Advice please - heatwave causing problems!

[Snrub]

Hi folks

I brewed a couple of 5 gallon batches of extract recipes just short of 2 weeks ago, one a Ginger Saison with OG 1.062 and a Tripel with OG 1.084.

Fermentation for both took off as expected and had high growth for 3-4 days before dropping off.

I took hydrometer readings on Sunday (day 9) and found that the Saison was still up at 1.038 and the Tripel 1.030. Conclusion, I underpitched, so I added another pack of yeast to each (both were Wyeast liquid yeasts).

24 hours later there was activity in the airlock which I took to be good news, but then I panicked. I ferment in a spare room which normally has a fairly consistent ambient temperate of 18-20 celcius, which both of these yeasts are happy with, but on Monday the temp was up to 24 degrees. So I shifted the brews to a cooler room (ambient temp 21) and covered them in wet blankets to keep the temperature down.

Airlock activity has stopped and hydro readings are pretty much the same - 1.036 for the Saison and 1.028 for the Tripel. So I guess the move was a mistake!

I've just given both a little swirl to try and get the yeast back into suspension, but fear that the change in temp will have stressed the 2nd batch of yeast.

What would you suggest? I have no yeast left, should I source some more and pitch a 3rd pack? Should I give it some more time for the yeast to do it's stuff? Should I look to increase the heat again? Wait for the heatwave to pass and then go for a more moderate warm up? Questions questions!!

Any tips gratefully received. On the plus side, the beers taste fine.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Both of these yeasts should have been fine at higher temperatures, though they can be prone to going dormant if the temperature drops. Give it a swirl and warm them up again...

 

[Snrub]

Update on this post, I'm still having problems!

I followed Linalmeemow's advice and moved them back to the warmer area. Last Sunday, the Saison had dropped to 1.030 and the Tripel to 1.024. The Saison was showing airlock, but not the Tripel.

On Wednesday I recieved a package of ingredients for my next brew, including a spare pack of dried Saison yeast. Beforehand, I tested these 2 brews again and found that neither had shifted since Sunday, so I decided to rehydrate and pitch this spare pack of yeast to both brews - making it 2.5 packs pictched to each fermenter in total.

Again, the Saison has shown plenty of signs of life with surface and airlock bubbling. I can't say the same for the Tripel, but it's harder to spot as there's a layer of dried chamomile on the surface. But the gravitys are still really high - Saison at 1.028 and Tripel at 1.024.

So they're now both entering their 4th week of fermentation in these ungodly conditions, and I could really do with the FV's back for re-use on Thursday (though that's not looking likely now). How on earth can I get them finished off? Surely there's enough yeast in there to eat whatever's available, so does that mean there are no fermentable sugars left in there? Or does the ongoing activity in the Saison say otherwise?

The highest SG I've bottled a beer at before is 1.020, and I don't think I slept a proper nights sleep for the entirity of the 2 weeks they were carbonating for fear of explosions.

Help!!??

Mr Snrub

PS - I know controlling fermentation temperature and pitch rates are the key to avoiding this in the future...

 

[Dutto]

Personally I would open up the FV, add a teaspoonful of Wilco Yeast Nutrient and "beat it like it owed me money" to get the wort re-oxygentaed.

(This is on the basis that you have already added extra yeast, the wort is in the temperature range at which it will work and the SG suggests that there are still sugars available for the yeast to munch on.)

If there was any activity in the airlock within 24 hours I would just leave it to do its stuff. (Tough about Thursday!)

If there was no activity in the airlock after 48 hours I would check the SG and then put it in something with a Pressure Relief Valve (e.g. a Pressure Barrel) with only a tiny amount of carbonation sugar.

Either way, a "stuck" brew is a thing to be avoided whenever possible, as you have now discovered! :thumb:

BTW, I always stick a teaspoonful of Yeast Nutrient into the FV before pitching the yeast.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AX5B...t=&hvlocphy=1006697&hvtargid=pla-445328270594

Not that expensive and since doing this I haven't had a "stuck" brew. :thumb:

 

[NIGHTSKY BREWING]

Next time look at the spec sheet of the yeast you are using............. my last yeast was WLPoo2 whitelabs which is the highest flocculating power on there chart so if you do,nt have a handle on ferm temps it will Drop out some yeasts need waking up "rousing"

Am looking for a Lager cooler......

 

[Leon103]

Just a thought have you tested your hydrometer

 

[foxbat]

For the Tripel 1.084 to 1.024 is 70% attenuation. What's the expected range for the yeast you used? 70% isn't bad at all really and it's probably done and ready for packaging now.

 

[mgrds]

1) check your hydrometer is still calibrated right. Test it in pure water and then mix up a known SG sugar solution with table sugar. Worth every brewer doing this from time to time - I've known one or two off kilter hydrometers (i suspect invisible micro cracks)
2) if it is stuck restart by getting an active starter working the adding the beer to the starter in small doses (NOT the other way round) at top end of range for suggested yeast while agitating and aerating regularly - just about always works !
3) Taste the beer - does it seem over sweet or ok to the taste. If it isn't over sweet than just carry on and cask botttle it and drink it .

 

[Snrub]

Bumping this to update on the results, and to ask a final bit of advice.

I ended up bottling both of these beers, but neither turned out too well.

For the Tripel, I reflected on @foxbat's advice and decided it was ready to bottle. It's OK, but has some off flavours which I guess are a result of the variable fermentation temperature. Hey ho, they'll get supped.

The Saison though is a real problem. After pitching the 3rd pack of yeast, I got steady airlock activity until the end of week 5 when it dropped off, so I cold crashed it for a few days before bottling at 1.020. After 2 weeks carbonation I tried the beer and it was OK, but having tried it a few times over the last couple of weeks it's turned into fizzy soda-beer. Way over-carbonated, pours with a massive head which dissipates immediately, flavour totally ruined (but not foul tasting). I've also found a bottle in the box with the bottom blown off, which I suspect happened while I was away on holiday.

I'm basically thinking I need to ditch the whole batch on health and safety grounds rather than risk a load of bottle bombs - I'm guessing that there was too much yeast left that has carried on working in the bottles. Is that sensible? There's no way they're going to improve if they've deteriorated so much over a couple of weeks is there?

Also - I'm assuming this is just rampant over-carbonation, rather than an infection, given that the taste isn't so noticably 'wrong'?

 

[Dutto]

I'd think that it was bottled too early at 1.020!

It's quite possible for a brew to take weeks to ferment out and/or get stuck.

An AG Oatmeal Stout took from 14/12/2017 to 25/01/2018 (i.e. nearly six weeks) to fall from an OG 1.060 to a FG 1.011.

I transferred it to a Wilco Keg but only introduced 50g of Brewing Sugar as I still thought that it might be suspect and it delivered quite a few pints of pure foam before it delivered a drinkable pint in June!

If you are using capped bottles then I agree with your suggestion of ditching the lot before they become "bottle bombs"...

... and to be extra safe, I suggest that you wear overalls, gloves and goggles (or a full face-mask if you have one handy) when you take off the caps!

 

[Richard_H]

I brewed 2 saisons in this heatwave, my first one finished at 1.004 and the one i bottled last week was 1.002!, without checking my diary i think the SG on both was around 1.060. Saison yeast loves the higher temps and the yeast strain i use is fine up to 32 degrees. Both were around 28 degrees but fairly slow to ferment right out, 3 weeks & 4 weeks