Is my fermentation going to fail?

[Mangix]

Hi all, just prepped my first brew a couple of days ago. However, I notice that while there is airlock activity, there is no krausen. I know this may be a fairly common issue, but the added complication is that I foolishly pitched my yeast when the wort was about 38-40 degrees C instead of waiting for it to fully cool.

There is some bubbling, but not a lot. On the first day, there was a thin film of bubbles but it seems to have gone. I've been keeping the fermenter at 20C since pitching the yeast.

Questions:
1. Is my yeast dead? Should I buy and pitch some more yeast?
2. Can the yeast regenerate? Should I expect a longer fermentation taking this into account?

Thanks very much guys.

 

[Miraculix]

Measure the gravity, I bet it's just already done.

You might experience a headache due to enhanced fusel alcohol production during the time it was so warm, depending on how long it stayed at that temperature.

 

[Mangix]

Done at only 2 days of fermentation? The liquid is still super cloudy and the outcome on the grain packet says it should be clear.

 

[Miraculix]

Done at only 2 days of fermentation? The liquid is still super cloudy and the outcome on the grain packet says it should be clear.

Then it is still fermenting. You said "a couple of days" which implies more than two days.

 

[Mangix]

Apologies, I should've been clearer.

I pitched it on Saturday night into a 40C wort. It didnt stay at that temperature long though - cooled to 24C in about 1.5 hours as the fermenter was in an air conditioned room. Since then it was kept at 22-18 C with most of the time at 20C.

Should I be concerned about the lack of krausen and repitch yeast? Will yeast reproduce sufficiently or were they all killed during the initial pitch? Took me a whole day to set up my first brew so I'm super concerned about how it's gonna turn out and whether it can be saved

Thanks!

 

[Miraculix]

Apologies, I should've been clearer.

I pitched it on Saturday night into a 40C wort. It didnt stay at that temperature long though - cooled to 24C in about 1.5 hours as the fermenter was in an air conditioned room. Since then it was kept at 22-18 C with most of the time at 20C.

Should I be concerned about the lack of krausen and repitch yeast? Will yeast reproduce sufficiently or were they all killed during the initial pitch? Took me a whole day to set up my first brew so I'm super concerned about how it's gonna turn out and whether it can be saved

Thanks!

If you have the same yeast at hand, you can pitch another pack. Worst thing that could happen is that nothing happens.

But my guess is, it is all good and will sort itself out. Especially if you are fermenting in a bucket, you won't see much airlock activity, as buckets are almost all very leaky.

 

[Mangix]

Thanks for the reassurance - I don't have the same yeast at hand so I'd probably order a pack again but it'll take a while to arrive methinks. I'm fermenting in a Fermzilla all rounder I got as a birthday gift - those should be relatively airtight hence the concern.

 

[Mangix]

The airlock action looks like this:
https://streamable.com/hvh05v

 

[Miraculix]

The airlock action looks like this:
https://streamable.com/hvh05v

Mate wtf

That looks perfectly fine. Relax!

Don't do anything!

 

[McKnuckle]

Your airlock shows that the fermentation is proceeding with vigor. Agreed with the good-natured "wtf" comment above.

It takes 50ºC to kill saccharomyces cerevisiae (ale yeast). Quite the opposite result here - it would have been very active at the exceedingly warm temperature that you pitched at. The only issue is the flavor, but you'll just have to wait on that. 24ºC is too warm as well, again not a threat to the yeast, but rather due to the byproducts they will generate at warm temperatures.

For the future, you want to keep ale yeast fermenting in the 16-20ºC range, but read up on each individual yeast strain before you commit.

 

[Mangix]

Thanks guys! Was extra anxious cos it takes about a fortnight or so for a new order brewing supplies to reach - was concerned there would be an infection by then haha. Hope this thread will help anyone else who made the same dumb mistake of pitching into a hot wort

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks guys! Was extra anxious cos it takes about a fortnight or so for a new order brewing supplies to reach - was concerned there would be an infection by then haha. Hope this thread will help anyone else who made the same dumb mistake of pitching into a hot wort

You were not the first and I am afraid you won't be the last

Did the same once, wasn't as hot as yours but still about 25c. Hot enough to encourage fusel alcohol production. After one or two of these beers, I had the hangover of death the next day. MASSIVE headaches.

But that particular yeast was known to throw fusels at elevated temperatures... I found out afterwards. Had to dump it.

Yours will be fine, there will be beer!