At the risk of sounding like yet another rube worrying about fermentation, let me just say, that according to my records, this is my 157th batch of beer. I'm guessing that this puts me, near enough that is make no difference, at about my 200th batch of beer. I'm well aware of the magic that yeast, when in the presents of sugar, can perform.
I also try to follow the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PCDA) or scientific method when I brew. If I'm making a change I try to limit my changes to one variable at a time. This allows me to check the results of the change and act or adjust for the next time.
So, that said, here is my situation: I changed the valve on my kettle, a Speidel Braumeister, from the stock valve (approx. 1/4 inch) to a 1/2 inch tri clamp and butterfly valve combo attached to a piece of 1/2 ID tubing. (The recipe was a Casacdian Ale that I have made in the past, the mashing and hoping schedules are unchanged from the previous brewing.)
With my previous valve, I used to allow the chilled wort drain into the fermenter by opening the valve to create a nice spay. This would result in about two to three inches of bubbles on top of he wort and has always proved to be adiquate aeration for fermentation.
This time, with the increased flow through the valve, I didn't get the spray that I have had in the past. Instead the wort flowed through the tubing like water through a garden hose. I was surprised at how quickly the kettle drained and that it didn't create the bubbly foam in the fermenter.
After the fermenter was full, I pitched the yeast as normal, and put the fermenters in the basement, again in there usual places. I ferment in my basement which, at this time of year, is roughly 58F. This is a touch bit colder than it is during the rest of the year. (I'm in Seattle, the difference between winter and summer is, at best, only 40 degrees.)
The beer was a modest 1.052 and pitch with Safale US-05. This is as basic and straightforward as you can get. As such, I would normally expect krausen and airlock activity within 24 hours. Instead, I didn't get a krausen forming until nearly 72 hours later, at it was very thin. It didn't look like a normal krausen until about five days into the fermentation. At day eight, I still have a, relatively, thick krausen, but very little airlock activity. In my previous experiences with this OG, I'd expect primary fermentation to be done in four days. This fermentation seems to be chugging along at glacial pace.
I suspect that the slow fermentation in due to poor aeration going into the fermentor. In hindsight, I can't see how I even can close to to 8 ppm O2 that is possible with "free air" aeration.
Anyway, the damage is done. I don't want to aerate now as fermentation is clearly underway. But I also don't want fermentation to drag out for the next five weeks. (I have fermentation capacity issues.) And I don't want a final gravity of 1.025. (I've yet to take a gravity reading, but I suspect that it is premature since the the krausen has yet to drop.)
So, what can I do? Anything?
I also try to follow the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PCDA) or scientific method when I brew. If I'm making a change I try to limit my changes to one variable at a time. This allows me to check the results of the change and act or adjust for the next time.
So, that said, here is my situation: I changed the valve on my kettle, a Speidel Braumeister, from the stock valve (approx. 1/4 inch) to a 1/2 inch tri clamp and butterfly valve combo attached to a piece of 1/2 ID tubing. (The recipe was a Casacdian Ale that I have made in the past, the mashing and hoping schedules are unchanged from the previous brewing.)
With my previous valve, I used to allow the chilled wort drain into the fermenter by opening the valve to create a nice spay. This would result in about two to three inches of bubbles on top of he wort and has always proved to be adiquate aeration for fermentation.
This time, with the increased flow through the valve, I didn't get the spray that I have had in the past. Instead the wort flowed through the tubing like water through a garden hose. I was surprised at how quickly the kettle drained and that it didn't create the bubbly foam in the fermenter.
After the fermenter was full, I pitched the yeast as normal, and put the fermenters in the basement, again in there usual places. I ferment in my basement which, at this time of year, is roughly 58F. This is a touch bit colder than it is during the rest of the year. (I'm in Seattle, the difference between winter and summer is, at best, only 40 degrees.)
The beer was a modest 1.052 and pitch with Safale US-05. This is as basic and straightforward as you can get. As such, I would normally expect krausen and airlock activity within 24 hours. Instead, I didn't get a krausen forming until nearly 72 hours later, at it was very thin. It didn't look like a normal krausen until about five days into the fermentation. At day eight, I still have a, relatively, thick krausen, but very little airlock activity. In my previous experiences with this OG, I'd expect primary fermentation to be done in four days. This fermentation seems to be chugging along at glacial pace.
I suspect that the slow fermentation in due to poor aeration going into the fermentor. In hindsight, I can't see how I even can close to to 8 ppm O2 that is possible with "free air" aeration.
Anyway, the damage is done. I don't want to aerate now as fermentation is clearly underway. But I also don't want fermentation to drag out for the next five weeks. (I have fermentation capacity issues.) And I don't want a final gravity of 1.025. (I've yet to take a gravity reading, but I suspect that it is premature since the the krausen has yet to drop.)
So, what can I do? Anything?
