Stuck, then late, then warm fermentation -- am I screwed?

[olie]

Made a batch 2 weekends ago per normal recipe, everything seemed normal. Proofed the yeast, it seemed fine (bubbling aggressively). Cooled to normal temp (59°) and pitched.

Checked the next day, it seemed to be barely going (typical is vigorously blooping by next morning). Checked the following day, it seemed to be stopped (typical: transitioning from vigorous to winding-down). (For reference, I've made this recipe dozens of times; I have detailed notes!)

Normally, I bump temps on +4days to 64°, +7days to 74°, +13days to 34° (cold crash).

For this one, since it didn't seem to be taking off, I did +3 days to 64° then, because that didn't kick it in, I did +4 days to 74°. On +6 days, I decided to add another packet of yeast and pray for the best.

The next morning, there was mild blooping. On +8days, it was going totally nuts, which continued for ~2.5 days. Now, on +11days, it's just starting to calm-down (what I normally expect on day-3-ish.

I've not taken any samples, yet. I plan to let it sit another week ("for good measure"), then check what I've got.

My question is: What do I think I've got?

Near as I can tell, this is what happened: The initial yeast didn't kick-off for whatever reason. The 2nd-add of yeast did take off, but it did so at 74°F, rather than my normal "take it easy" 59°.

So my ferment was stuck, then late, then warm.

Will it probably be beer? Probably drinkable? Probably taste like my absolute favorite recipe that it's always been in the past? Any other speculation about what I should expect, and why?

Thanks!

 

[RPh_Guy]

What do I think I've got?

Beer.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Which yeast strain?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

What do you mean by 'proofed the yeast'? Is that hydrating dry yeast? Or a yeast starter?

 

[olie]

Which yeast strain?

Safale S-33

What do you mean by 'proofed the yeast'? Is that hydrating dry yeast? Or a yeast starter?

Rehydrated dry yeast. The process that I've repeated dozens of times:
* Mix dry yeast in clean water at 80-85°F
Some say this isn't necessary, but it doesn't hurt, and there's some support for the idea that it helps give the yeast a hand-up for OGs above 1.050.
* Wait 15-45 minutes, observe a nice, creamy slurry. (I typically do this step during mash-infusion.)
* During the wait, add ~1tsp sugar that was mixed into a shot of clean, boiled water (both to sterilize and to fully dissolve), cool to 80-85°F.
* After sugar-water cools, add to yeast slurry.
Wait another 15-45 minutes (I typically do this step during boil). Observe that the yeast has begun frothing fairly vigorously.

Pitching...
* Swirl the yeast jar to remove froth, make sure all the yeast is off the sides, and the liquid is more or less consistent, no chunks.
* Pour 80-90% of slurry [more or less] evenly around the top of fermentor.
* Swirl the last bit of slurry around the bottom of the jar to make sure everything comes out.
* Pour that [more or less] evenly around "empty" spots in the top of the fermentor.

My fermentors are temperature controlled (warming & cooling). Everything is crazy-sterilized (I'm a bit OCD at that end of things).

As above, I've done this dozens of times with always-the-same results. It's just this once that fermentation did not happen as expected. I guess I'll find out how things turned out next weekend, I just can't help but wonder "what's going on in there?!"

 

[Ridenour64]

Did you take gravity readings throughout any of this?

 

[olie]

I did not. (That might've been smart, eh?)

At this point, my plan is to just leave it until next weekend, cold-crash it, take gravity (after sample warms back up) and hope for the best.

In case my "humorous writing style" wasn't clear, What I'm Really asking is: what are the potential impacts of "when fermentation happened" temps being up around 74° instead of the planned 59°? Warmer & faster fermentation (once it finally got started!) -- is that a bad thing? Good thing? How might it change the end result? Etc.

 

[OnePlate]

You'll have increased esters (which you might like) and maybe some fusel alcohols but it will probably taste ok.

 

[dwhite60]

Beer.

Honest.
Blunt.
Succinct.
Directly to the point.

BRILLIANT!

All the Best,
D. White

 

[bkboiler]

I've read that rehydrating with sucrose is detrimental since the yeasties will subsequently have to switch their metabolism back to fermenting maltose...
I used to do it cuz it was a habit from baking...