I think I killed my yeast!

[kellsean]

So last night, I brewed some nut brown ale. I had to leave my apartment, but the wort was still at about 90 degrees. My smack-pack was expanding, so I know I had live yeast.

I pitched it anyway.

Now, ~25 hours later, I'm seeing no bubbling whatsoever, while my apfelwein chugs away happily next door.

So, A) did I kill my yeast? B) What are my options now? If I pitch new yeast ~48 hours later will it have any effect on taste or overall outcome of the beer?

Help!

 

[Fingers]

90 is a little high, but not so high as to kill all of your yeast. It sounds like you pitched directly from the smack pack without making a starter. If that's the case that is probably why your start is slow. I'd give it another 24 hours and see what happens. In the future, make a starter out of your yeast and you'll have faster and better results.

 

[Scimmia]

See the sticky at the top that says fermentation can take 24-72 hours to start?

Wait it out, especially if you just pitched a smack pack without a starter.

 

[kellsean]

I know I still haven't quite crossed the 48-72 hour threshold--it's been about 60 hours--but I'm still afraid I may have dead yeast, and want to know what to do if I do, in fact, have a bucket full of wort and dead yeast.

Will my beer be salvagable? What is the risk in pitching new yeast after it has been in the primary for 72 hours? This is a nut brown ale. I have some saflager s-23 at home that I could pitch if needed. Is this advisable?

 

[EvilTOJ]

saflager is a lager yeast. Although it will work, it may add colorful flavors you're not expecting since it wants to ferment at cooler temperatures.

YES your beer is salvagable, yes, you can pitch more yeast on it just fine. Give the fermenter a few good swirls to get the yeast back into suspension and get back to waiting

 

[kellsean]

Thanks for the reassurance. If it's dead I *might* use the saflager. I read that it adds some fruity flavors but they can be masked by strong maltiness. Then again I could stop being lazy and pick up some yeast during my lunch break...

 

[Evan!]

In the future, I'd advise keeping a half dozen sachets of Safeale US-05 in inventory. When in doubt, unless it's a belgian or a hefe or a lager, the US-05 does a great job.

 

[BierMuncher]

The yeast hydration directions I’ve read (when hydrating dried yeast) say to boil water and then once the temp of the water falls below 100 degrees, toss in the yeast, cover and let bloom.

I’d say that 90 degrees shouldn’t have done any harm. Liquid yeasts (smack packs included) are notorious for lag times. That is why people generally will do a starter 3-4 days ahead of time to “wake up” the yeast.

 

[Buchsenr]

If you pitch it, the krausen will come.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

Murderer! Someone call the cops!!

That's Zymocide!






Okay, breathe.

Those yeast can be real fussy eh? Too warm, too cold, too much food, not enough, not enough air.

Geez picky, picky, picky!

Buy some dry yeast (other than the lager) US-05 is good, s-04 would probably be best for your brown ale if it is an english brown. By the time you get home with the yeast... It will probably be showing signs of life!

It ain't the end of the world but we have all been there. Next time make a starter and have some dry yeast on hand just in case.

 

[feedthebear]

I've pitched at 100F and been fine.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

Yeah, I believe most yeasts will survive up until about 120° F before they all die off.

slightly Least it is that way with baking yeasts which are another strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is the frenzied "last gasp" of the yeast that gives bread a final rise (spring) in the oven as the temp is rising. Once the internal temp hits 120° F... sayanora. That is why most directions for "proofing" yeast call for 89°-95° F or so water to wake them up and rehydrate (dry yeasts that is)

 

[kellsean]

I picked up some white labs English ale today, just in case. Popped open my bucket, dipped a sanitized ladle in there and had a taste--alcohol!!

So I'm holding on to the new yeast for a rainy day, but I think it must be that my bucket lid wasn't tight enough--it's a paint bucket top I bought from a hardware store and drilled a hole in (couldn't find my brewing lid). I stacked some weights on top of it, and sure enough, we're bubbling now!

Thanks for your help, everyone.

ps- It tastes AMAZING. More like Newcastle than a Samuel Smith.