Seriously under pitched?

[CharlesKelley]

So I am brewing a Belgian Trappist Ale. OG was 1.060 and I pitched a vial of White Labs WLP 500 Trappist Ale Yeast into 5 gallons at 72 degrees.

It has been 3 days and while I know that bubbles in the airlock are not a good sign of fermentation, the whole thing is acting dead as a tomb.

After some research I think I seriously under pitched. I got the yeast shipped in, and used it the day after I got it. It looks like one vial is too little yeast in the first place, and if they were stressed in transit it could be way too little.

So here is my plan:

I've ordered more of the same yeast. It should be here tomorrow. I'm going to open up the brew bucket and take a hydrometer reading. The questions I have are:

1. If it is not fermenting, should I pitch in the new yeast, or just dump the whole thing? I'm worried that the batch will be bacterially contaminated by sitting around with no fermentation going on.

2. If it is just a slow ferment, how about adding the yeast?

Next time I am doing a starter. I didn't even know about starters until I found this site.

 

[badbrew]

Add it tomorrow after hydrometer. Maybe there is a leak in the bucket. If the gravity is close to 1.060 then make a starter.

 

[mewithstewpid]

Check hydrometer it might be done or close to it. I had 500 take a 1.110 to 1.03 in under a week with little signs of fermentation. It's a beast. If nothing has happened throw the other vile in.

Edit: it did form a krausen but it fell back in under a week

 

[Scraggybeard]

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm doing a Belgian as well. It started off the first day but then died down day 2 and seemed to stay dormant with no activity out of the blow off. Checked at 2 weeks and it was only a couple points over expected FG so apparently there was some action, which leads me to the leak in the bucket. I used a new-to-me fermenter so I haven't used it before, Are there any problems or things to worry about if there is a leak?

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

Is this in a bucket? Can you see if there is krausen? You aren't underpitched by that much, you should still be ok. If there is krausen, or any yeast activity, then you should be good.

 

[CharlesKelley]

Is this in a bucket? Can you see if there is krausen? You aren't underpitched by that much, you should still be ok. If there is krausen, or any yeast activity, then you should be good.

It is in a bucket, but it is seriously opaque, and I can't tell if there is a krausen or not. I will look tonight when I open it up. I am hoping to only open it once before racking it across to my secondary.

 

[pabloj13]

It is in a bucket, but it is seriously opaque, and I can't tell if there is a krausen or not. I will look tonight when I open it up. I am hoping to only open it once before racking it across to my secondary.

Opening it will not hurt it.

 

[CharlesKelley]

Opening it will not hurt it.

I was under the impression that I wanted to minimize the potential for contaminants. It would seem to me that every time I open it I provide a potential pathway for contaminants. Is that not the case?

 

[mewithstewpid]

I was under the impression that I wanted to minimize the potential for contaminants. It would seem to me that every time I open it I provide a potential pathway for contaminants. Is that not the case?

yes that is technically true, but once fermented bacteria do not prefer to live in alcoholic environments. Also, its damn near guaranteed that bacteria are in there, just more yeast to outcompete the bacteria.

people take hydro readings all the time, multiple times, and way more often than not everything is ok.

just dont sneeze in the bucket.

 

[pabloj13]

yes that is technically true, but once fermented bacteria do not prefer to live in alcoholic environments. Also, its damn near guaranteed that bacteria are in there, just more yeast to outcompete the bacteria.

People take hydro readings all the time, multiple times, and way more often than not everything is ok.

Just dont sneeze in the bucket.

+1

 

[CharlesKelley]

just dont sneeze in the bucket.

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/images/smilies/occasion14.gif

 

[CharlesKelley]

just dont sneeze in the bucket.

 

[CharlesKelley]

OK. I am ready for the "I told you so."

I got home this evening, new yeast in hand, all ready to pitch and pray. Sterilized the thief and opened the lid. Lo and behold, a nice foamy white krausen and some lovely aroma. Took a sample back up to the kitchen and the hydrometer shows a gravity of 1.022.

So I'm down from 1.060 to 1.022 in 4 days. I don't think I need to pitch any more yeast. I'm going to let it run a few more days and then rack it across to the secondary.

Now I think I will go have a beer.

 

[MachineShopBrewing]

There is no need to rack the beer to secondary. Just let it go, and when it is done, bottle it or keg it.

 

[mewithstewpid]

OK. I am ready for the "I told you so."

I got home this evening, new yeast in hand, all ready to pitch and pray. Sterilized the thief and opened the lid. Lo and behold, a nice foamy white krausen and some lovely aroma. Took a sample back up to the kitchen and the hydrometer shows a gravity of 1.022.

So I'm down from 1.060 to 1.022 in 4 days. I don't think I need to pitch any more yeast. I'm going to let it run a few more days and then rack it across to the secondary.

Now I think I will go have a beer.

i would not rack it after 7 days. if i were in your shoes, i would leave it on the yeast for 3-4 weeks, then bottle.

If you are planning on a long conditioning in the bucket (i.e, greater than 3 months) then i would rack to a secondary. but with OG of 1.06, i think you are safe just waiting 3 weeks then bottling.

give yeast more than 7 days to do their thing.

rich

 

[crackhead7]

beer quality is greatly improved by letting the beer sit in primary several weeks for the yeast to clean up the all thier mess they made during the primary fermantation party! Thye tend to work slower cleaning up becasue they are all hung over!

 

[CharlesKelley]

So I will leave it where it is. I am starting a Red Stripe clone this weekend (for SWMBO, who likes beach beer), but I can just put it straight into the 6.5 gallon carboy.

 

[mewithstewpid]

So I will leave it where it is. I am starting a Red Stripe clone this weekend (for SWMBO, who likes beach beer), but I can just put it straight into the 6.5 gallon carboy.

no need to lie.
we have all made a fruit beer (or something similar) "for swmbo"

 

[Maxkling]

So I am brewing a Belgian Trappist Ale. OG was 1.060 and I pitched a vial of White Labs WLP 500 Trappist Ale Yeast into 5 gallons at 72 degrees.

It has been 3 days and while I know that bubbles in the airlock are not a good sign of fermentation, the whole thing is acting dead as a tomb.

After some research I think I seriously under pitched. I got the yeast shipped in, and used it the day after I got it. It looks like one vial is too little yeast in the first place, and if they were stressed in transit it could be way too little.

For 15 or so batches I had no clue what starters were or how to make them, and I still made great beer. But once I figured out how much they improve, there is no going back. 75% of the time the liquid yeast you are using will be underpitching with out a starter.

About your red stripe, that is a lager. The clone you are doing, is it using a lager yeast or ale yeast?

 

[CharlesKelley]

For 15 or so batches I had no clue what starters were or how to make them, and I still made great beer. But once I figured out how much they improve, there is no going back. 75% of the time the liquid yeast you are using will be underpitching with out a starter.

About your red stripe, that is a lager. The clone you are doing, is it using a lager yeast or ale yeast?

It is an ale clone. I've got a dorm fridge I could use to lager, but the recipe I found has me using WLP001 Ale yeast. So it will be done sooner and no need to refrigerate.