Gravity problem

[Gagunga]

Hi Guys,

Well, I was about to bottle my Belgian Wheat kit from Midwest tonight but after checking the gravity, I see it is at 1.019. OG was 1.034. The low start gravity I attribute from taking a sample just after pouring top off water into the fermentor and did not stir.

It has been in the carboy since the 8th so it has me a little worried.

Fermented with Safale T-58. Woke em up about 5 minutes before pitching. Pitched in 75 degree wort. I added 3 oz of fresh orange zest (no pith) at 5 min from navels.

It had an amazing start. Fermented hard for about 3 days then dropped off. I havent seen any bubbles come up the airlock but there are bubbly suds sitting ontop of the airlock water (starsan liquid).

The beer has no infection. Tasted wonderful actually. What could have happened? Is this T-58 yeast a burn hard/die fast type of yeast? Should I re-pitch it? Do the suds in the airlock mean the yeast is still alive and slowly working but at a state worker pace? (no offense to you beer-brewing state workers out there) Thanks for your help guys.

1st picture shows the blast off during the first couple days of fermenting.

2nd - 4th pictures show it's current state.

Last picture shows my partner in crime doing absolutely nothing to help the current situation.

 

[tgolanos]

Hi Guys,

Well, I was about to bottle my Belgian Wheat kit from Midwest tonight but after checking the gravity, I see it is at 1.019. OG was 1.034. The low start gravity I attribute from taking a sample just after pouring top off water into the fermentor and did not stir.

Is this kit an extract kit? If so, you've most likely assumed correctly. Also, how are you measuring gravity, with a hydrometer or refractometer?

It has been in the carboy since the 8th so it has me a little worried.

3 or 4 weeks for primary fermentation is completely normal. Most of my beers sit for 4, usually because I get busy and don't have time to do anything with them before 4 weeks.

...What could have happened? Is this T-58 yeast a burn hard/die fast type of yeast? Should I re-pitch it? Do the suds in the airlock mean the yeast is still alive and slowly working but at a state worker pace? (no offense to you beer-brewing state workers out there) Thanks for your help guys.

Sound like the yeast just isn't finished yet. What temperature is the beer sitting at now? You can try raising the temp a bit and giving your fermenter a light jostle to wake the yeast up. Take another gravity reading in 2 or 3 days. If it's lower than 1.019, let the yeast keep working.

 

[Gagunga]

Yep it's an extract kit. I use a hydrometer. The temperature is approx 69 degrees right now. Fluctuates between 68 and 70. Thanks for the fast reply

 

[RM-MN]

For an extract kit you want to use the predicted OG listed on the kit. It is very difficult to get real good mixing when you top off the wort and that gets you a bad reading. Sometimes extract kits stall out at about 1.020 while others finish lower. If your hydrometer reading hasn't changed in 3 days it is probably done and ready to bottle.

 

[Gagunga]

For an extract kit you want to use the predicted OG listed on the kit. It is very difficult to get real good mixing when you top off the wort and that gets you a bad reading. Sometimes extract kits stall out at about 1.020 while others finish lower. If your hydrometer reading hasn't changed in 3 days it is probably done and ready to bottle.

I would just hate to bottle at 1.019 if theres a chance i can drop it down to 1.010/12. Would repitching be a bad idea?

 

[RM-MN]

I would just hate to bottle at 1.019 if theres a chance i can drop it down to 1.010/12. Would repitching be a bad idea?

If you aerated the wort before you initially pitched the yeast you have so much more yeast in there now than you would likely repitch as the yeast you used would have grown more cells, lots more. It won't hurt anything but your wallet to pitch more yeast but it probably won't help either.

 

[kh54s10]

You could rouse the yeast cake a little by gently tilting the carboy to swirl it up and giving it a few more days, but I suspect that it is done.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

What was the theoretical OG, and what yeast was provided with your kit?

 

[ncbrewer]

Fermented with Safale T-58. Woke em up about 5 minutes before pitching. Pitched in 75 degree wort. [/I]

What was your procedure for waking them up?

 

[Gagunga]

I didn't aerate much. I basically poured my fill up water in very slow from 6 ft high so it splashed around. Then I took the spoon and aggressively jostled the wort for 5 min or so. I don't have one of those pumps or oxy tanks unfortunately.

The theoretical OG was between 1.048 and 1.052. There wasn't any yeast provided with the kit so I used safale T-58. Was this a bad choice for belgians?

My procedure for waking them up was putting a big spoonful of unrefined sugar in about 2 cups of Luke warm water. Used a wisk to dissolve the sugar. Then sprinkled the yeast on top of it.

 

[IslandLizard]

Many Wheat beer yeasts are abundant krausen formers (serious top fermenters). It looks like you may have blown off most of that krausen early on, which is where the most viable yeast lives.

Rousing carefully and placing the fermentor in a warmer area may resuscitate the yeast. Give her another week and see if she resumes.

If that fails, you could pitch another (properly rehydrated) package of yeast.

Or, better yet, make an active starter batch. Prepare 2 quarts of 1.040 wort, pour into a gallon jug, pitch the rehydrated new yeast, cap and shake well for a minute or so until very foamy. Release the cap somewhat, or better, remove cap and cover the opening and neck with some aluminum foil. Let her ferment that for 12-24 hour (or longer, or shorter) until a thick heavy krausen forms. You may shake or swirl that jug every few hours if you can/want to speed up that process. Then siphon out 2 quarts from your carboy fermentor, to make some space, swirl your gallon jug and pitch the whole 2 qt. starter.

Aside from all the suggestions already given, I see a few things you can improve upon:

Use a larger fermentor, or fill smaller ones with less wort. Leave 20% headroom by volume; for some (wheat/saison) yeasts, 30% headspace is recommended. 5 gallon fermentors are too small for 5 gallon batches. 5 gallon carboys are typically used for secondaries, which aren't really necessary anyway. A suitable size "primary" is all one needs.

Use a 6.5 gallon brew bucket perhaps, instead? They're a lot safer than glass too (no breakage), come with a built-in handle, and are easy to clean.

Don't place a blow off jug at a higher level than the fermentor. Heavy suck back (and siphoning) may occur.

Look up the rehydration instructions from the yeast manufacturer and follow those to a T. Your current rehydration method is not standard.

Aerate well right before pitching.

Don't forget to use good sanitation practices when handling cooled wort and beer.

Hope this helps.

 

[ncbrewer]

Or, better yet, make an active starter batch.

I realize there is some disagreement on this point, and I'm not a yeast expert. I'll just point out that the Yeast book advises against making a starter for dry yeast. Other than that I agree with all the suggestions in that post.

 

[doug293cz]

I realize there is some disagreement on this point, and I'm not a yeast expert. I'll just point out that the Yeast book advises against making a starter for dry yeast. Other than that I agree with all the suggestions in that post.

Just curious: I don't have the yeast book, but did it give any rationale as to why starters are a bad idea for dry yeast (as opposed to just usually being unnecessary)? I can't think of any reason why it should be a problem.

Brew on

 

[ncbrewer]

Just curious: I don't have the yeast book, but did it give any rationale as to why starters are a bad idea for dry yeast (as opposed to just usually being unnecessary)? I can't think of any reason why it should be a problem.

Brew on

They state "Dry yeast is inexpensive, and it is usually cheaper, easier, and safer to buy more dry yeast than to make a large starter. Many experts suggest that placing dry yeast in a starter just depletes the cell reserves that the yeast manufacturer tries to build into their product."

I understand there is some disagreement, and I don't really have an firm opinion. Just wanted to point out the possible downside. Being a minimalist, I don't make starters for dry yeast. But since the same book states that half of the cells are killed if not rehydrated, I do go that far.

 

[GrimBrewer]

You only have to do a starter if u not going to have enought yeast. So you could pitch liquid yeast straight wthout a starter if u want to pay for extra yeast.

Dry yeast is a lot cheaper. Creating a starter takes time, extra cost and risk. No worth when considering dry yeast price.

 

[IslandLizard]

I realize there is some disagreement on this point, and I'm not a yeast expert. I'll just point out that the Yeast book advises against making a starter for dry yeast. Other than that I agree with all the suggestions in that post.

Yeah, the reasoning for that is that the cell count from a properly rehydrated dry pack is very high already while the sterol reserves are optimal. Making a starter doesn't give much growth as the cell density would be very high already in a typical starter volume (~2 liters).

The only reason I suggested to make a starter is to build a vitality starter, getting the cells as active as possible (krausen) to resuscitate the possibly stalled batch, which is a hostile environment for yeast as it contains alcohol, lacks simple sugars and oxygen, and is loaded with higher sugars and dextrins.

Simply pitching a rehydrated yeast slurry in a stalled beer may not do it.

 

[mattdee1]

IMO, at that volume and OG, there is no way you're looking at an inadequate yeast count or inadequate worth aeration situation.

Let it ride at 70-75F until the 3 week mark and package it.

 

[Gagunga]

Thanks a lot guys for the interesting discussion and invaluable help. I took some of your guys' advice and gave the carboy a gentle swirling the night I made this post. Today, 3 days later, I just took a reading. First read it was 1.016, I swirled the hydrometer again, and got 1.017. Either way, looks like it's dropping!....ever.......................so...............................slowly.


I guess I got disillusioned by my first brew, which was an American Light extract kit, brewed on 9/6. The yeast BURNED through this brew in 5 days...bottled in 10 days. Will be perfectly carbonated by the 29th. This Belgian wheat I brewed 2 days after the AL and it's still slowly chugging along.

I guess what I gather is, every yeast and every environment is different. I need to learn to be more patient. It's so tough though when this whitbier tastes DELICIOUS A-F!!

 

[IslandLizard]

If you have one of those long plastic brewing spoons, the flat back end of it will go inside a carboy neck. Use it as a small paddle to gently stir the yeast back into the beer. Try to prevent beating air into it, and avoid vortexes.