yeast stalled?

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kneemoe

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Hi,
well, this is my first post, and probably my 5th or 6th batch.... i brewed a stout late friday (a guiness clone) pitched the yeast before i went to sleep and by morning things were raging and bubbling and generally looking good. i opened up the fermenter to take a look saturday evening, had a nice firm head forming, temp was 78 degrees F and i was pleased, until sunday afternoon that is - i think the yeast have stalled out considerably, the airlock bubbles only about once every 25-30 seconds now and i'm getting a little worried, and the batch reached at least 82 degrees. i've put it in a cooler place and its since dropped back down to 78, tho i'd like to get it cooler still.
i guess my question is, do you think this batch is a goner? is there any way to re-envigorate the yeast, or could i pitch another package in there without worrying? and more the point, any ideas why this happenned? was it just the heat or should i have not openned up the ferment bucket?
thanks in advance for any help/advice,
dan wolfe
 
really? in 2 days? i don't have the numbers on hand right now (at work) but its a 5 gallon batch with over 6 lbs of extract + the grain/malt...
not that i don't believe you, this is my first go at a batch of stout. ;)

and just to add some info, i just used the dry yeast that came in the kit

thanks again for the help :)
 
With a fermentation temp that high, it is likely that it is done already. Like Pistolero said, take a gravity reading. I think you'll find that it has completed fermentation.
 
Great! thanks guys, you've eased my mind for the day :)
I'll check it as soon as i get home and with a little luck i'll get to rack it and maybe even start a new batch of something else. does anyone use corny kegs as a secondary? I've got a couple 'extra' for a few weeks (until i can get more beer brewed) and was thinking the SS would be perfect and i could just use some hose and a milk jug as a make shift airlock.

I'll update the thread tomorrow or later tonight with an SG reading if the yeast are still as slow as they were yesterday.
thanks again!
dan
 
alright! skipped outta work a little early to check things out :)
SG's all the way down to 1.018 (at 74 degrees now), so i'm thinking its time to rack it....sound about right?
 
Some will say now, some will say wait a couple more days. I say...Just feel the beer kneemoe. You'll know what to do :cool:
 
LOL, it tastes about right -na-na-na-na :D (for an unaged beer)
thanks a bunch for the helping hand :)
Dan
 
I say rack it. You'll get another short round of fermentation in secondary and the gravity should drop a touch more. Bottle or keg when you get around 1.010 or so.
 
vtfan99 said:
Whats the FG supposed to be? It is a stout, so 1.018 could be right on the money...just depends on the recipe.

the recipe doesn't actually say, but i figured it'd be a little on the heavy side being a stout, and like i said b4, it sure tastes right :D
i think i'll rack it in an hour or so once i get some things cleaned up so i can run another batch (no need to have equiptment just *sitting* around now is there?)
thanks for the help guys, i''ll let ya'll know if anything goes wrong with it, otherwise my next post should be, mmm, this is tasty stuff :)
 
even better :)

2 x 3.3 lb dark malt extract
1/3 lb roasted barley
1/3 lb black patent
1/2 lb crystal malt
and 2 ounces of fuggles
 
got a brand name for that liquid extract?

edit: scratch that...shouldn't affect it too much. From what I can guess, it looks like your FG should be more in the neighborhood or 1.012. So you're pretty darn close.
 
actually, its Coopers :)
but thanks, that sounds about right then with two weeks in the secondary to go, i'll think i'll rack it :D
w00h00, and i was *so* worried about having to chuck this batch out this morning
 
I have been brewing 12 years and I had a similar experiance this morning.
Three primarys are in the brewery ferminting, {13th 16th and 17th brewed.}
Same yeast, {Ale}
#1 and #2 are bubble-ing but not much.
#3 brewed last night is karousening up big time, the other two have clean glass sides to the carboy, like it was just washed.
Same recipes, same yeast, same brewer {me.} same temperature.

Why would two batched behave differently?
And why did the first two not leave the jug all covered with dried karousen?


Exactly the same 'stuff' same temps, {???}


But profoundly different rates or styles of fermintation.


{?????}



Knife
 
did you boil it all as one batch?
the only thing i could think of was if you used the same recipe, but did seperate boils maybe you had a little change in the one batch? so that maybe you ended up with different protein levels or something?
beyond that - you got me! :confused:
---------------------------
edit : yeah, seems i need to work on my reading comprehension :D
so, two diff. batches but of the same stuff, hopefully someone more knowledgable will hop in here and explain.
 
It is what I would have referred to 12 years ago, as a stuck fermintation.
But I realize them yeasts are little critters, they hydrate, and start eating.
If everything else is the same, their is no reason two of three batches would 'behave oddly'. {Santation was perferct.}
Or is there?
Is the free will of the little yeast critters strong enough to overcome the yeast factorys desire for them to behave in a predictably even manner.
Does the full moon have anything to do with it?
Would my friend from 1959's dog,
{the 4th grade}
would 'Deers' behavior, ie
'killing a mess of my guineas last night affect the yeasts behavior?'
It did mine.
Hmmmm.


Knife
 
I just had an idea...

I am used to using bleach.
Everybody knows bleach leaves 'bleach residue.'
Now, the carboys have been brushed out on the insides,
And the idophor has been used and their is no spent karousen stuck to he sides of my carboy, and I am worried..
The #1 & #2 batch is unusually quiet however.
Hmmmm...


J. Knife
 
Update,

Three batches,
brewed 4-5 days apart,
One is red???
and flat
One is dark brown, {like I am used to}
but also flat???

#3 is all karousened up, the interior of the carboy is...
Looks like it will stick to the glass and so the
{idaphor vs bleach powder residue question is therefore moot}

What is the reason for the profoundly different behavior from the little yeast critters?


Having been a homebrewer 12 years I know it will all be good ale,
{sanitation of course was perfect.}
And it will all be good tasting and I will cop me a good buzz and fall out.

But it is innteresting from a zymerlogical standpoint.

Whats happening in there?



J. Knife
 
well - just wanted to update everyone -
the stout, tho maybe a little young still, is excellent. a very smooth, creamy stout, not overly dry or sharp from the quick fermentation. the head on it is great, especially for not putting any kind of artifical head retainers in there. I'll post the recipe for it shortly...as i always wait for a good taste before i'd offer up a recipe.

the one 'odd' thing i did with this beer, was the way i kegged it - before i fermented i put aside a ball jar of wert (next time it wont be quite as much) in the fridge and used it to carbonate the keg.

w00ps - first half pitcher wanted to explode out that tap, i pulled the blow off and everything smoothed out aftr that. well, live and learn :D

thanks again for the help folks!
 
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