Under pitched

Is it possible to pitch MORE yeast after primary fermentation is done?

I appear to have under pitched. After nearly two weeks of primary fermentation, it doesn't appear I have made much progress. Alcohol content is at about 3%, and I'm worried I won't get much carbonation. (note: initial fermentation seemed to stop after just a few days...definitely no more than a week).

Initial gravity was 1.058 (or thereabouts) checking today I was at 1.024. According to the online pitching calculator (which I learned about after the fact, of course) I should have used three vials of yeast, and I used only one.

If I were to now add two more and let it ferment, would that help resolve my issue(s).

Note: I'm brewing with a lager yeast, fermenting at 65-66 degrees.

No, adding more yeast now won't do anything. The yeast reproduce before beginning fermentation, so you have a lot more yeast than you started with.

A lager yeast at 65-68 degrees is problematic due to off flavors, but is not the cause of the stuck/slow fermentation. That is probably related to underpitching as well as the recipe/ingredients. Some ingredients are less fermentable than others, so it could very well be recipe related if a lot of dark crystal malt was used.

You shouldn't have a problem with bottle carbing. It should carb up just fine.

You under attenuation may be from too many unfermentable sugars in your wort. Was it all grain or extract? If its all grain try mashing at a lower temp. If its extract, make sure its fresh and from a good manufacturer.

Thanks for the info. Im planning on chilling it down to about 40 degrees for several weeks before bottling.

I used a light malt (both extract, and DME). And there was a very small amount of dark grain. I had a problem with my boil, so perhaps that had something to do with it as well.

This is only my second batch, I think a lager was probably not a good choice. My local homebrew store isn't the most helpful...I've learned that there are far better resources available online. Live and learn, I suppose.

.. Oops. Disregard! iPad failure.

One further question....should I ever expect to get to hydro reading of 1.00 when I'm done?

okeemike said:

One further question....should I ever expect to get to hydro reading of 1.00 when I'm done?

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No. Unless you made water.

Most of my lighter beers (like cream ale) will be 1.008-1.012 when finished, while my bigger beers and stouts finish at 1.022 or so. Everything else is right around 1.010-1.016.

extract (liquid and dry) + steeped grains should not have a FG of 1.024 with a OG of 1.056. Well, it does not sound right to this noob. In your pants, I would let it ferment more. Check gravity in a few days to see if it is still going down.

iambeer said:

extract (liquid and dry) + steeped grains should not have a FG of 1.024 with a OG of 1.056. Well, it does not sound right to this noob. In your pants, I would let it ferment more. Check gravity in a few days to see if it is still going down.

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It depends on how fermentable the extract was. Hopeful its slow fermentation but there is a good chance his extract will not go there.

okeemike said:

One further question....should I ever expect to get to hydro reading of 1.00 when I'm done?

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Like Yooper said if you made water, but I think you can get 1.00 if you use champagne yeast or in have an infection.

According to White Labs, underpitching yeast doesn't really affect the FG of your beer.


Scroll to 10:30 in that video. Then go back to the beginning and watch the whole thing, very interesting stuff.

iambeer said:

extract (liquid and dry) + steeped grains should not have a FG of 1.024 with a OG of 1.056. Well, it does not sound right to this noob. In your pants, I would let it ferment more. Check gravity in a few days to see if it is still going down.

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I wouldn't drink anything that I fermented in my pants. But, that's just me.

OG2620 said:

I wouldn't drink anything that I fermented in my pants. But, that's just me.

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I would have to agree with you on this one!