Another Stalled Fermentation

Ingredients
1

Hello everyone,

This is my first adventure in brewing, so I figured something would go awry. I bought the ingredients for an ESB, making my own mash, but still using LME and DME. Everything seemed to be going to fine. I was making sure everything was sanitized, I boiled for an hour, then let it cool down for the next 40 minutes. Once at 70 degrees, I pitched a vial of White Labs liquid English ale yeast and let it sit.

I wait about 36 hours and I don’t see any activity, so I pop the lid open to check and I see krausen. The tip of my airlock is in it, which would explain the lack of bubbling. As I try to readjust the airlock, the rubber piece that holds it in place popped out, leaving my airlock really sitting in the krausen (I had resanitized it before putting it back in). It’s sitting on the hole comfortably though, looking like nothing could really get in, but it wasn’t airlocked so it could still breathe.

Over the next few days, I do further research (nothing in particular, just reading different forums and web pages) and read a lot about how liquid yeast isn’t that great, especially if only using one vial like I did. So being super ambitious and wanting the best beer (and not consulting anyone before hand), I buy some Safale s-04 dry ale yeast. I also bought yeast nutrient as well. I put the nutrient in the container I’m rehydrating the yeast in, give it 15 minutes, and I have my rehyrdrated yeast. In the mean time though, I did sample a small glass of my beer, which tasted pretty good, although flat. As the rehydration was going on, I began aerating my wort for about 5 minutes. I then pitched it, then aerated for about another minute. I resealed and put the airlock back in place (I also bought the rubber piece so it could properly fit in place).

Here I am 36 hours later again, curious about my beer. I checked when I woke up this morning and there is no activity in the bubbler, so I cracked the lid and there is no krausen either. So, I just wanna know if my over-ambition screwed me over, or if the beer is fine and the original batch of yeast used all the nutrients leaving nothing behind for the new ones. I’m hoping it’s the latter, but I just wanted some insight from folks who know how to brew. Thanks in advance for any help you guys offer.

To put the time into perspective, I brewed last Tuesday, 1/27, I saw the krausen on the evening of Friday, 1/29, and I repitched on Monday, 2/2. Also, I don’t have a hydrometer so I can’t give a gravity reading. I now know it’s important, and will be my next purchase.

2

trying to discern timelines here but cant i see your time frame now. sounds like you made beer-not knowing what OG and what FG, cant really tell you much besides taste it - overly sweet or not, and strange or offensive flavors or smells?

3

So its been three days since brewing? It was probably nearing the end of fermentation and you’d expect to see less activity. A hydrometer would tell you where it is, but without one I’d let it sit and settle for another week to 10 days, then bottle it. I think your fine.

You know what they say - RDWHAHB

4

think he brewed and pitched yeast 1/27, pitched again 2/2 so we’re on day 8.

EDIT: WLP002 pitched at 70F; this puppy is likely done and just cleaning up at this point so leaving it another week is good.

5

I don’t know how I missed the last paragraph. If you saw krausen on Friday, I’d bet it was nearly done before you repitched on Monday.

6

i did the same thing…i thought there was an edit or i didn’t scroll down all the way.

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OP- grab yourself a hydrometer. cant know where you are if you don’t know where you started!

also, 70F pitch is not ideal IMO (unless you were controlling fermentation temps, you likely rose in to mid-upper 70’s). do the recipe again, make a small starter, pitch starter into about 64F wort, and keep fermentation at about 65-66 for first 72hrs, then bring it up to 68-70 to finish off.

8

Thanks for the advice everyone. I’ll grab a hydrometer today and take a reading when I get home from work. As for taste and smell, it smelled like beer and tasted like beer, so I’m happy with that. Also, that’s good information to know for temperatures. I’ll keep that in mind from now on.

So, talk to you guys in a few hours when I know the gravity.

9

Buy some more ingredients while your there. Trust me, it’s an obsession.

10

^^^^ This

11

Just took a reading and it’s 1.010, so I’m guessing it’s done. I’ll still let it sit in the fermenter a few more days. I’m off Sunday, so I’m gonna bottle then.

I know it’s good to let it ferment longer, but why exactly is that? The shop I bought it from had typed their own directions and hand selected the ingredients for this recipe. On their directions it says to let it ferment for 7-10 days. How come everyone else suggests letting it ferment longer?

Also, I bought the ingredients for a whiskey barrel stout. I’m feeling really ambitious and will be begin brewing Sunday after I finish bottling.

12

I’m a little afraid of oxidation here. If I read your post correctly you re aerated for 6 minutes after 36 hours of fermentation. Generally speaking, once you pitch yeast you want to avoid introducing oxygen to the beer. As others have said with the elevated pitching temp you likely has finished beer before you pitched the s-04. I’m afraid your beer is going to taste like wet paper before long. However, if it doesn’t that will be really interesting to hear. Please post back after another taste test.

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So, it’s your first batch. Don’t sweat it. You made beer! It won’t be the best beer you ever tried but it will be your beer! Brewing is a craft. I have been brewing 20 years and I’m still perfecting the craft. If this is something you feel you want to turn into a hobby then you are off to a great start.

Just to correct you on “liquid yeast isn’t that great”, liquid yeast is better than dry yeast in many ways. But for a new brewer dry yeast is probably the best bet. It is much easier to handle and you can make excellent beer with dry yeast.

Finally, I can’t recommend a good homebrewing book highly enough. Forums are great, truly invaluable, but there is so much to learn. Check out www.howtobrew.com and at least read the on-line version.

14

Gooooood.