New Setup, New Yeast Behavior

[JAReeves]

Greetings!

So I recently upgraded to an Anvil 7G Bucket with the cooling system. The first 5G brew I did in it had a 1qt starter of leftover slurry and it kicked into gear immediately. I underestimated how much ice I would need to cool down to 67F, so that batch stayed in the 70's for the first day. Mistakes were made.

So 5G batch #2: New pack of yeast WL007-Dry English Ale, no starter, well-aerated through my chinois strainer (a leftover from when I was a chef), into the fermenter ~80F (groundwater Los Angeles), sealed up and with an ice bath running through the system cooling to 65F, which I later upped to 67F because I was getting panicky over the lack of yeast activity.

Question #1: As it cooled, it sucked a lot of vodka through the bubbler into the wort. To avoid this, can I leave the lid unsealed and cracked while it is cooling down?

Question #2: I am used to my ferments taking off fast (with or without starters), but I have never had such an efficient cooling system. I am not seeing or smelling any activity after 36 hours. Yeast has never taken this long, but again, I can actually cool to the temps the yeast are supposedly best at, so should I be worried?

 

[Rob2010SS]

1. You could do that.... You run the risk of something else getting in though. How long did it take to cool to the 65F?

My recommendation... I use one of these on my SS Brew Bucket. If the anvil bucket is similar, you can't put a lot of pressure into the bucket (2 PSI max). Use this guy and fit it snuggly in the airlock using either tubing or modifying it with a nut to attach it to the lid. Hook up CO2 and turn the regulator up to 2 psi and just let CO2 flow in to equal out the pressure in the headspace while you're cooling.

I did just make an assumption that you have a CO2 tank. If you don't keg, you might not.

2. I wouldn't be worried. I start to get panicky around 72 hours with no activity. I've only had that happen once. As someone wiser than me once said on HBT, yeast are living organisms. They do things on their own schedule, not on your schedule. RDWHAHB!

If it really worries you, I would look at your process on this one compared to what you've done previously.
- Was something different about the way you aerated the wort?
- Is it a yeast you haven't used before?
- Anything about the brew that could affect the yeast?

Cheers!

 

[JAReeves]

Thank you for your quick response! Every time I change something in my process, I have a whole new learning curve. One of the reasons why I love this hobby. Oh, and fresh homemade beer doesn't suck either.

1. You could do that.... You run the risk of something else getting in though. How long did it take to cool to the 65F?

--It cooled fast, down to 65F in an hour or two. But it was still contracting and sucking vodka as the nights got cooler after warm days. I probably upped my session beer by about 1%, oops.

My recommendation... I use one of these on my SS Brew Bucket. If the anvil bucket is similar, you can't put a lot of pressure into the bucket (2 PSI max). Use this guy and fit it snuggly in the airlock using either tubing or modifying it with a nut to attach it to the lid. Hook up CO2 and turn the regulator up to 2 psi and just let CO2 flow in to equal out the pressure in the headspace while you're cooling.

I did just make an assumption that you have a CO2 tank. If you don't keg, you might not.

--Yes, I keg, and I have one of those caps and it leaks like a sieve. I originally bought it to carb up seltzer water for the family in a 2L bottle, but it leaks CO2 so badly I can't use it-both in filling and not holding pressure. I tried replacing the poppet, o-rings, nothing made it work. I guess I could take a chance on another one.

2. I wouldn't be worried. I start to get panicky around 72 hours with no activity. I've only had that happen once. As someone wiser than me once said on HBT, yeast are living organisms. They do things on their own schedule, not on your schedule. RDWHAHB!

If it really worries you, I would look at your process on this one compared to what you've done previously.
- Was something different about the way you aerated the wort?
- Is it a yeast you haven't used before?
- Anything about the brew that could affect the yeast?

--Thank you! My wort aeration method is the way I have always done it, the chinois is so fine mesh, all my trub, hops, etc. get strained out and the wort froths into the fermenter. I've used this yeast variety many times, just never getting it this cold this fast. It's my stout recipe that I have made at least 5 times before, so no real surprises there, either.

But...I always add my yeast to the strainer and let the wort dissolve the yeast liquid/granules as it pours through into the fermenter. I don't sprinkle on top, and I don't add it after the wort hits the coolest temp. I always pitch it in as the wort is going in to the fermenter at about 75-80F. I figure one of the reasons why my ferments have kicked in so fast before is the room temp food and the fact that it is dispersed throughout the wort while aerating. But this time the yeast went in warm and then cooled with the liquid fast, so maybe not getting the foothold on the sugars that I am used to.

Lots to think about!

Thank you, again!

Reevesie