Yeast Nutrient Addition Killed Airlock Activity

So I've been having problems with WLP005, and with FGs in general. I think I've been under pitching (generally speaking). Regardless, I'm doing this dry rye stout with wyeast london ale, and it has been going along perfectly at 64F. Due to these problems with the other batch (and establishing that I've been underpitching), I decided I should add some dextrose and yeast energizer to the stout to give it a little pizazz and make sure it finished really dry. It was at about 1.026, and is estimated to end at 1.012 (from 1.046). So, I mixed up the corn sugar and yeast energizer and threw it in there, and now all airlock activity has stopped.

I know I shouldn't equate airlock activity with fermentation, but it seems as though I've somehow shocked the yeast into no CO2 production, and I have no idea what that means. Is this a known thing (late additions of sugar/nutrient causing a temporary lag)? Can anyone advise? I'm about to ruin my second batch of beer in a week :/

I am completely lost here.

1) Check out http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html enter in your gravity and volume and what kind of start you use. If you are not making a starter you are still in the OK area for most yeast packs/vials. While it is ALWAYS a good idea to pitch the amount of yeast you need sometimes I will under/over pitch yeast to get a different flavor profile but those are belgians and wheat beers.

2) You threw in dme and yeast energizer? Does this mean you boiled up some water, added the yeast energizer and dme, chilled it, added that to a new fermenter and then racked over to it? or did you just dump the stuff into the fermenter? this is going to help us know what happened.

In either case you may have to wait awhile for the yeast to get active again. I would not panic and take a hydro reading in a few days no matter what your airlock is doing.

Lol yeah, sorry...been up too long. To respond:

(1) I under pitched, but not by much. One wyeast pack, London ale, OG 1.046. Estimated FG 1.012. Current SG 1.026.

(2) I boiled the corn sugar (wanted something that would frenzy them up/attenuate fully), added yeast energizer, cooled, then dumped into the primary. A few minutes later, airlock stopped dead. I was going for a staggered addition of fermentables and nutrients (not unlike mead makers do).

give it time.
you opened the fermentor and any co2 pressure was lost, if it was a bucket it may or may not have resealed.

amandabab said:

give it time.
You opened the fermentor and any co2 pressure was lost, if it was a bucket it may or may not have resealed.

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+1