Need some advise again

OK ...let me give everyone a quick overview.............brewed on November 21..........was concerned about the fermentation for a number of reason biggest being that I mixed the dry yeast into the wort and i was not seeing any fermetation thru the airlock............I remained calm per everyones suggestion.........checked the gravity 8 days later(Nov 29).......gravity had moved from 1.052 down to 1.030 (need to get to 1.014).........per everyone's suggestion I mixed the wort and waited......checked last night and it may have moved to 1.028 or 1.026 but not seeing a lot of movment

I did some reading and per a suggestion from my reading I swirled the wort trying to resuspend the yeast (I did this with the fermentor closed so I would not add air to the process).............I am going to check again tomorrow or Saturday but I think I need to re-pitch the yeast....is that what everyone would suggest or do you have another idea? If I re-pitch do I need to wait another week for fermentation to be completed?

Also, what would happen if I bottled now without making it to the 1.014? Could use some suggestions

Thanks

(1) DO NOT swirl or mix the wort. That will aerate it, and will cause off-flavors.

(2) DO NOT bottle until you have reached the final gravity, or at least a constant gravity for quite a while. If you do, the yeast will continue to generate CO2 while in the bottles, which causes pressure, and the bottles will explode.

(3) Thus far you've only waited less than two weeks. Active fermentation can conclude in 48 hours, but depending on temperature and the initial viability of the yeast, it can take much longer. If you're continuing to see changes in your gravity, then just leave the fermenter alone for another week or two.

I would suggest shaking up the fermenter to get the yeast suspended and moving to a warmer temperature to get things moving.

Sounds like a stuck fermentation. It started and then stalled out.

If it were me, 2 weeks is a long time. I would re-pitch but not sure what you're in for here.

I would DEFINATELY swirl the fermentor, this will not aerate your wort. Note, there is a difference between spinning the fermentor to rouse the yeast, and shaking it and causing foam.

I would also warm the fermentor 5F maybe?

It is possible that the yeast not being rehydrated in water could have caused a less than stellar # of viable yeast in the wort, thus affecting fermentation.

It is ok to swirl, spin, rouse the yeast... just dont shake it.

DO NOT bottle, you are asking for trouble...

ok first of stay calm. from the sounds of it your brewing in a bucket, right? that could explain the lack of airlock activity. buckets are well known for not sealing right. your beer will be fine there is more than enough CO2 in there to protect it. could you give us your recipe. what is the temp of the room you have the fermenter in? you could try moving it to a warmer place and see if things pick up. you could try adding some yeast nutrient like DAP or FAN. wait 2 weeks from brew date before panicking. thats typically how long fermentation takes. only then do you really want to consider repitching.

assuming fermentation is indeed done (which i DON'T think it is) you can bottle and not worry. you just wont have as high of an ABV and the beer will be more malty than expected.

One thing I keep seeing you refer to and that's "activity."

I can't stress this part enough...Stopped airlock bubbling doesn't mean a stuck fermentation. It means that there is simply not enough co2 to need to be vented by the airlock. The airlock is a VENT not a fermentation gauge.

Get out of the habit of thinking the airlock is anything other than a vent to release excess co2 and you will be much happier. Your beer/cider/wine/mead will ferment whether or not the airlock bubbles.

If your airlock was bubbling and stopped---It doesn't mean fermentation has stopped.

If you airlock isn't bubbling, it doesn't mean your fermentation hasn't started....

If your airlock starts bubbling, it really doesn't matter.

If your airlock NEVER bubbles, it doesn't mean anything is wrong or right.

Your airlock is not a fermentation gauge, it is a VALVE to release excess co2. And the peak of fermentation has already wound down, so there's simply no need to vent off any excess co2.

Quit trying "make your airlock bubble" or worry about whether or not it is.

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..

And just because the biggest "push" of fermentation is over where the yeast aren't throwing off a ton of co2 and blipping the airlock, and even that the krausen has fallen, doesn't meant that fermentation isn't still chugging away, just slowly. Or at the minimum the yeast aren't cleaning up the byproducts.

It's good you're using your hydromter, but constantly shaking your fermenter to make your airlock bubble could actually cause more trouble, like oxydation.

pericles said:

(1) DO NOT swirl or mix the wort. That will aerate it, and will cause off-flavors.

Click to expand...

Assuming the lid is on tight in the fermenter, there shouldn't be any O2 in there at this point. Swirling the fermenter with the lid on shouldn't cause a problem. Don't know if foaming the wort would cause a problem, but swirling shouldn't cause that.

what yeast are using and what temps are you fermenting at?

shaking or swirling the ferementer, so long as the lid is still sealed and airlock is on it, will not introduce 02 into the wort.

permo said:

shaking or swirling the ferementer, so long as the lid is still sealed and airlock is on it, will not introduce 02 into the wort.

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Except if he's been constantly opening the bucket to take readings, then the integrity of the co2 barrier COULD be violated, and if he's swirling right after opening the bucket, he IS swirling his beer with oxygen inside the bucket.

Gently swirling or stirring should not cause a problem. I'm concerned about this only because if the temps are right, the yeast ought have concluded their job by now.

But RDWHAHB. Just make sure the temps are where they need to be and make sure the viable yeast are in the wort. If this takes a gentle stir, then so be it. Or simply wait it out. Your beer will not be any worse for your patience.

that my best bet it to wait it out...........if I see no movement on the hydrometer reading then I should re-pitch

I did swirl with the lid on but I did it 30 minutes after I had checked it so there could be O2 in the bucket

This waiting thing is not easy............I want to bottle and start a new batch!

If I do re-pitch it do I have to wait another week or just until the FG is reached

Oh yeah the temp of the fermentation is between 66 - 70 degrees

Brew said:

that my best bet it to wait it out...........if I see no movement on the hydrometer reading then I should re-pitch

I did swirl with the lid on but I did it 30 minutes after I had checked it so there could be O2 in the bucket

This waiting thing is not easy............I want to bottle and start a new batch!

If I do re-pitch it do I have to wait another week or just until the FG is reached

Oh yeah the temp of the fermentation is between 66 - 70 degrees

Click to expand...

If you do decide to pitch more yeast ...I would wait at least another two weeks before bottling.

buy another fermenter so you're not always waiting on the previous batch. Plastic buckets are dirt cheap...

I was just thinking the same thing.........buckets are cheep and it looks like this batch may just take a little longer to get done then I wanted.............what I'm reading is that I need to relax and let the fermenter do it job..........as long as the reading are moving down I'm AG(all good)

I'm in agreement. Fermenters are NOT expensive compared to much of the equipment and if you are to the point of wanting to brew faster then your beer can ferment, then I say you should go get another fermenter!

Then when you go up to 10 Gallon batches, you will have 10 gallons of fermenter volume ready for it!

you can always re-pitch the wort on a bed of yeast it a sure fire way to get the fermentation process over with. just use the same or complimenting strain of yeast..