Hey everyone first post here and glad I can be a part of the beer community. Had a question here that I've been searching on the forums for awhile and cat find any resolution to. Brewed a nut brown maple ale 3 days ago that was a really high gravity of 1.110. Used a yeast starter of Nottingham dry yeast and prepared it to pitch. Visible signs of churning so the yeast was ok. Here comes the bad part. Was short on time, which is never a good idea to do when brewing beer and had to pitch the yeast at 83 degrees. Yes was to hot but no other option. Have waited three days with no airlock activity and deciding if I need to pop the lid and check for any krausen or check the gravity to see if there is any change. Also if I need to re pitch the yeast should I re pitch two more yeast packets for the high gravity beer or no. Thanks for your time guys.
High Gravity Beer problem
- Thread starter Adam78K
- Start date
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Mr Malty Pitching Rate Calculator
It will tell you how much yeast to use for your batches. I am assuming that its a 5 gallon batch and at that size, you should have pitched 2 packets of yeast. I would pitch another pack and see what happens
Mr Malty Pitching Rate Calculator
It will tell you how much yeast to use for your batches. I am assuming that its a 5 gallon batch and at that size, you should have pitched 2 packets of yeast. I would pitch another pack and see what happens
Inquiring minds want to know the hydrometer reading. It is not unheard of to miss fermentation particularly since you pitch so warm.
Especially for high gravity beers, you should add oxegen, force air with aquarium pump, or slosh around for the yeast. You could also add some yeast nutrient.
I wouldn't add more yeast. If you add visible signs of fermentation, the yeast reproduced and you won't need more yeast. The first thing to do is take a hydrometer reading. Nottingham should poop out at about 80% attenuation, so it should get you to 1.026ish if conditions are good for it. I think the alcohol tolerance will be what stops it- once the ABV gets in the 10% range, it might die off. So, you might only get to 1.032 or so.
I'd check the SG before doing anything at all. That was a big beer, but if the yeast got to work, it should be ok. Adding more yeast now (3 days later) won't do much if fermentation already began.
Well, if it went from 1.110 to 1.090, it's been fermenting. Unless your first reading was incorrect. That's a 20 point drop, so that's quite a bit. There should be krausen or krausen remnants.
If there are no signs of krausen, I'd check the SG again tomorrow. If it's the same, I'd go ahead and repitch the yeast. If it's dropping, I'd just wait it out.
Kickass
Well-Known Member
How many pounds of fermentables did you add to get your OG to 1.110 on your first batch? At first I thought your maybe misread your hydro but you said your second reading was 1.090. If you are sure it’s not fermenting I might consider using Mr. Malty and re-pitching.
On a side note high gravity beers take a little more effort and care to dial in. I’m not trying to discourage anyone I just think newer brewers with a limited amount of equipment should consider all that goes into high gravity beers.
On a side note high gravity beers take a little more effort and care to dial in. I’m not trying to discourage anyone I just think newer brewers with a limited amount of equipment should consider all that goes into high gravity beers.
Adam78K
Well-Known Member
Yea first time doing a high gravity beer but done many of other beers so yea that's my bad. But as for the fermentables added 7 lbs liquid malt extract, 1 lb of corn sugar, and 1 gallon of mapple syrup
A gallon of maple syrup??? I hope you REALLY like maple syrup! Its flavor is quite strong, and it takes less than half that to be VERY pronounced in a five gallon batch.
Adam78K
Well-Known Member
Well I read a couple of forums that said a haf gallon flavor didn't come through much plus I didn't use vermount I used some cheap gallon that was like 6 dollars so worked out. It contained corn syrup so not really mapple syrup so be it but I figured it would go for a high percent alcohol atleast.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
My guess is that the cheap maple syrup may have preservatives in it that will inhibit yeast growth and fermentation. At this point you are fully invested both in time/money so a "wait and see" approach might work. But I'm not optimistic that this is going to work itself out.
Sorry...good luck!
update: I just check Ms. butterworth syrup and it does contain preservatives:
Mrs. Butter-worth's Original Syrup calories and nutrition information - Food Labels - DietFacts.com
I'm would bet that most other brands/styles of imitation syrup also have preservatives.
Sorry, but I'm upgrading my prognosis to "dump it" status....you can try more yeast but I'd be surprised if it helped anything. A gallon of imitation maple syrup that also contains preservatives is probably going to be a no-go.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
Well, if its fermenting, its fermenting. I'm guessing the lack of Krausen/vigorous fermentation is because of the preservatives in the maple syrup. You can try more yeast...at this point the damage is done.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
Since you've invested the time/money on this batch so you may as well try to get it to ferment out and see how it does. Who knows, it might come out fine. An interesting experiment either way. I know I was saying "dump it" earlier, but since its fermenting you are making beer so I'd hold off on deciding that until everything is done.
My thinking with the pitching of another yeast packet is that by adding more yeast cells you can overcome the growth-inhibiting effects of the preservatives from the fake maple syrup. Its a wild shot, with the main risk being overpitching. Keep in mind that the batch does appear to be fermenting.....the question is where it will stop and will that be enough attenuation.
Good luck!
My thinking with the pitching of another yeast packet is that by adding more yeast cells you can overcome the growth-inhibiting effects of the preservatives from the fake maple syrup. Its a wild shot, with the main risk being overpitching. Keep in mind that the batch does appear to be fermenting.....the question is where it will stop and will that be enough attenuation.
Good luck!
broadbill
Well-Known Member
At this point I think I'd just watch it, take hydrometer readings and see when fermentation stops. If it stops and you are at your FG, then you are golden. If the SG is still too high, then try rousing the yeast by some gentle stirring. If that doesn't cause the SG to start dropping again, then I would go with repitching. Properly rehydrate the yeast and add it to the wort, do not shake/stir to add oxygen.
good luck!
good luck!
Well, I just have to ask "Why?". It's fermenting. The yeast growth phase seems to be over. I can see no reason to repitch. You probably won't do any harm, but if the SG is dropping, it's fermenting. Fresh yeast will reproduce before it'll start fermenting- so it'll probably be finished before the fresh yeast will even start. The preservatives may or may not be an issue, but if it's fermenting, it's fermenting.
Oh, well. When it stops, it'll stop.
Ah! Good reason to repitch, then! Good luck with it! (keeping fingers crossed for you that this time it works!)
Adam78K
Well-Known Member
Quick question because I'm not to good at making a yeast starter. I followed the exact directions on the nottinham boiled 4 oz of water put in a cup then waited for it to cool to 91 degrees then pitched then waited 15 mins stired gently then put into some wort to cool it down to 64 degrees to pitch in. Took about 20 mins to cool and saw no foaming or churning. Is it me or what? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Adam78K
Well-Known Member
Seeing some bubble in the airlock now so a sigh of relief but still a little worried. Ill cheack it in about a week or so and keep you guys updated. Also can you prime your bottles with mapple syrup with preservatives or only true mapple syrup.
dantodd
Well-Known Member
Most preservatives are sulphite based and designed specifically to kill critters like yeast. It is possible that the preservatives will be so diluted that the yeast will be able to carbonate but I would strongly suggest looking for pure maple syrup.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
I wish you luck-
yeah, DON'T use the imitation stuff to prime this beer for bottling. If you do decided to use maple syrup to prime (I can't see doing that since you've used A GALLON in the wort already...but hey, you might want to use this beer on your pancakes
)...go with the real stuff. No preservatives....preservatives are bad when you actually want to have stuff grow and make beer....Also keep in mind that if this beer doesn't ferment out that you won't want to bottle it. Bottle bomb city.
jjp36
Well-Known Member
How does it taste? Also, i would let it sit for a while. That is a huge beer. The gravity still might drop some more.
Can i borrow your delorean sometime?
Can i borrow your delorean sometime?
My vote is for you to pitch again! Last time you were able to drop it by .030
I show your abv @ 6.56% right now.
Even if you can't get it to drop any further, bottle it up and feed it to your friends. Somebody will probably like it.
I show your abv @ 6.56% right now.
Even if you can't get it to drop any further, bottle it up and feed it to your friends. Somebody will probably like it.
Maybe hold onto it, and start a new beer. Once the new beer is done, rack this maple beer onto the yeast cake of the new beer. That might get it going again.
I wouldn't bother repitching. You already have a high alcohol environment, and you'll need a huge yeast starter to even think about fermenting what you've got. I'd either make a ginormous starter, or pitch on a finished cake. Otherwise, you're just wasting yeast.
Yes, I know that's what you meant. You can do that, of course- but I'm almost certain it won't work.
You've got an alcohol environment now, plus some preservatives in there. There's corn syrup, etc. If you just add some yeast, I don't think it'll reproduce well and ferment your beer.
I'd make a different beer. Once that beer is done, you can rack your maple beer right onto the yeast cake left behind from the new beer. That might be the only thing that would get this beer going again.
Adam I think its time to RDWAHAHB, and chalk it up to a learn experience. I do agree with Yooper you will need a big starter to get it going again, and the biggest one would be from another batch of beer.
Adam78K
Well-Known Member
I appreciate all of the help guys. I made a belgium wit beer today and its in the fermentor fermenting so hopefully in a week and a hlaf or so I can rack the mapple beer onto the yeast cake of the wit beer. Ill let you guys know how it goes.
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