if anything is going on.
Interesting....
I pulled a sample and it's at ~1.020, down from 1.046, after ~54 hours so it's definitely been working. Considering I didn't see anything for activity in my blowoff tube arrangement (in first use on this batch) I pulled the fermenter cover and replaced it with the original that takes standard three-piece airlock.
There was definitely some high krausen in there at one time and still was a pretty good head of foam although it appears to have receeded from the highest level (which touched the inside top of the lid with a bit over 5gal wort in 6.5gal bucket).
Either it erupted in activity which I completely missed (hard for me to believe since I checked pretty often), or I have considerable air leaks in my supposedly sealed system (lid with o-ring). Thinking the latter.
Now my worry is that it doesn't hang at the dreaded 1.020 blues.
I pulled a sample and it's at ~1.020, down from 1.046, after ~54 hours so it's definitely been working. Considering I didn't see anything for activity in my blowoff tube arrangement (in first use on this batch) I pulled the fermenter cover and replaced it with the original that takes standard three-piece airlock.
There was definitely some high krausen in there at one time and still was a pretty good head of foam although it appears to have receeded from the highest level (which touched the inside top of the lid with a bit over 5gal wort in 6.5gal bucket).
Either it erupted in activity which I completely missed (hard for me to believe since I checked pretty often), or I have considerable air leaks in my supposedly sealed system (lid with o-ring). Thinking the latter.
Now my worry is that it doesn't hang at the dreaded 1.020 blues.
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
That exact same thing happened to me. It went down from 1.050 to 1.023 almost over night. Then it chewed its way down the 1.014 over another 5 days. Try to keep it warm - 68F as it finishes up. What a strange yeast!
CadillacAndy
Well-Known Member
whoaru99 said:
That's what I'd do until it drops more. Take another reading in a couple days. Curious to see what happens.
Done. Celebrating now with a Hopslam. 
Dunno why a guy worries so much. When you look back there isn't really that much can go wrong unless you REALLY screw up. Guess it's still some of that new brewer mentality.
Dunno why a guy worries so much. When you look back there isn't really that much can go wrong unless you REALLY screw up. Guess it's still some of that new brewer mentality.
Haven't sampled the fermenter again, but the sample I took previously was left in the graduated cylinder and is now showing ~1.015. So, looks like it should finish close to or in the projected range of 1.012-1.010.
