Did I ruin my Beer?

[coasterboard]

I finished brewing, cooled my wort, threw in aroma hops, and pitched yeast. A week later, I hadn't seen a single bubble. A friend told me it wouldn't hurt to pitch another packet of yeast. So I did. Was that wrong? If I ruined the batch, I'd rather not wait two weeks to find out- I'd like to get started on a replacement soon. Thanks for any help!

 

[IffyG]

You won't always seem air lock bubbles during fermentation (buckets can be a bit leaky and it doesn't take much space for the CO2 to sneak out without bubbling the airlock).

What you should have done was take a gravity reading to see if the wort fermented or not. If you don't have a hydrometer, get one and learn to love it.

In short, no you probably didn't ruin your beer. The only way you could have as if you re-aerated your beer after it had fermented. I've done that and the results are not good.

 

[mojo_wire]

Adding yeast is worth trying, it may or may not work. Seems the more appropriate question is why you didn't get any activity in the first place.

Did you aerate between adding wort to the fermenter and pitching yeast? Could be the boiled wort didn't have enough oxygen for the yeast to propagate, in which case you might have a problem.

 

[Wberry]

I finished brewing, cooled my wort, threw in aroma hops, and pitched yeast. A week later, I hadn't seen a single bubble. A friend told me it wouldn't hurt to pitch another packet of yeast. So I did. Was that wrong? If I ruined the batch, I'd rather not wait two weeks to find out- I'd like to get started on a replacement soon. Thanks for any help!

Never trust your airlock - you could have active fermentation without a single bubble. Airlock activity has as much to do with a tight lid and the viscosity of the wort(ie. wether or not the produced CO2 can even escape the fluid). Always try to be patient for several days and take a specific gravity reading. Remember that pitching and fermentation temperatures can affect your gravity readings. There are plenty of calculators online that can convert your sg reading for current temperatures. As for pitching a second round - that can have multiple effects ... Can you reply with what type of yeast you pitched, temperatures, style of beer, etc?

 

[coasterboard]

Hey Nashville!

Thanks for the response. I actually did a forum search before I posted- I wasn't trying to get people to reiterate what they've said a million times, but I'm concerned now because I added more yeast before I read the forum and discovered that there was probably nothing wrong with my batch. Now I'm worried that I acted rashly and ruined the beer. So my question is whether or not adding more yeast a week into fermentation can have negative effects

 

[coasterboard]

Wow, thanks for the responses- two more while I typed that last post.

Im only on my third batch of beer, and I'm just using the little packet of "brewers yeast" that I bought for a dollar at the HBS. I'm brewing a black IPA, the temperature was right at 70 when I first added yeast. I've kept the fermenter at a solid 63 for the last week, and that's what it was at last night when I added more yeast.

 

[bigbeergeek]

Adding additional yeast won't hurt the beer. Adding yeast at various steps throughout the fermentation process is common practice. I've added 3 yeasts at three different times to an imperial stout, for example, and the results were great. Get a hydrometer reading to see where you gravity is. Are you rehydrating your dry yeast before pitching? Hmmm???

 

[coasterboard]

I actually just learned about rehydrating yeast today. My other batches have turned out great by just sprinkling the yeast on top. What is the benefit?

Also, when you added 3 yeasts, was that on purpose or because it wasn't fermenting? If it was on purpose, why? What difference does it make in the end product?

Also, now that I've added more yeast a week in, do I need to wait another 2 weeks (or until this yeast is all used up) or should I still bottle it based on when I put the original yeast in (since I know think the yeast was working fine to begin with)?

 

[Wberry]

Hey Coaster,

Couple of things about yeast additions. It is not uncommon to add a small amount of yeast in the middle of fermentation or at bottling time. Before you go crazy and experiment with mid fermentation additions try racking to a secondary for an extended rest period - this will clarify your beer and help the flavors mellow out and become more complex/subtle. In the case of bottling after letting the batch age for a long time in the fermentor/ secondary you will need additional yeast to help you carbonate the beer in the bottle ... those keg guys get the easy way out ... ;-) There are several calculators available to help you determine yeast cell count and bottling sugar(s) additions to ensure proper carbonation for your style.

As far as your current predicament I would personally go by gravity readings. If you do not have a hydrometer - let your batch sit until you can make a run to the LHBS to pick one up. As you get more into the hobby you will want one anyway, so this seems like the perfect excuse to pick one up! Once you have it take a gravity reading (follow the instructions and make sure to calculate/adjust for the temperature differential), follow that up with another gravity reading in several (3) days. If your readings, adjusted for current temperatures has not changed then get back on schedule and bottle. Though the hydrometer seems like a small waste of beer - I use it as an excuse to snag a sample and see how my flavors are developing.

Lastly, it is possible that your yeast never went active or that temperature fluctuations had made your yeast dormant again. In that instance I will usually try moving the fermentor (gently) to a slightly warmer location and spend several days gently rocking the fermentor to kick the yeasts back into suspension. After this the beer will need several days to settle out again before taking another gravity reading!

My path into this hobby was and continues to be approached very scientifically. I go by numbers/weights/volumes/etc. ... at least for now. I hope that as my skill and craft improve, I will be able to hone the artistic skills that will let me think like the beer!

Either way - relax let things develop - have a home brew!

 

[bigbeergeek]

I actually just learned about rehydrating yeast today. My other batches have turned out great by just sprinkling the yeast on top. What is the benefit?

Also, when you added 3 yeasts, was that on purpose or because it wasn't fermenting? If it was on purpose, why? What difference does it make in the end product?

Also, now that I've added more yeast a week in, do I need to wait another 2 weeks (or until this yeast is all used up) or should I still bottle it based on when I put the original yeast in (since I know think the yeast was working fine to begin with)?

The benefit to rehydrating yeast is simple: the freeze dried yeast cells cannot properly regulate the osmotic rush of liquids across their cell walls. It has been measured that sprinkling yeast directly into wort kills about 50% of the cells, which is OK for beginners because it's one less step for them to mess up and thus infect their batch. But if the yeasts are first rehydrated in sterile warm water, they go into the wort plump and happy, and are able to regulate which proteins, nutrients, lipids etc go into and out of their cells. Rehydration can be done while you're chilling your wort, so it doesn't add any time to your brew day, and you'll pitch a load of viable cells about twice as big as without rehydrating. The result: you make better beer!

With my Russian Imperial Stout, I added WLP007 at the start, because I like its ester profile and its attenuation properties for such a high gravity beer. Attenuation stalled about 2/3 of the way through (possibly from a lack of aeration equipment at the time). So I pitched 2 packets of US05, shook up the carboy, and she fermented out just dandy. I picked US05 for its attenuation and neutral profile, as the warm fermentation from the violent primary kicked off some strong esters in my hydrometer readings. I decided to bulk age it for 4 months before bottling to let the intense flavors of molasses, black malts, and espresso beans meld. At bottling I added the third yeast (Nottingham) because I couldn't depend on the yeast still in the beer to carbonate the bottles (after all that time in all that alcohol, odds were the yeasties were dead). I picked Notty because it's the cheapest I could find, and bottling yeast imparts no flavor anyway.

Don't rely on the calendar. Wait a week, take a gravity reading, wait a few more days and take another. If the gravity is stable, bottle that bad boy and wait for the fizz!

 

[aggiejay06]

+1 on the aeration...yeast need oxygen to begin propagation and fermentation. You want to make sure you at least let it splash a lot when you pour it into the fermenter. I've taken that a step further and I shake the crap out of the fermenter (sealed up) right before I pitch my yeast. Since I started shaking my fermentations start between 5-12 hours after fermentation compared to about 24 hours or more before I started shaking/aerating well. Just my experience!

 

[Wberry]

One last thing - I was meaning to post this in the beginners forum; but now seems like a fitting time ... I will admit that I enjoy seeing the airlock bubble; but, after several batches the seals on your fermentor lid may not be as tight as when you first started. To that end, I do this to my buckets to ensure that the lids are air tight!

That is an american blonde ale and a kolsch bubbling away!

 

[coasterboard]

Thanks everyone! I'm no longer worried about my beer, and I've got a lot of great suggestions to try for my next batch. BTW, I tasted the beer when I put the second round of yeast in: amazing- It's so hard to find a good Black IPA in stores, and this one is perfect- Happy Brewing!