No activity..now what?
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Brewskii
Well-Known Member
If your looking for info you'll need to dish some first...
Whats the OG?
When did you brew?
When did you pitch?
What yeast (wet/dry) *edit: I see-Wyeast - sorry*
Starter?
What's the temp At pitch?
What's the temp now?
What's the gravity now?
If you gave to re- pitch due to no activity in the fermentor, re- aeration is not going to hurt anything..
Whats the OG?
When did you brew?
When did you pitch?
What yeast (wet/dry) *edit: I see-Wyeast - sorry*
Starter?
What's the temp At pitch?
What's the temp now?
What's the gravity now?
If you gave to re- pitch due to no activity in the fermentor, re- aeration is not going to hurt anything..
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Brewskii said:
Whats the OG? 1.035
When did you brew? Yesterday
When did you pitch? 1:00
What yeast (wet/dry) *edit: I see-Wyeast - sorry*
Starter? No
What's the temp At pitch? 75-77
What's the temp now? 66-68
What's the gravity now? I wont check that yet
Then you don't know that anything's wrong...It is too soon to even begin to worry....after 72 hours is when you take a gravity reading and see what's going on. It's quite common for yeast to take 2-3 days to get going, it's called lag time.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/, and by visible signs we don't necessarily mean a bubbling airlock. it means gravity reading
It IS a sticky at the top of the beginners forum for a reason, afterall.
"Activity is irrevelent." Just gravity points on a hydrometer.
Airlock bubbling (or lack) and fermentation are not the same thing. You have to separate that from your mindset. Airlock bubbling can be a sign of fermentation, but not a good one, because the airlock will often blip or not blip for various other reasons...so it is a tenuous connection at best.
Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that any-thing's wrong,, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working diligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years.
The most important tool you can use is a hydrometer. It's the only way you will truly know when your beer is ready...airlock bubbles and other things are faulty.
Agree with the above, everything is likely fine. Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Revvy said:Then you don't know that anything's wrong...It is too soon to even begin to worry....after 72 hours is when you take a gravity reading and see what's going on. It's quite common for yeast to take 2-3 days to get going, it's called lag time.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/, and by visible signs we don't necessarily mean a bubbling airlock. it means gravity reading
It IS a sticky at the top of the beginners forum for a reason, afterall.
"Activity is irrevelent." Just gravity points on a hydrometer.
Airlock bubbling (or lack) and fermentation are not the same thing. You have to separate that from your mindset. Airlock bubbling can be a sign of fermentation, but not a good one, because the airlock will often blip or not blip for various other reasons...so it is a tenuous connection at best.
Fermentation is not always "dynamic," just because you don't SEE anything happening, doesn't mean that any-thing's wrong,, and also doesn't mean that the yeast are still not working diligently away, doing what they've been doing for over 4,000 years.
The most important tool you can use is a hydrometer. It's the only way you will truly know when your beer is ready...airlock bubbles and other things are faulty.
Well, i just pitched yesterday and i expect that i would see minimal activity. Typically i do see activity. Would a gravity change enough to check over night? I wouldnt think so and thats why i dont want to disturb it so quickly being that im already a little worried.
beerman0001
Well-Known Member
Are you fermenting in a bucket or carboy? This is why I like a carboy you can watch the yeast do its thing.
Just wait it out the 72 hrs and give it a chance if nothing after that go ahead and re pitch.
brewmadness
Well-Known Member
Stop worrying. I too "see" fermentation activity 99% of the time. However, I have had a couple batches that there was never any visible airlock activity. At first I was worried, then I just decided to let it ride and see what happens in a few weeks. Low and behold after a few weeks, the gravity had dropped below it's estimated final gravity. So.... like everyone else on here will tell you, just relax and leave it alone for a few weeks. Most likely it is doing what it is supposed to do and will be just fine.
Brewskii
Well-Known Member
emsmith92 said:
This has happened to me before but it was a smackpack ordered throughout the mail in July. Relax.
Be CLEAN and check the gravity ( if your yeast is dead you don't want any chance of infecting your wort with that much food and no competition).
After this is over, get one or more dry yeast sachets ( in this case I would use Fermentis S-04 or Nottingham) and keep them in the fridge. They are Much more stable and will keep for a couple years because you never know.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
I took the reading. Ill say it's around 1.029-3 now. Still seem weak but ill give it another day and check again. I took the recipe from NB their british bitter. Pretty simple beer so this is a shocker not see he typical activity.
Hi MS. You pitched your yeast a day ago, saw nothing, came to HBT to ask what was wrong and if you should repitch, and everyone said to relax, don't worry, it will be fine. You were skeptical of those answers. Now that you've taken a gravity reading, you have empirical proof that your yeast are starting their work. If you leave it alone and do nothing, your beer will be fine.
Here's the longer answer. You underpitched the amount of healthy, viable yeast that would have been optimal for your wort. Assuming your yeast was packaged in January, according to the Mr. Malty calculator, you would have needed to pitch 2.5 packs to match the optimal cell count. Or you would need to use the one pack you had to make a yeast starter. Because you underpitched, there is a lag time (well, there is always a lag time, but there is a lag time that you noticed) before you see signs of active fermentation. During this lag time, the yeast are gathering strength and reproducing. If you had used dry yeast, one packet would have been fine.
Two resources for you to look through on the topic of yeast and fermentation: 1) www.mrmalty.com and 2) "Yeast" by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff.
Hope this helps.
Here's the longer answer. You underpitched the amount of healthy, viable yeast that would have been optimal for your wort. Assuming your yeast was packaged in January, according to the Mr. Malty calculator, you would have needed to pitch 2.5 packs to match the optimal cell count. Or you would need to use the one pack you had to make a yeast starter. Because you underpitched, there is a lag time (well, there is always a lag time, but there is a lag time that you noticed) before you see signs of active fermentation. During this lag time, the yeast are gathering strength and reproducing. If you had used dry yeast, one packet would have been fine.
Two resources for you to look through on the topic of yeast and fermentation: 1) www.mrmalty.com and 2) "Yeast" by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff.
Hope this helps.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Well, the wyeast pack said it was from november. It didn't swell at all. I should have just thrown it out and bought a new one. However, I ignored it and just went for it. Hopefully there's nothing damaging from old or bad yeast?
The trub has some layers on it already. And the top layer looks sort of "fuzzy" gray matter. Not sure what that is but some of it has floated to the top. Really got a bad feeling about this brew.
They call that "yeast" in some circles.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Is that a typical form for it? Usually when it drops it looks sort of white/tan and cake like.
British Ale II is highly flocculant. I know a lot of them look clumpy as they are fermenting. If yeast is starting to float up to the top, it sounds like you are starting to see activity. You underpitched. It is taking the yeast a longer time to replicate and kick off fermentation.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Ok. That's a relief. Thanks for the info.
Should I throw in some more to help out or is that pointless?
That would be pointless at this point. The yeast reproduce before they start fermenting. Now they are fermenting, and will finish this up quickly since it's a low OG beer.
Often, it will take up to 72 hours to show activity in an underpitched beer, especially with a higher OG beer. Next time, especially if the yeast is more than a month old, a small starter will alleviate any worries.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Also, I'm new to the terminology so I did a search here and somebody mentioned that if it is highly flocculant you might want to agitate the primary.
Any thoughts on that and the process (ie..shake the carboy a bit?)
Probably no need. I'd be inclined to leave it alone, and you'll end up with a nice clear beer.
+1. Step away from the fermenter.
Brewskii
Well-Known Member
pabloj13 said:
+1 on Yeast infection.
Post pics.
Don't give up... You've nothing to indicate anything is wrong.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
Infection? What gives you that impression?
I'll post pics this evening.
Now I'm back to worrying
It's a joke...."Yeast infection" is a joke." You have yeast in infecting your beer...It's SUPPOSED to infect your beer.
You really need to relax.
Here, read these threads instead of envisioning all those things that AREN'T really crawling into your fermenter. They'll show you how strong your beer really is.
Revvy's advice for the new brewer in terms of worry.
What are some of the mistakes you made...where your beer still turned out great?
And Never dump your beer!!! Patience IS a virtue!!! Time heals all things, even beer!
And most importantly...
New brewers seem to think the cure for everything is to fiddle with it...when in reality it's a natural process, that works best when we leave it the heck alone.
You really need to relax.
Here, read these threads instead of envisioning all those things that AREN'T really crawling into your fermenter. They'll show you how strong your beer really is.
Revvy's advice for the new brewer in terms of worry.
What are some of the mistakes you made...where your beer still turned out great?
And Never dump your beer!!! Patience IS a virtue!!! Time heals all things, even beer!
And most importantly...
New brewers seem to think the cure for everything is to fiddle with it...when in reality it's a natural process, that works best when we leave it the heck alone.
msmith92
Well-Known Member
It's a joke...."Yeast infection" is a joke." You have yeast in infecting your beer...It's SUPPOSED to infect your beer.
You really need to relax.
Here, read these threads instead of envisioning all those things that AREN'T really crawling into your fermenter. They'll show you how strong your beer really is.
Revvy's advice for the new brewer in terms of worry.
What are some of the mistakes you made...where your beer still turned out great?
And Never dump your beer!!! Patience IS a virtue!!! Time heals all things, even beer!
And most importantly...
New brewers seem to think the cure for everything is to fiddle with it...when in reality it's a natural process, that works best when we leave it the heck alone.
OH! I got punked.
That's a noob for ya
Brewskii
Well-Known Member
Sorry dude, your probably not in the right frame of mind to appreciate that kind of humor.
Revvy's right, it's a joke. Please relax about the beer... This hobby is relaxing and rewarding for those with patience.
Revvy's right, it's a joke. Please relax about the beer... This hobby is relaxing and rewarding for those with patience.
