So I brewed a rather simple IPA this weekend. I have watched it daily and it seemed to take a couple days to get going on the fermentation and then is seemed very inactive. Built what looked like a decent Krauzen after a couple days in the ferm chamber and then it petered out. I'm hoping some of the more experienced brewers might offer opinion on what happened and if there is anything I can do to make sure it completed attenuation... I know I probably need to take a reading but it's only been fermenting for about 5 days.
Here is the recipe and detail:
Grain:
10lb 2-row
1 lb Briess Caramel 40
.5 lb Caramel/Crystal 15L
Hops:
.75oz Centennial @ 60
.75oz Centennial @ 20
1oz Centennial @ 10
.5oz Cascade @ 0
2oz Cascade Dry Hop 7-10 days before cold crash
Whirlfloc Tabs @ 5 min - I used 5g Irish Moss at 10 min
Yeast - It asked for Wyeast 1056 - I pitched two purepitch packs of WLP001 Calif Ale Yeast. This may be the problem. I (for the first time) did not make a starter. I always make a starter but we have been super busy on the weekends and it's been cutting into my brewing time. I had this batch for a few weeks and decided to brew late on a Sunday afternoon so no time to make the starter. I thought that would be fine, the Purepitch packs said best if used by 6-21 and it was 6-11 so, good to go. I pulled them out of the fridge and let them warm to room temp slowly. Once I cooled the wort down to about 64 deg F, I pitched both packs of WLP001 into the carboy. I had the ferm chamber ready to go at 67 deg F and popped her right in there. I normally run a blow-off tube into a small bottle of star-san, but this time I went with the rubber stopper with the thermo-well for the ferm chamber temp control probe and a normal air lock. A couple days in, no bubbling in the air lock and not much foam building in the carboy. By Wednesday, I had a decent head of krausen but still not many bubbles in the airlock when I checked....I expected to see the little plastic piece in there dancing on a constant stream of bubbles. So I check it again first thing on Thursday and the Krausen seems to have reduced and not much action at all...Today (Friday) there isn't much left in the way of bubbles/foam on top of the beer. I feel like it wasn't a very active fermentation and I'm not sure what to do. Do I make a starter and pitch again?
I took a gravity reading before I pitched the yeast and it was at about 1.040 (maybe 1.042).... I thought that was a good and meant a lot of sugars for the yeast to eat...Then the inactive fermentation
so what would the more experienced brewers do? Do I need to take a reading and see of all of the sugars have been converted? Should I try just pitching again.
I would appreciate any help. Also, if I have excluded any important details, let me know and I will share what I did or used.
Thanks
Here is the recipe and detail:
Grain:
10lb 2-row
1 lb Briess Caramel 40
.5 lb Caramel/Crystal 15L
Hops:
.75oz Centennial @ 60
.75oz Centennial @ 20
1oz Centennial @ 10
.5oz Cascade @ 0
2oz Cascade Dry Hop 7-10 days before cold crash
Whirlfloc Tabs @ 5 min - I used 5g Irish Moss at 10 min
Yeast - It asked for Wyeast 1056 - I pitched two purepitch packs of WLP001 Calif Ale Yeast. This may be the problem. I (for the first time) did not make a starter. I always make a starter but we have been super busy on the weekends and it's been cutting into my brewing time. I had this batch for a few weeks and decided to brew late on a Sunday afternoon so no time to make the starter. I thought that would be fine, the Purepitch packs said best if used by 6-21 and it was 6-11 so, good to go. I pulled them out of the fridge and let them warm to room temp slowly. Once I cooled the wort down to about 64 deg F, I pitched both packs of WLP001 into the carboy. I had the ferm chamber ready to go at 67 deg F and popped her right in there. I normally run a blow-off tube into a small bottle of star-san, but this time I went with the rubber stopper with the thermo-well for the ferm chamber temp control probe and a normal air lock. A couple days in, no bubbling in the air lock and not much foam building in the carboy. By Wednesday, I had a decent head of krausen but still not many bubbles in the airlock when I checked....I expected to see the little plastic piece in there dancing on a constant stream of bubbles. So I check it again first thing on Thursday and the Krausen seems to have reduced and not much action at all...Today (Friday) there isn't much left in the way of bubbles/foam on top of the beer. I feel like it wasn't a very active fermentation and I'm not sure what to do. Do I make a starter and pitch again?
I took a gravity reading before I pitched the yeast and it was at about 1.040 (maybe 1.042).... I thought that was a good and meant a lot of sugars for the yeast to eat...Then the inactive fermentation
so what would the more experienced brewers do? Do I need to take a reading and see of all of the sugars have been converted? Should I try just pitching again.
I would appreciate any help. Also, if I have excluded any important details, let me know and I will share what I did or used.
Thanks