Fermentation never started - can/should I buy new yeast and pitch again?

[roostra]

Okay, so by some standards I’m not a beginner (brewed a decent number of batches from 2009-2010.). But by the most relevant standards (I’ve had two kids and haven’t brewed in a decade and my memory sucks), I am very much a beginner again.

I brewed two batches over the long weekend and one of them didn’t seem to start fermenting. That had never happened to me in the past and I know all the advice is just let it be, it is probably going okay, particularly since it is in a plastic pail and often the CO2 sneaks out not through the airlock. Well, I had a bad feeling so I checked after 72 hours. And there seems to be no fermentation at all.

My question is whether it is worth buying new yeast and pitching again or if it is likely ruined and I should just brew a new batch? I have some concerns about the yeast (I left it out for several hours after purchase and didn’t make a starter. And back in my day, I think yeast came in hard plastic tubes, not soft plastic packages, so this future frightensme).

Anyways, what do y’all think? (And it is nice to be brewing again - hope everyone is well).

roostra

 

[AJinJacksonville]

Welcome back roostra. Lots of variables that you didn't provide that could help with a diagnosis.

1) Did you use the same type of yeast/ingredients for both?
2) What type of yeast did you use?
3) Did you hit your numbers on both batches?
4) Did you ensure everything was converted?

Dependent on a lot of those answers (and more I'm sure others will add), it may help identify the cause. If it was a lack of a seal on the fermenter, keep it sealed as best you can and check the numbers in a week or so. Are you controlling the temperature of the thermometer, what temp did you pitch at (see?...came up with more pertinent questions...haha). I would definitely not toss the batch at this point, especially if you hit your target numbers and there's no indication based on what you said that anything was infected/ruined. Just my two cents.

 

[Calder]

If there is no evidence of a ring around the top of the fermenter, then it probably didn't go. The only way to be sure is to take a gravity reading. I had a beer once that I was convinced didn't go, I even complained to the yeast manufacturer to find out if there was a bad batch ..... I took a gravity reading and it was finished.

Provided you were careful with sanitation, the wort should be OK, and you can pitch some more yeast.

I assume your other beer is going fine and starting to slow down. You could move that beer off it's yeast and move the stalled one onto the cake.

Another way would be to figure out how to sanitarily take some yeast from the good batch and add it to the stalled one.

Or a third option is to take a gallon from each beer and add it to the other, transferring active yeast to the stalled beer.

 

[roostra]

Thanks for the quick reply and feedback (This is in response to AJinJacksonville)

I brewed two different beers. The first did well, the second, not so much.

1. Used two different yeasts. Dry Nottingham with a starter which worked great on batch one. Liquid English Ale yeast for the bad batch in a rectangular plastic container. (I think White Labs).
2. See above
3. I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t take any gravity numbers. I had sort of forgotten about that.
4. It was a partial mash brew and I didn’t do an iodine test. Both beers had five pounds of LME so there should have been ample sugars


The second beer was a Mac and Jacks Amber clone. Not high gravity. I’m in California and it probably got up to 72-73 inside over the past few days.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I would recommend using a starter whenever using a liquid yeast...I've pitched plenty on low gravity brews and never had issues...but it greatly increases the yeast's efficiency and speed in getting started. In regards to taking gravity numbers...I'll be the first to admit that either through 1) laziness or 2) comfort in my processes, I typically do not take gravity #'s. However, it does work against you when you run into stalled fermentation, reluctant fermentation, etc. and you wish you would have taken the starting gravity #. Ironically, I just pitched a dry Nottingham into a session IPA about a half hour ago...haha.

 

[RM-MN]

First step is to take a gravity reading with a hydrometer to see if fermentation has occurred. If the hydrometer is over about 1.040, there was no fermentation and you pitch new yeast or salvage some from the other batch. If the reading is 1.020 or below, you had a very quiet fermentation and can just let if complete. Without the hydrometer reading you are just shooting in the dark.

 

[roostra]

Okay, I got a hydrometer and the gravity reading is exactly 1.02. (The recipe says the final gravity should end up at 1.014). I guess I was wrong and some fermentation did occur!

Lesson learned about taking gravity readings. Thanks for your help folks. This is a cool community