Ferment question

[Trufflepig]

Just brewed a 1.096 imperial IPA this past weekend. All went well - nailed the OG, and double pitched the yeast. WL California and Safale 04 (which according to my research is supposed to be the same yeast strain). The Safale I created a 2000 ml starter 3 days before, and the WL I used right out of the vial after letting it sit out for about 6 hours to get to temp.

After 5 hours, the ale started with the krausen and perked. Next 2 days was like a machine gun - very rapid, krausen bubbled like it was boiling. Today - there's almost nothing, so in 3 days the majority of action has almost ceased. The krausen is quickly disipating on the top and the sediment is growing on the bottom. I swirled it without shaking this morning, but as of 5 PM, we're right back and no action at all... just a burp every 40-60 seconds.

I'm fermenting in a 61/2 gal glass carboy, and there's about 5 gallons of beer in it. Is this thing stuck? Even after the swirl it didn't seem to do much. Should I just take the gravity and if it's still high, repitch?

This is about my 10th brew, and I've always had good luck with my yeast utilization. This one's stumping me - maybe because of the high gravity. Any insight and experience on the higher grav ales would be welcomed! I'm trying to sit back, relax and have a homebrew, but this is bugging me to no end.

 

[BigKahuna]

Even after the swirl it didn't seem to do much. Should I just take the gravity and if it's still high, repitch?

Unless Your "SEEM DETECTOR" has a built in Hydrometer...it "Seems" like you might need to take a sample.

But I would not even consider cracking the seal on that fermentor for another 10 days....Remember....Don't be a Beer Pedophile.:cross:

 

[mnadamn]

Are you using a blow off?? It generally takes far more pressure to push air out of a blowoff then it does a 3 piece airlock, and FAR more then it does an S style airlock. If you are using a Blow off, the diameter of the hose has a very large effect on the pressure required to push as well. The wider it is the longer it takes to build pressure.

 

[Jaybird]

Hydro!!!!!

 

[Brew-boy]

Let it rest for awhile before you doing anything.

 

[Tripod]

Geetings,

I'm nowhere near as experienced as these guys, but I can tell you that homebrewing is an exercise in patience. I don't think I would even crack the seal until it has been 7-10 days in primary.

Good Luck!

-Tripod

 

[carl spakler]

Did you specifically tell the yeast what the expected timetable was for fermentation? Did they agree to that agenda? Most yeast I've used aren't good listeners and never read the instructions on the package.

Let the yeast do their thing before you panic.

 

[Joe Camel]

There was a poster in the lab that I worked at that read:

Despite setting up the fermenter with the ideal growing conditions, food, temperature, oxygen and agitation, the yeast will still do whatever the f**k they want. Patience.

 

[mnadamn]

There was a poster in the lab that I worked at that read:

Despite setting up the fermenter with the ideal growing conditions, food, temperature, oxygen and agitation, the yeast will still do whatever the f**k they want. Patience.

pics???
I would like to see this....

 

[eddie]

I want that poster!!!

 

[Ecnerwal]

Just brewed a 1.096 imperial IPA this past weekend. All went well - nailed the OG, and double pitched the yeast. WL California and Safale 04 (which according to my research is supposed to be the same yeast strain). The Safale I created a 2000 ml starter 3 days before, and the WL I used right out of the vial after letting it sit out for about 6 hours to get to temp.

After 5 hours, the ale started with the krausen and perked. Next 2 days was like a machine gun - very rapid, krausen bubbled like it was boiling. Today - there's almost nothing, so in 3 days the majority of action has almost ceased.

Big whoop. You pitched a decent starter, it did it's job, and now you complain about it ... ?

99% of "stuck fermentations" ... aren't. 100% of people who think theirs is stuck think they are the 1% that are really stuck. 99% of them are wrong.

I pitched a 1.044 wort that took a few days to cease visible activity. Then I pitched a 1.058 that was done (visually) in 24 hours flat. Firstly, you don't have "no activity" you have slow activity. Secondly, happy yeast can work fast. Regardless, don't frig with the fermenter for 7 days after pitching, at least. For a "big one" make that 14 days. Check the vodka or whatever in the airlock and otherwise let the yeast do their job.

Put the turkey baster away, hide the hydrometer, read a book, rent a movie, clean your room, clean your kitchen, clean your whole house, clean a bunch of bottles, find a girlfriend (preferably one that actually likes beer), pay attention to your girlfriend if you already have one, do something productive with your time that does not involve disturbing your fermenter.

 

[Trufflepig]

Thought I'd follow up with this post and say that unfortunately the Imperial IPA died. The stuck fermentation never passed 1.040 - tried to restart it with some swirling, yeast energizer, warming it up... but alas ... the dicetyl was simply too great to save it. Literally, it was like drinking hoppy butterscotch trub. I kept 2 bottles and poured the rest down the drain.

I feel ill just typing that.

However, not being a quitter, I just modified the recipe a bit, and just ordered the ingredients for a brew session on Christmas Eve. That's right - I'm brewing Christmas Eve and it'll come out sometime. I'm going to double pitch Saf-04 and Nottingham. The Nottingham I'm going to put into a 1 gallon starter 2 days before brew day.

 

[Homercidal]

That sucks, but isn't there a method that you can use to fix diacetyl? I think I read that you can pitch new yeast and warm it up a bit and the right yeast can modify the diacetyl and get rid of the flavor. Might have read that on Wikipedia.