Fermentation not starting

I brewed up a AHS Ordinary Bitter last week using DeathBrewer's All Grain Stove Top method.

My mash temperature was too high. I was shooting for 165 deg water temp so that it would drop to 154 deg when the grain was added in. It wound up at 170 deg and I had to add some water to eventually bring down the temp with a lot of stirring. I couldn't add too much water due to space constraints.

It took a long time to drop so I would have to say the median temp was about 160, which I know is too high. Sparged with 175 deg water. OG was 1.032

I aerated the wort and put in a package of hydrated Danstar Windsor. Waited three days and I got nothing so I stirred in a package of S-04.

I still don't have any movement on the OG. At this point, after a week, I've written off the batch (I haven't dumped it though).

I'm more interested in what might have gone wrong so that I can prevent a recurrence. Would the too high a mash temp be the culprit? Any pointers or theories?

I've done over 12 batches using the stove top method and this was the first time where the mash temperature spiked. I think the problem was that the brew pot was not fully on the heating element and when I righted it, the wort temperature took a jump. Next time I will be more careful.

What temperature did you pitch the yeast in? I don't know how that would explain the 2nd pack failing too though..how old was the yeast?

I pitched at 61 deg. The 2nd pack was also pitched at 61 deg.

I brought up the fermenter to a warmer place and it's been sitting at 63 deg temperature for the past three days..

At 61-63 degrees, yeast will eat all available sugars no matter what you did to the beer. What did you use as a sugar source? Did you forget to add a sugar source past the grains?

the mash temps you had should not cause this problem - I've mashed at 160°F and had plenty of fermentables. You should expect the gravity to drop some. Honestly, the only thing I can think of is that you happened to get two bad packets of yeast. How old were they? Were they stored in the fridge?

If you can get your hands on some fresh dried yeast, I would try a third pitch. If you don't get fermentation then, I don't know what to tell you.

I suppose your thermometer may have been off so you actually had much higher temps than you thought? Sorry.

TopherM said:

Did you forget to add a sugar source past the grains?

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huh?

Both yeast packets were stored in the keezer which is maintained at 38 deg F.

I guess I can try to pitch another packet of S04. The Windsor had an Sept 11 expiration date. I don't know what the date is on the S04 but I only bought it two months ago so I should expect that it hadn't expired.

I'll check tonight before I pitch. That will be like $10-$12 in dried yeast poured into this wort.

I'm glad to see that I wasn't missing an obvious "duh, that's what you did wrong".

This is definitely a head scratcher.

You allowed the yeast to warm up before pitching right?

Just to rule it out, how about making a starter for the yeast? That way you'll KNOW the yeast is good, or not...

Golddiggie said:

Just to rule it out, how about making a starter for the yeast? That way you'll KNOW the yeast is good, or not...

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Yeah I totally agree. Or if you have already come to terms with losing the batch, just toss in some cheap ale yeast if you are worried about money, and do a little experiment!:fro:

Out of curiosity, what was your grist?

The grain bill was:
6.75 lb Maris Otter Malt, 0.5 lb Crystal 60L Malt

I didn't make a starter because these were dry yeast packets. I did proof the Windsor so I know it wasn't a dead packet. I just tossed in the S04.

You guys have given me a new idea! I used dried yeast because I didn't want to bother with a yeast starter for a liquid yeast but I do have an older jar of washed WLP002. I'll use the current wort as a real wort starter and see what happens. If I can't even get a yeast starter active with this wort, then it's a lost cause.

Golddiggie said:

Just to rule it out, how about making a starter for the yeast? That way you'll KNOW the yeast is good, or not...

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I totally agree

tincob said:

The grain bill was:
6.75 lb Maris Otter Malt, 0.5 lb Crystal 60L Malt

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Well, there goes my theory that you tried to mash 100% crystal malt.

Good luck...