What happens w/ extra yeast

[kontreren]

I was concerned that I didn' get the Wyeast Lager yeast activated so I dumped in a packet of Prestige WD Yeast (GERT STRAND AB, Krangatan2 ... whatever that means) to aleviate my concern. The air lock is bubbling away. So did I screw up? What are the possible outcomes? Pros Cons? Am I a total DA? Whatever you want to comment please. As long as it is constructive open both barrels on me. I want to learn.

 

[Boston Brew Guy]

How long did you wait until you repitched? Most likely you just wasted an extra pack of yeast. Your beer will be fine, it just may be a little different than it would if you just used your intended yeast. Usually the best action to take is to just relax and give it time. Good luck.

 

[david_42]

The amyloglucosidase in Prestige WD will breakdown most of the fermentable sugars, so you'll have a thinner bodied beer. Probably not a problem in your basic lager.

 

[jpuf]

David, how do you know all this stuff??

 

[Claytoon]

I did a similar thing last night to my Nut Brown...I put it into my Mr. Beer fermenter 2 nights ago, then checked on it exactly 24 hours later. There was just a wee bit of head on the top and it did not appear to be bubbling at all. I already had bottled my first batch that I don't think fermented at all, because it's not bubbling at all now in the bottles with the added sugar, even when shaken, and I did not want this to happen again. So I added half a packet of some more dry yeast, but a different brand. The first one was just the dry yeast that came with the Munton's Nut Brown extract. The second yeast I added was half a pack of Safale US-05. The recipe I used was half a can of the Nut Brown ale, 1 cup of corn sugar, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I made sure that the water was at about 70ish degrees when the first yeast was pitched, and then vigorously whisked it to aerate. The second time I added yeast, I just rocked the fermenter around a little to mix and it bubbled for a few minutes then when I checked again about an hour later, the head was almost totally gone and no bubbles.
Why is it not bubbling!?!?!

 

[HomerJR]

Claytoon,
Bottled beer won't bubble. The CO2 created by the fermentation of the priming sugar won't bubble or krauesen like it did in the fermenter. All the CO2 will end up in solution in the beer. It'll be released when the cap is taken off and manifest itself in the form of a nice head in your glass.

Your second batch stopped bubbling because fermentation hasn't started yet. It started bubbling probably because when you aerated, some air went into solution in the wort, and when the airlock was in place some of it was released. Fermentation will start in its own sweet time, but almost certainly not in an hour. The fastest fermentation I've had so far was about 5 hours, but it can take up to 72 hours under normal conditions.

Relax, let the yeast do its thing.

 

[cheezydemon3]

The unfermentables clinging to suspension will be polarized by the conflicting yeast strains and will most likely release several undesireable compounds, not the least of which is deadly Serin gas that will probably brake your spine and melt your face.

It should still be drinkable though.

You know....without a face and all...

 

[Claytoon]

I literally LOL'd at work. Neighbors are wondering what's so funny about my work all of a sudden...

I am looking forward to this beer, since it is a recipe I just kinda made up, (even though it probably is in a book somewhere), so hopefully the undesireables aren't too bad.

Thanks for the response Homer, that's clears some stuff up for me. I guess I was just expecting a more active fermentation with lots of froth and bubbles, based on some youtube videos I watched. But after reading through some forums, I realize now that fermentation can still be happening without seeing any bubbles at all.

Time to run by my LHBS to pick up a hydrometer.

 

[Claytoon]

My post would not show up,

 

[Claytoon]

but did later, and created a double post...

 

[kontreren]

The unfermentables clinging to suspension will be polarized by the conflicting yeast strains and will most likely release several undesireable compounds, not the least of which is deadly Serin gas that will probably brake your spine and melt your face.

It should still be drinkable though.

You know....without a face and all...

Sorry it took me so long to reply to this thread but I have been busy brewing beer and pitching yeast. the beer must have turned out pretty good because other than killing off some local plant and animal life when I opened the fermenter it turned out pretty good.

 

[Claytoon]

Used my new hydrometer on my two batches last night after a week of more fermenting/carbonation.

I opened a bottle from the first batch, a West Coast Pale Ale that came with the Mr. Beer kit, that I thought was messed up. It is still sweet from the table sugar I added to the recipe, but it has almost no carbonation at all when I opened the bottle, although it has only been 6 days. The hydrometer reading was at 1.012 still.

The second batch that I had pitched the extra yeast in, is doing fine though. Last week after picking up the hydrometer, I tested and it was at 1.014, which was after 2 days in the primary. I tested last night and it is down to 1.007. I think that is pretty close to bottling time, but will give it a few more days and recheck the reading. Tasted pretty good as it was, no cidery flavor like the first batch. Looking forward to it!

 

[kontreren]

Used my new hydrometer on my two batches last night after a week of more fermenting/carbonation.

I opened a bottle from the first batch, a West Coast Pale Ale that came with the Mr. Beer kit, that I thought was messed up. It is still sweet from the table sugar I added to the recipe, but it has almost no carbonation at all when I opened the bottle, although it has only been 6 days. The hydrometer reading was at 1.012 still.

The second batch that I had pitched the extra yeast in, is doing fine though. Last week after picking up the hydrometer, I tested and it was at 1.014, which was after 2 days in the primary. I tested last night and it is down to 1.007. I think that is pretty close to bottling time, but will give it a few more days and recheck the reading. Tasted pretty good as it was, no cidery flavor like the first batch. Looking forward to it!

If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion, you may not be patient enough. It will take a year or more to get that sweet flavor out from adding extra sugar (if it wasn't a fermentable). And you, like I, aren't waiting long enough. Now I leave my beer in the fermenter for months instead of weeks; and after I keg even longer. If you sanitize properly the beer will keep. Bottling is the same deal. I find that the longer a beer sits in the bottle/keg the better it is. The biggest problem I have is the willingness to wait on the beer. That is why it is so important to brew every month. Eventually the goal is to have enough on hand to drink w/o rushing it or running out.

:fro:

 

[Claytoon]

Thanks for the advice. Since I'm more confident in and more excited about my 2nd batch, the Nut Brown, I will be sure and give that one extra time in the fermenter and in the bottles.
The first one has a cidery sweetness, because I added extra table sugar when I was boiling the wort, because I wanted to increase the alcohol content a bit and hadn't read yet about the effects of using regular table sugar. I have since bought corn sugar for future recipes.
My concern on that batch was the higher (but not terrible) specific gravity of 1.012 and the fact that after 6 days I was expecting more carbonation. I also drank it without chilling it for a day first.
I actually don't mind the hint of cider flavor, but the flatness of it is what is off-putting for now. I used one tablet of the Cooper's carbonation drops per 12oz bottle, per the package instructions.

I am going to heed your advice and let them sit for a longer time period however, although I will probably open one per week to try to learn what the results of patience are over different intervals, and to quench my thirst!

 

[kontreren]

Thanks for the advice. ...

I am going to heed your advice and let them sit for a longer time period however, although I will probably open one per week to try to learn what the results of patience are over different intervals, and to quench my thirst!

Since I brew some GF I am finding that the sugars are causing one of two things (too sweet like you are experiencing OR to alcoholic) both of which smooth out over time. I had on GF ale that was so heavy with trub that I had to rack it three times and using gelatin (I learned here) finally cleared it. More to the point it was a long time in the making and the first month of drinking it was like a shot of liquor, one month later it was smooth as a babys behind. Incredible what a month made on that beer.

 

[JuanMoore]

Table sugar is close to 100% fermentable, so it should not add any sweetness at all, just make the beer drier and increase the alcohol. If adding table sugar makes it sweeter, the beer is not done fermenting.