Should I repitch?

[Dingo_1]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum, and I am currently fermenting my third batch.

I made a Buffalo Sweat (oatmeal stout) clone from Northern Brewer this week. I pitched some Wyeast 1098 from a starter which seemed to get it going pretty quickly, but now the action has slowed considerably. I pitched in on Sunday at about 76-78 degrees, and it was bubbling fine for about two days. But then all air lock activity stopped, so I checked to see if I had any Krausen and I had none. I know air lock activity is not the tell all of fermentation, but I'm wondering if I should keep waiting to see if the yeast kicks in or if it's time to re-pitch?

Any help would be great!

 

[BigFloyd]

What was your OG? What is your current gravity? What has been your ferment temp?

We'll need to know these things in order to give you good, informed advice on this issue.

 

[KeystoneHomebrew]

If you are fermenting at 76-78, then that is way too warm.

The first thing you need to do though is take a hydrometer reading, and then answer the question BigFloyd posed.

 

[Dingo_1]

Hey guys,

Sorry for the delay. My OG was around 1057, and my current gravity is 1025, so it looks like some fermenting has been happening. I've been keeping it at around 68 degrees.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[k_mcarthur]

I'd say it's doing its thing, given it has and will stay in the 68 degree range. Granted it does have some fermenting to go, the only thing left now is the long agonizing wait until you can finally taste it. Just relax and take another gravity reading on like day 5-7. If it hasn't changed much then you need to diagnose your poor attenuation.

 

[Xpertskir]

No you shouldn't repitch.

Give it more time and you should coast down to FG. You are probably not far away now, based on that recipe.


Never pitch yeast above the temperature you want to ferment at.


Ideally you cool the wort below you're ideal ferm temp and then pitch yeast. Then actively keep the temp down as the yeast create heat with a swamp cooler, bucket with water and ice, or chest freezer and temp controller.

 

[BigFloyd]

No you shouldn't repitch.

Give it more time and you should coast down to FG. You are probably not far away now, based on that recipe.


Never pitch yeast above the temperature you want to ferment at.


Ideally you cool the wort below you're ideal ferm temp and then pitch yeast. Then actively keep the temp down as the yeast create heat with a swamp cooler, bucket with water and ice, or chest freezer and temp controller.

This ^^^ x 100.

Since you're already at 1.025 in a short time period, it sounds like you're well along. Given the percentage of unfermentables in a typical stout, you'll probably finish somewhere around 1.017 or so (unless it has any lactose which will cause it to finish higher).

Give it another week and see what the gravity is. Time is your friend with these sorts of beers, especially when it comes to bottle-conditioning (think months, not weeks).

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Thas a little high, what did the kit say you were suposed to end at?

WAit 3 days and take another reading. If its the same then you can go ahead and package it for consumption!

 

[Dingo_1]

I used a kit from northern brewer and I didn't see an FG anywhere on the sheet I got with it, which really surprised me. I'm going to wait a few days and see If it goes down at all. I tasted it today when I took the hydrometer reading and it tastes great so far!

Thanks for the advice. Does anybody know what the FG is supposed to be though?

 

[BigFloyd]

Thanks for the advice. Does anybody know what the FG is supposed to be though?

See my earlier post.

I looked at the instruction sheet for that beer and it appears that it includes 3/8lb (mini-mash kit) to 1/2lb (AG kit) of lactose. That amount of unfermentable milk sugar will cause the FG to be .002-.004 higher, so figure somewhere in the 1.018-1.021 range as your expected FG.

 

[Dingo_1]

Awesome. Thanks guys!