Can/Should I add yeast to secondary fermentation

[Metwerks]

I have a cherry porter brewing which had an OG of 1.095 and I pitched 2 packs of 1318 Wyeast. Very active fermentation for first week but it seemed to stall at 1.05. I transferred to secondary tank and wondering if I should let it sit or pitch more yeast? Temperature was/is 70F

 

[lumpher]

I'd add some yeast energizer and let it sit and see what happens.

 

[Metwerks]

I'd add some yeast energizer and let it sit and see what happens.

Thank you - Is there enough yeast even after siphoning to secondary?

 

[lumpher]

Yes, there should be.

 

[Jeroen79]

There is actually no need for a secondary vessel, but if you still prefer it you should at least wait until the primary fermentation is done, otherwise its totally pointless.

 

[Metwerks]

There is actually no need for a secondary vessel, but if you still prefer it you should at least wait until the primary fermentation is done, otherwise its totally pointless.

I should have checked the SG before transferring, but too late now. 1.095OG Currently at 1.050 (5.91% ABV). Should I let it sit for a week, add energizer or pitch a starter like US-05?

 

[hotbeer]

SG of 1.095 to 1.050 is only 45% apparent attenuation. So that along with only being 5.91%ABV seems to suggest something else is wrong. And that just pitching yeast and adding nutrients won't do anything.

Unless perhaps you pitch a strain of yeast that can ferment the so far unfermented sugars remaining in your beer. But that might mean a yeast that will ferment every sugar and then you'll have a really dry beer. And it might need to be something other than beer yeast.

You might just taste your beer and see if it's something you can tolerate, or if you need to dump it and brew another. Adding stuff and continually pitching yeast just seems like at best your product will still be less than stellar.

I'm in the favor of not moving beer to another vessel. For most types of beer, it can do everything it needs to do in the primary, with or without a thick layer of trub on the bottom. It'll even get just as clean in the primary as it would in any secondary or bright tank.

Perhaps the mash had some issues. Or is this extract?

 

[Metwerks]

Thanks for the feedback. I am wondering if I pitched enough yeast to begin with. This was All-Grain batch mashed at 148F. With 1.095OG, was 2 packs of Wyeast 1318 Liquid enough?

I understand, adding yeast might not help, but will it hurt? The taste is pretty good

 

[hotbeer]

I understand, adding yeast might not help, but will it hurt?

You already put yeast in it. They apparently don't want to consume any of the remaining sugars if there are any. I wouldn't think that adding more of the same will help anything. And you only expose your beer to more possible chances to oxidize or get infection. Only if you are going to add a yeast that will consume all the possible sugar types that are in there do I think you'll see any significant movement of the SG.

I'm not a "big" beer person. So I don't have any real experience with them to even know if there are any particulars to them once the attenuation and alcohol tolerance of the yeast is accounted for.

Wyeast 1318 is 71-75% apparent attenuation and a ABV tolerance about 10%. So it might not have been my choice if you were wanting to get down to 1.010. Even 1.020 might be a stretch as that's over it's apparent attenuation, but a tad below it's ABV tolerance.

As to whether pitching too little might be a reason for your delima. I don't know. For the OG's of 1.070 and less that I usually do, I've not seen underpitching as a bad thing. There have been some other posts though that make me wonder if it is a bad thing for high OG beers such as yours. And I do think you probably underpitched. Does Wyeast have a pitch rate calculator?

I don't think that adding more after the fact will make good, a batch that was underpitched. So maybe just say it is what it is and hope for better next time.

 

[lumpher]

2 packs of liquid yeast is not enough for a 1.095 beer. For that big of a beer, most people do a very large starter. If you don't do a starter, you'd need 4 packs of liquid, and that would get $$$$$$ quick. If you have some s-04 or something like that, I'd pitch 1 and see if it drops it, if you don't want to use energizer. Yeast does stall without attenuating all of the sugar out it can, though.

 

[tracer bullet]

Well, you'll get a lot of ideas and suggestions, here's another -

Throw a pack or two of S-05 dry yeast in it, and see what happens. It's not the world's fastest to get going, but in a few days you'll see some activity if there's any to be had.

edit - agree with lumpher, we might have been typing about the same time. S-04 or S-05, 1 or 2 packs, similar thought process.

 

[IslandLizard]

With 1.095OG, was 2 packs of Wyeast 1318 Liquid enough?

That's indeed a valid question.

1. I presume you did not make a starter with that yeast?
Making a yeast starter a week (or 2) beforehand) is not only recommended, it's almost rule, especially when pitching into high gravity wort.
Ideally you would need 322 billion vital cells for that 5 gallon 1.095 batch.
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
2 packs that are 3 months old do not have nearly enough vital cells for an optimal fermentation of such caliber.
Typical LHBS liquid yeast age is 3 months old (average), but could be even older, and seldomly younger.
Even if the 2 packs were picked up at WYeast earlier that day, there wouldn't have been enough cells (~200 billion), although, they would have been super, super fresh, and may have had a chance to prove that.

2. Did you aerate or better, oxygenate your wort when pitching the yeast?
That's very important, especially with higher gravity batches.
With high gravity batches, such as yours, a 2nd aeration/oxygenation, 12-18 hours after pitching, but before active fermentation has started, is encouraged.

Very active fermentation for first week but it seemed to stall at 1.05.

How are you measuring the gravity right now?
Hydrometer or refractometer?

 

[Metwerks]

2 packs of liquid yeast is not enough for a 1.095 beer. For that big of a beer, most people do a very large starter. If you don't do a starter, you'd need 4 packs of liquid, and that would get $$$$$$ quick. If you have some s-04 or something like that, I'd pitch 1 and see if it drops it, if you don't want to use energizer. Yeast does stall without attenuating all of the sugar out it can, though.

Thank you - so much to learn