Yeast just will not go (location)

[littlewolfrus]

Hey everyone. So I'm trying to figure out what's going on here. I've been brewing for sometime now with a good 40 ish batches under my belt.

I'd say that 90% of the time my beers get to bubbling within hours of pitching the yeast. On a slow start I'll have a slow fermentation for a day or two and then just throw some energizer in there and that gets it going. The entire time I've been brewing it's been from my home - just one location.

I brewed a batch of red ale somewhere else and the damn thing would not ferment. I wasn't there to push it along so it took longer in between tries but I think it took 4 tries of pitching the yeast before it finally went and that was only after I eventually went back to pitch the yeast along with some nutrient. The beer eventually fermented.

Now I went back last weekend and brewed another batch, a pumpkin ale. The beer is in the same location in the apartment and it did slowly start to bubble and then just stopped about 12 hours later and is now completely silent. What is going on here?

I'm thinking the location could have something to do with it. It's kept on the floor in the laundry room. Perhaps the vibration from the machines? Maybe the heat off the machines? I thought maybe the ph in the water is out of whack but I'm not sure that would stop the yeast enough.

Any thoughts?

 

[JonM]

What kind of yeast are you using? What's the temperature where it is? How are you making the determination that fermentation isn't happening?

 

[littlewolfrus]

About 68F.
Used Nottingham Ale yeast - Lallemand.
Airlock has seen no activity in 3 days.

 

[mikeshoup]

The vibration from the washing machines shouldn't have an effect. The 68F temperature is fine.

Honestly, I'd just leave it and check on it in a week. I'm sure those yeasties are working away. There could be a myriad of reasons you're not seeing airlock activity, including leaky plastic bucket lids (that's always my problem).

 

[MagicMatt]

It's probably done. The wort temp was almost certainly above the recommended range, and the yeast tore through the wort in no time. I've had Nottingham finish in <48 hours without temp control (i.e. sitting at an ambient 70°F).

Remember, if the ambient temp is 68°F, that means the temp of the wort/beer was likely closer to 78°F during active fermentation (it's an exothermic process). The top end of the recommended range is 70°F, so you likely just experienced a very quick (but complete) fermentation.

As always, do not use the airlock activity as an indication of whether fermentation is complete or not. Seals may not always be as secure as you think, and air can be escaping other ways.

I agree with mikeshoup - if you are in no rush for this beer to be done, just let it sit there another week or two. If you want it done as soon as possible, the only way to tell will be to take a hydrometer reading and see if it's reached FG yet. Even then, I would check back a day or two later to ensure it hasn't crept any lower and is actually finished.

 

[littlewolfrus]

Just to close this off.
I ended up moving it and used Saran wrap around the lid and it started bubbling shortly after - I like the bubbles. lol

Anyhow, checked the gravity a few days later and it was pretty much dead on.

Thanks for all the advice.