Pitch More Yeast?

[s3kt0r]

So I’ve been brewing only a short while now. I’ve done two simple beers, a stout and then an amber. This time, I’m trying a high gravity ale. Using a recipe at my local brewshop, I’m brewing a tripel. I used about 3/4 lb of specialty grains and then 6 lbs of Pale LME, 5 lbs. Light DME and a pound of Belgian Candi Sugar. I pitched in a smack pack of Wyeast’s Trappist High Gravity Yeast. It’s a five gallon batch.

During my hour long boil, when my thoughts start to catch up to me, I realized that I probably bought way too little yeast. I’m used to buying one pack of it. I went ahead and finished the beer and, for various reasons, haven’t been able to go back to the shop to buy more yeast. In fact, I probably can’t go back until Tuesday.

I pitched the yeast I had on Saturday. Currently, the batch is fermenting quite nicely with a steady stream of air coming out my blow-off hose. I’m worried it’s going to go kaput earlier than desired though.

My question is, is it possible the yeast can finish the job all by their lonesomes or is that asking too much? What are the drawbacks of pitching more yeast so late in the fermentation? Do I have other options? Or should I just not worry about and see how it ends up tasting?

 

[Chris_Dog]

I'll try and answer some of your questions.

First let me ask why you feel you under pitched? 5gal batch? 1 pack of what type of yeast?

I don't think pitching more yeast after the fermentation starts will help much. My reasoning is that the amount that you pitch is only a small % of the yeast cells their are now. So adding them now will not do much at all sort of like adding a cup of water to a barrel. If this is your 1st batch you will see after fermentation is complete by the amount of trub at the bottom of the fermenter.

Focus your attention and effort on the next batch! Remember RDWAHAHB! I am sure the beer will be great.

 

[jcdillin]

yeah I would only considering pitching additional yeast if for some reason they conk out and you never reach your target FG.

 

[sigmund]

Since you seem to have an active fermentation going now, it would seem best to wait a bit and see the end result. If your hydrometer readings are high and remain that way after fermentation has ceased, then you might want to consider re-pitching.

 

[s3kt0r]

I'll try and answer some of your questions.

First let me ask why you feel you under pitched? 5gal batch? 1 pack of what type of yeast?

It it a Wyeast smack pack of Trappist High Gravity yeast, which according to the package has 100 millions cells in it. The only reason I thought I may have underpitched was, according to my brewing book, How To Brew, you want to pitch 340-400+ billion cells in a five gallon batch of wort gravity greater than 1.095. My reading for this batch was 1.110 which seems awfully high.

 

[Chris_Dog]

It it a Wyeast smack pack of Trappist High Gravity yeast, which according to the package has 100 millions cells in it. The only reason I thought I may have underpitched was, according to my brewing book, How To Brew, you want to pitch 340-400+ billion cells in a five gallon batch of wort gravity greater than 1.095. My reading for this batch was 1.110 which seems awfully high.

That sounds about right to me. I try and make starters with liquid yeast. Click Mr Malty Pitching Rate Calculator.

I don't know the answer to this so maybe you guys can help me out. Will re-pitching start up a stalled fermentation?

 

[Revvy]

Before you pitch more yeast (or even think something's wrong) read this blog...

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/