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Main
Date: 03 Jun 2006 02:22:29
From: Shadow998
Subject: Halted Fermentation
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Hello All. I am a bit frustrated with my first batch in ten years. My
yeast has gone on strike! It started out like gangbusters but went dormant?
in about 8 hours. This has never happened before in about 20 batches of
beer. However, in the previous batches, I used lager yeast and fermented in
a fridge.
My current batch:
7lbs amber malt extract (liquid)
1.5 oz Cascade Boiling
1 oz Hallertauer finishing
SG 1.050
(I sterilized everything with boiling water--no bleach to kill the yeast.)
I directly pitched one package of Doric ale yeast when cool. Wort temp 75
degrees--yes warm. No fridge. Day 2, I made up a starter from two packages
of Doric, aerated the wort and pitched it. Again, going like gangbusters
then stopped in a few hours.
Today, Day 3. There is no sign of activity; gravity is 1.022, and I
seriously doubt it is done.
Any clues as to what I did wrong? The temp is my first guess, but what do
you all think?
How can I save my beer?!?!?!?!?
Thanks.
Russ (looking for a cheap fridge!)
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Date: 03 Jun 2006 03:42:21
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:22:29 GMT, <hrd998cc@yahoo.nospam.com > wrote:
> Hello All. I am a bit frustrated with my first batch in ten years. My
> yeast has gone on strike! It started out like gangbusters but went dormant?
> in about 8 hours. This has never happened before in about 20 batches of
> beer. However, in the previous batches, I used lager yeast and fermented in
> a fridge.
>
> My current batch:
>
> 7lbs amber malt extract (liquid)
> 1.5 oz Cascade Boiling
> 1 oz Hallertauer finishing
> SG 1.050
>
> (I sterilized everything with boiling water--no bleach to kill the yeast.)
>
> I directly pitched one package of Doric ale yeast when cool. Wort temp 75
> degrees--yes warm. No fridge. Day 2, I made up a starter from two packages
> of Doric, aerated the wort and pitched it. Again, going like gangbusters
> then stopped in a few hours.
>
> Today, Day 3. There is no sign of activity; gravity is 1.022, and I
> seriously doubt it is done.
>
> Any clues as to what I did wrong? The temp is my first guess, but what do
> you all think?
>
> How can I save my beer?!?!?!?!?
I don't think it was the temp. 75F is warm for fermentation, but only
because of the off flavors it will create. The yeast will actually be
more active at that temp, so IMO it's not the issue.
Do you have any idea what brand of extract you used? The brand can make
a big difference in what the FG will be. You're only at around 56%
attenuation, which is pretty low, but there are brands of extract that
will cause that.
I don't have any first hand experience with Doric yeast, but I've heard some
not so good things about it from other posters in the past. Have you had
success with it before?
John.
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Date: 03 Jun 2006 04:09:56
From: Shadow998
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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John, No, I have never used Doric (or any) ale yeast before in favor of
lager yeasts and longer, cold fermentations. No idea of the brand of
extract either; it was bulk out of the barrel. I'll call the brew shop
tomorrow and ask. This batch was a spur of the moment, run to the brew
store and spend 60 bucks on new equipment and ingredients, not to mention
the further cost of getting my CO2 bottles (15 and 10lb) re-hydro'd and
filled. :-)
My Cornelius kegs are cleaned and ready for a batch much like being all
dressed up and nowhere to go! In any case, I will scour the local sale
paper for a nice, used small fridge this weekend and get ready for a long,
slow lager batch like the great (and even marginal) batches of years ago. I
just hate to toss the current batch; should I just let it sit for a week or
try something else?
Thanks for the help.
Russ
Bikes, Beer and Amateur Radio
"John 'Shaggy' Kolesar" <spam@shagg.net > wrote in message
news:slrne821as.858.spam@weizen.shagg.net...
> On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:22:29 GMT, <hrd998cc@yahoo.nospam.com> wrote:
>> Hello All. I am a bit frustrated with my first batch in ten years. My
>> yeast has gone on strike! It started out like gangbusters but went
>> dormant?
>> in about 8 hours. This has never happened before in about 20 batches of
>> beer. However, in the previous batches, I used lager yeast and fermented
>> in
>> a fridge.
>>
>> My current batch:
>>
>> 7lbs amber malt extract (liquid)
>> 1.5 oz Cascade Boiling
>> 1 oz Hallertauer finishing
>> SG 1.050
>>
>> (I sterilized everything with boiling water--no bleach to kill the
>> yeast.)
>>
>> I directly pitched one package of Doric ale yeast when cool. Wort temp
>> 75
>> degrees--yes warm. No fridge. Day 2, I made up a starter from two
>> packages
>> of Doric, aerated the wort and pitched it. Again, going like gangbusters
>> then stopped in a few hours.
>>
>> Today, Day 3. There is no sign of activity; gravity is 1.022, and I
>> seriously doubt it is done.
>>
>> Any clues as to what I did wrong? The temp is my first guess, but what
>> do
>> you all think?
>>
>> How can I save my beer?!?!?!?!?
>
> I don't think it was the temp. 75F is warm for fermentation, but only
> because of the off flavors it will create. The yeast will actually be
> more active at that temp, so IMO it's not the issue.
>
> Do you have any idea what brand of extract you used? The brand can make
> a big difference in what the FG will be. You're only at around 56%
> attenuation, which is pretty low, but there are brands of extract that
> will cause that.
>
> I don't have any first hand experience with Doric yeast, but I've heard
> some
> not so good things about it from other posters in the past. Have you had
> success with it before?
>
>
> John.
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Date: 03 Jun 2006 07:54:51
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 04:09:56 GMT, <hrd998cc@yahoo.nospam.com > wrote:
> just hate to toss the current batch; should I just let it sit for a week or
> try something else?
I can't spot anything from your description that would cause it to stop
early. IMO, let it sit for a week, it can't hurt anything. See if the
gravity continues to drop.
John.
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Date: 05 Jun 2006 13:55:45
From: Shadow998
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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John asked what extract I used. It is: Alexander's Liquid Malt Extract
Amber. 80 Brix.
I saw one bubble through the lock last nite; hopefully it was not merely a
result of lower barometric pressure! (smile)
Russ
"John 'Shaggy' Kolesar" <spam@shagg.net > wrote in message
news:slrne821as.858.spam@weizen.shagg.net...
> On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:22:29 GMT, <hrd998cc@yahoo.nospam.com> wrote:
>> Hello All. I am a bit frustrated with my first batch in ten years. My
>> yeast has gone on strike! It started out like gangbusters but went
>> dormant?
>> in about 8 hours. This has never happened before in about 20 batches of
>> beer. However, in the previous batches, I used lager yeast and fermented
>> in
>> a fridge.
>>
>> My current batch:
>>
>> 7lbs amber malt extract (liquid)
>> 1.5 oz Cascade Boiling
>> 1 oz Hallertauer finishing
>> SG 1.050
>>
>> (I sterilized everything with boiling water--no bleach to kill the
>> yeast.)
>>
>> I directly pitched one package of Doric ale yeast when cool. Wort temp
>> 75
>> degrees--yes warm. No fridge. Day 2, I made up a starter from two
>> packages
>> of Doric, aerated the wort and pitched it. Again, going like gangbusters
>> then stopped in a few hours.
>>
>> Today, Day 3. There is no sign of activity; gravity is 1.022, and I
>> seriously doubt it is done.
>>
>> Any clues as to what I did wrong? The temp is my first guess, but what
>> do
>> you all think?
>>
>> How can I save my beer?!?!?!?!?
>
> I don't think it was the temp. 75F is warm for fermentation, but only
> because of the off flavors it will create. The yeast will actually be
> more active at that temp, so IMO it's not the issue.
>
> Do you have any idea what brand of extract you used? The brand can make
> a big difference in what the FG will be. You're only at around 56%
> attenuation, which is pretty low, but there are brands of extract that
> will cause that.
>
> I don't have any first hand experience with Doric yeast, but I've heard
> some
> not so good things about it from other posters in the past. Have you had
> success with it before?
>
>
> John.
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Date: 05 Jun 2006 15:29:46
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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On Mon, 05 Jun 2006 13:55:45 GMT, <nospam.hrd998cc@yahoo.com > wrote:
> John asked what extract I used. It is: Alexander's Liquid Malt Extract
> Amber. 80 Brix.
Alexander's is one I've seen mixed opinions on. Some sources say that is
is very unfermentable which will leave you with a low FG. Other sources
I've seen say that they've had good luck with it and it ferments fine.
> I saw one bubble through the lock last nite; hopefully it was not merely a
> result of lower barometric pressure! (smile)
It had only been 3 days when you measured 1.022. IMO let it go for a week
and then measure the SG again. If it's still 1.022, then start to worry.
John.
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Date: 05 Jun 2006 17:33:31
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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On 5 Jun 2006 15:29:46 GMT, <spam@shagg.net > wrote:
> On Mon, 05 Jun 2006 13:55:45 GMT, <nospam.hrd998cc@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> John asked what extract I used. It is: Alexander's Liquid Malt Extract
>> Amber. 80 Brix.
>
> Alexander's is one I've seen mixed opinions on. Some sources say that is
> is very unfermentable which will leave you with a low FG. Other sources
> I've seen say that they've had good luck with it and it ferments fine.
Sorry, had a disconnect between my fingers and brain. The second sentence
should say "Some sources say that it is very unfermentable which will leave
you with a *HIGH* FG".
John.
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Date: 03 Jun 2006 04:29:04
From: Dick Adams
Subject: Re: Halted Fermentation
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Shadow998 <hrd998cc@yahoo.nospam.com > wrote:
> Hello All. I am a bit frustrated with my first batch in ten years. My
> yeast has gone on strike! It started out like gangbusters but went dormant?
> in about 8 hours. This has never happened before in about 20 batches of
> beer. However, in the previous batches, I used lager yeast and fermented in
> a fridge.
>
> My current batch:
>
> 7lbs amber malt extract (liquid)
> 1.5 oz Cascade Boiling
> 1 oz Hallertauer finishing
> SG 1.050
>
> (I sterilized everything with boiling water--no bleach to kill the yeast.)
>
> I directly pitched one package of Doric ale yeast when cool. Wort temp 75
> degrees--yes warm. No fridge. Day 2, I made up a starter from two packages
> of Doric, aerated the wort and pitched it. Again, going like gangbusters
> then stopped in a few hours.
>
> Today, Day 3. There is no sign of activity; gravity is 1.022, and I
> seriously doubt it is done.
>
> Any clues as to what I did wrong? The temp is my first guess, but what do
> you all think?
>
> How can I save my beer?!?!?!?!?
You made it on Day 1. On Day 2, the OG was 1.050 and you pitched
the starter. On Day 3, the SG is 1.022.
A one day drop of .028 is nice. But fermentations take longer
one day. I let worts ferment for 5 days minimum. Lack of bubbles
in the airlock only indicates that vigorous fermentation has
ceased. Fermentation my be continuing. Only an hydrometer can
tell you that. My suggestion is to come back on Day 6 (Day 5 of
fermentation) and take another reading.
Dick
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