AllHoppedUp
Well-Known Member
I've made many batches of huckleberry beer before w/o any problems. Sometimes I add to primary, sometimes secondary. Berries have always been previously frozen and thawed just before adding them to the beer.
Yesterday I dumped a half-gallon of previously frozen berries into a bucket and then racked my one-week-old blonde ale on to them. Airlock action had pretty much stopped after the first four or five days in the bucket. Every time I've done it like this before I've seen fermentation activity pick up again - heavily - within a couple hours as the yeast start doing their thing on the new fermentables. This time, however, it's been about 24 hours and there is zero visible airlock action.
The berries were thaw but cool - I've considered that I may have cooled the beer beyond the ideal temp for the yeast but I'd think after 24 hours it would have warmed back up. I had it in the basement at about 66* - brought it upstairs to see if it needed to be warmed a bit. Current temp is about 68* or 68*. Still nothing. I've checked the lid and the airlock and all seals are tight.
The yeast was Nottingham dry. First time I've used that particular variety - not sure if that could be a clue to anyone. Other than that I can't think of anything that I've done any differently than the other times I've made fruit beer.
Am I jumping the gun hear? I'd think there'd be enough active yeast in suspension that the fruit addition would have made serious bubblin' by now. Any ideas? Thanks!
Yesterday I dumped a half-gallon of previously frozen berries into a bucket and then racked my one-week-old blonde ale on to them. Airlock action had pretty much stopped after the first four or five days in the bucket. Every time I've done it like this before I've seen fermentation activity pick up again - heavily - within a couple hours as the yeast start doing their thing on the new fermentables. This time, however, it's been about 24 hours and there is zero visible airlock action.
The berries were thaw but cool - I've considered that I may have cooled the beer beyond the ideal temp for the yeast but I'd think after 24 hours it would have warmed back up. I had it in the basement at about 66* - brought it upstairs to see if it needed to be warmed a bit. Current temp is about 68* or 68*. Still nothing. I've checked the lid and the airlock and all seals are tight.
The yeast was Nottingham dry. First time I've used that particular variety - not sure if that could be a clue to anyone. Other than that I can't think of anything that I've done any differently than the other times I've made fruit beer.
Am I jumping the gun hear? I'd think there'd be enough active yeast in suspension that the fruit addition would have made serious bubblin' by now. Any ideas? Thanks!
