Bad Yeast?

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Haywires

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Hello there. Was wondering if has happened to anyone? I brewed an IPA for the first time. I pitched the yeast about five days ago. I checked the beer Thursday morning and it looked like there was very little, if non at all, ferment activity.

Being as this may be a lost batch, could I pitch more yeast and salvage this beer? If not, any suggestions?
 
I should add, I checked the beer again tonight after work and it still shows no sign of ferment activity.
 
Have you checked the gravity? I've had some beers finish fermentation very quickly. Most of my beers are finished by 5 days (well, done with active fermentation, usually ready for packaging 7-10 days, but new brewers without good control of their process may need longer for the beer to condition after active fermentation, but point is it may well be with active fermentation already, take a hydrometer reading).
 
Good point, I haven't checked the gravity yet. Ill check in the morning and keep my fingers crossed.

I do have it in a controlled temperature that runs a couple degrees cooler than the recommended temperature range for the yeast.
 
The yeast is California IPA. 13 lbs of German grain and mostly citrate hops.
 
What kind of fermentation activity are you looking for? Bubbling in the airlock might be absent if there is a tiny leak in the gasket on your bucket lid (if you are using a bucket). You should see krausen inside the bucket or carboy, or the residue of krause along the sides if it has already died down.

Also, I'm not familiar with California IPA yeast - do you mean White Labs 001 California Ale or is this a different yeast?
 
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