Properly pitching a second yeast.

I brewed a barley wine and it has been sitting in primary for 3 weeks. So today I pitched 1 more packet of yeast to see if I can get closer to my FG.

Then I'll check on it in a week or two. Then I'll move it to a secondary and let it bulk age for about 6 months.

My question is: Is it ok to just pitch the dry yeast? I wasnt sure If I could stir it. I thought the beer shouldnt splash or move at all, so I just poured the dry yeast on top.

is this ok?

Yes, you were fine. I just poured mine right on the huge mess of hops and fallen krausen and within a few hours it was bubbling again.

You know you can relax about this BW you know. You don't see me stressing about mine do you?

No, but you are Revvy! Ok, I'll stop worrying. It's good to know that Everything will be fine but Seriously what's the "rule" on moving your beer around? you don't want to expose it to oxygen correct?

eon said:

No, but you are Revvy! Ok, I'll stop worrying. It's good to know that Everything will be fine but Seriously what's the "rule" on moving your beer around? you don't want to expose it to oxygen correct?

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Yeah don't want to mess with it too much.

I don't have experience with this. But the thought process I've heard, which makes sense to me is:

- Even if using dry yeast, when pitching more yeast to get a FG down, you should make a starter
- The reason to do a starter first is to get the yeast through the growth phase, and to the point when they are consuming sugar and converting it to ETOH.
- If you just pitch the yeast, especially a high ETOH beer, it's a real toxic environment, and the sugars that are there are the longer chain polysaccharides. That's a tough order for the yeast to overcome. Pitching a starter at high krausen makes this easier.
- It's not about the amount of yeast you pitch, it's the phase of the yeast you are more concerned with.

Another consideration is to pitch a small amount of lager yeast. They will be better able to consumer those last few longer chain sugars than the ale yeast.

Anyway, it's what I've heard and it makes sense intuitively. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice paddle head but I guess what's done is done. I just sprinkled the yeast on top. Hopefully all is well. I'll leave that up to the "Beer Gods." I'm tired of worrying!