Problems with dry yeast?

[TravMan]

I'm brewing a vanilla stout following an extract kit from more beer. The kit came with dry yeast so that's what I used but my fermentation seems to be stuck. My OG was 1.046, perfect, but my FG has been at 1.022 for the past 2 days. I had a similar problem on my last beer which I also used dry yeast but it was an IPA and tasted good so I didn't mind. I've never had this problem with wet yeast so I suspect one packet of dry wasn't enough? Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

[nanofreak]

A few things can cause a stuck fermentation, but starting at 1.046 and using a dry yeast pack I don't think is the reason. Process however could be.

What yeast are you using?
Did you rehydrate the yeast?
What temp is it fermenting at?
What is the temp of the room you are fermenting in?
How did you aerate the wort?

Many times just rocking the fermenter a bit to get the yeast back into suspension will help. Depending on the temp you are fermenting at, raising the temp may help. Sometimes if you ferment too close to the low side of where a yeast is happy, especially if they don't have enough o2 the yeast will give up so raising the temp can help.


The answers to the above questions can help give more insight.

 

[Werbi]

First step, recheck your measurements; how are you measuring? Is/could your measurement be off due to calibration or temperature? If you measured your OG at higher than the calibration temp, did you adjust (I always cool a sample and do all my measurements with the same hydro at the same temp)? If not, your OG will be understated; if the beer is fermenting at a lower than calibration temp then your current gravity reading could be overstated.

I don't know which kit you have, the only vanilla stout I see is a mini-mash with a projected 56pt OG, the other stout kits seem to have 45pts as the very low end of their predicted range.... this leads me to think your OG measurement is probably off. If you know how much extract you used, you can back into the gravity based off of the PPG and volume of wort.

Are you fermenting in the proper range or did the wort get too cold and cause the yeast to go to sleep?

To answer your original question, I am an AG brewer and use dry yeast extensively and have never had a problem, I seriously doubt that the "dry" in the yeast is the source of your problems. If still in doubt that it's not done, dry yeast is cheap, properly rehydrate another package and pitch!

Good luck.

Werbi

 

[badhabit]

Unless you KNOW the history of the yeast in a kit don't use it. It could have been sitting on the shelf for a year and in storage containers two years before that!!!!!!! Some LHBS add the yeast when you purchasae the kit and that is fine but if you want to avoid what you are experinacing now.....

 

[nanofreak]

I wouldn't say that the yeast age due to a kit was the problem in this case. Like many of the better shops morebeer does not include yeast in the kit. They suggest yeasts and let you pick. This includes both dry and wet yeasts (smack or vile). Due to that I would say they grab the yeast as they fulfill the order.

 

[djfriesen]

Also, depending on how you followed the instructions, your fermentation could be complete. If you caramelized enough of your extract, you might have a higher-than-expected level of unfermentable sugars in your wort. Either way, there is no way the dry yeast is having any trouble with that OG.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I'm brewing a vanilla stout following an extract kit from more beer. The kit came with dry yeast so that's what I used but my fermentation seems to be stuck. My OG was 1.046, perfect, but my FG has been at 1.022 for the past 2 days. I had a similar problem on my last beer which I also used dry yeast but it was an IPA and tasted good so I didn't mind. I've never had this problem with wet yeast so I suspect one packet of dry wasn't enough? Has anyone else had a similar problem?

what brand of yeast was it? what was the date on the pkg? fermentis (safale) and danstar (notty, windsor) make good dry yeasts... some of the others like munton's or cooper's, not so much.

 

[TravMan]

Thanks for the replies. This is the kit I'm using Sweet Stout - Extract Beer Kit | MoreBeer. I'm adding vanilla to it. I bought from their physical store which is near me and the yeast was packaged with the other ingredients, it was not added when I bought it. The yeast is Safale S-04 and I don't remember the exact expiration date but it was early 2013 I think. I hydrated it with warm water for about 15 minutes before pitching it and I aerated the wort by siphoning it from my brew kettle and letting it splash into the carboy. There were a lot of bubbles so I think it aerated really well. I'm fermenting it in a water bath that ranges from 66 - 70 degrees (I usually keep it around 66-68 but we've had a heat wave here in so cal). I just tried giving the carboy a little shake. I'll wait another day or two and take another reading.