Adding more yeast post fermentation

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Eastside Brewer

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I brewed a 1.094 ale, mashed 149 for 75 min. Mash out 168 for 15 min. Sparged with 170 for 45 min. I had a net of 4 gallons in fermenter.

I did a 3000ml starter at 1.060 and added 3 viles WL - london ale yeast, pitched all after 48 hours on stir plate. Fermenter in fridge with ranko temp controller, probe in solution and temp at 68 deg.

Explosive fermentation started within 4-6 hours. By day three the foam had subsided. Its now day 7 and it's down to 1.030. I read that WL- London Ale yeast attenutes around 70% which should get me down to about 1.020. Is it reasonable to think with no airlock activity that this beer will ferment down another 10 points? If not would pitching some dry yeast bring it down?

Thanks,

Eastside
 
I am wondering the same thing. I have a Wee Heavy that started at 1.110 with and Irish Ale yeast starter and have had a similar experience only mine stopped at 1.038. I have another starter of Irish Ale yeast going and I am wondering whether I should pitch it or not.

:tank:
 
First, I woud try rousing the east from the bottom an maybe rising the temperature a couple of degrees.
Besides I would'n bother so much, these are english ales, some residual sweetnes won't hurt them that much.
 
Forget the attenuation value given for that yeast. It was most likely determined with a lower gravity wort and does not represent what you can expect for a 1.094 wort. It also doesn’t take into account you mashing. But since you mashed low the fermentability of your wort should have been fairly high.

Does it still taste sweet? I suspect that it does and I also suspect that the yeast simply gave up on you. Like already mentioned, rousing the yeast and warming it up may help and get you a little more attenuation.

Kai
 
Forget the attenuation value given for that yeast. It was most likely determined with a lower gravity wort and does not represent what you can expect for a 1.094 wort. It also doesn’t take into account you mashing. But since you mashed low the fermentability of your wort should have been fairly high.

Does it still taste sweet? I suspect that it does and I also suspect that the yeast simply gave up on you. Like already mentioned, rousing the yeast and warming it up may help and get you a little more attenuation.

Kai

Kai,

Yes it's real sweet and has been at 1.030 for 3 consecutive days. The yeast has caked at the bottom. I was hoping that the lower mash temp would help with attenuation, I believe according to mr. malty I had enough yeast, but they seem to have quit on me. I am going to rouse the cake today and get the temp up tp 72 and leave it for a week. If that does not work, would pitching dry yeast be an option?

Thanks,

Rick
 
If that does not work, would pitching dry yeast be an option?

You can do it, it shouldnt cause any problems. For some beer styles (some belgians or barley wine...) it is done routinely.
I have never done it, so I can't tell you how it works, but I heard, that you must have a strong starter in high krausen phase, the yeast are reluctant to start their job in partially fermented wort.
 
Yeah I guess from what I've been told alcohol is toxic to yeast it kills them, so either a dry yeast in a starter at high krausen or I also heard champaign yeast works, but will it end up tasting like champaign?

Eastside
 
How much did you airate? If you didn't do enough I am afriad you might be out of luck. I had the same problem and it turned out I didn't airate enough and it would never go down.
 
I would like to revive this thread. I made a RIS last week that began at 1.100 and has gotten down to 1.029. the airlock has stopped bubbling. I mashed at 150 and pitched two rehydrated packs of S-05 to start. I have already tried raising the temp and gently rousing to get a couple more points down. Is there any harm in rehydrating another pack of S-05 and adding it to hopefully drop the FG to the 1.020 range? I read in Chris White and Jamil's yeast book that you should re-aerate the wort if you are going to pitch more yeast to jumpstart a "stuck ferm," but am worried about adding more oxygen post-fermentation. I would love to hear some people's thoughts on this- mostly the dangers of adding more yeast w/ or w/o oxygen post-ferm.
 
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