panic button.

I brewed 10 gallons of stout today. I racked the wort to two buckets and brought them inside. I pitched in one bucket and set it aside...call it age, call it stupidity, absentmindedness or whatever. Somehow when I opened the bucket I saw what looked like yeast floating. Stopped for a second and thought to myself "is this the right bucket?". Then for some reason pitched and then thought "wait a second"....opened up the other bucket and realized I pitched two packets in one. The lhbs is closed. im leaving the fermenter out in the cold over night to try and preserve it. Ill pitch more yeast tomorrow. Should I be hitting the panic button?

you'll be fine. I've done some no chill batches and pitched up to 18hours later.

No need to panic just get some yeast and pitch it ASAP. I've pitched the next day several times without any problems.

...and the other half of the batch? Should I worry about over pitching? It was two packets of Safale 04 dry.

You coud sanitize a mug and scoop up some of the yeasty wort from one and add it to the other.

You could pour both buckets back into your boil kettle, give it a good stir and then split them up again. Hassle? Yes, but it is probably what I would wind up doing...

jiggs_casey said:

You could pour both buckets back into your boil kettle, give it a good stir and then split them up again. Hassle? Yes, but it is probably what I would wind up doing...

Click to expand...

This.

I don't think you'll have to worry about overpitching. Stouts have a pretty high OG and need lots of yeast cells to convert all that sweet wort. If you are using smack packs you might be better of with two packs anyway IMHO.

Here's what I did if anyone is interested:

17 lbs US two-row
2 lbs US black patent
1.5 lbs chocolate

Mashed at 155 for an hour (last time direct fired for 5 minutes to bring back up to 155 from 150 at 30 minutes...this time I decocted about a gallon and a half for 10 minutes to bring the temp back up)

Boiled 1 hour

hop additions:
2 oz Northern Brewer at 60 minutes
2 oz Northern Brewer at 30 minutes
2 oz Tettnanger at 5 minutes

maltodextrine:
1 lb at 60 minutes

Crushed Cocoa beans:
2 oz at 30 minutes
2 oz at 15 minutes
2 oz in a jameson extract (2 cups) two days before bottle in secondary

Vanilla Beans (4)
in same jameson extract as cocoa beans

Fermentation:
Safale 04, 2 packets
65-70 degrees for about 1 week
transfer to a secondary and set for 2 weeks at 55 in the basement.

Let me tell you this beer has by far been my favorite beer I've ever had...and I don't like stouts as much as I like pale ales. Which is why I'm so upset I !@#$ed this up. Throughout the last batch, it tastes like a nice guinness extra stout. But it starts off with the cocoa and maybe a little nutty. Then it finishes with just a touch of the vanilla and whiskey. I need to get a better system so I can have a little more control over this. I'd like to make it consistent...I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be the same each time. Thanks for the suggestions guys. Since I'm a lazy bastard and it sounds like it's not going to have that big an effect on half of the batch, I'm going to pitch this one tomorrow, then mix the two in a large secondary to hopefully smooth out some of the fruity flavors I might get from overpitching. I think I might scrape the krausen too. I specifically put it in buckets so I could. Hey, it's supposed to make heffs a little more smooth, why can't it work for a stout too?

Rogue14 said:

I don't think you'll have to worry about overpitching. Stouts have a pretty high OG and need lots of yeast cells to convert all that sweet wort. If you are using smack packs you might be better of with two packs anyway IMHO.

Click to expand...

No smack packs. Safale 04 dry

I wouldn't worry about over pitching the other either. you'll be fine.

Is re-aeration necessary after letting a wort sit for so long? I once let a wort cool 12 hrs because I didn't want to pitch it as warm as it was, and it turned out not so good. I did everything else right but I didn't aerate before I pitched, and I've always suspected that was the problem.

Not sure. Just in case, ill give the bucket a good shake after I pitch.

I use no-chill. This basically means I leave my wort in a sealed pasteurized container for 24 hours or more. My record is 9 months.

The one time I didn't aerate before pitching I ended up with *terrible* acetaldehyde

I typically pitch 2 packets of S-04 or US-05 per 6gal batch when I use dry yeast anyways. No worries about overpitching. As for the unpitched wort, if you were sanitary then I wouldn't worry about that either. Just keep it cool and pitch when you get the yeast. Cheers!

I pitch 24 hours after every time for Lagers. As long as its kept at the proper pitching temp I think you'll be okay.

I have begun to pitch 2 packets of Saf 04 to get a quick clean ferment in 5 gal batches of stout. I woulent fret.

I would wait till the first krausens and then take some of that wonderful krausen off and add it to the second. A good dose of krausen from an actively fermenting beer is even better than using a starter IMO

DannPM said:

I would wait till the first krausens and then take some of that wonderful krausen off and add it to the second. A good dose of krausen from an actively fermenting beer is even better than using a starter IMO

Click to expand...

Wow. Cant believe I didnt think of this. What a waste of gas and money coming home to buy and pitch. I could have just innocilated one with the other....and I was skimming the krausen anyway. Next time.