Have we wrecked this beer?

[RachelM]

Ok. I’ll bring it up a notch temp wise.
I took the sample via a tap. I haven’t tested my hydrometer.
I thought as it was a physical test rather than a digital/tech based test it was fairly accurate.
I’ll test again on Wed and if it hasn’t dropped i’ll pitch some US 05.
I presume the instructions for pitching that if the beer has stalled are on the packet...or do I need to do anything specific given that there is already significant alcohol content?

I’m consoling myself with the fact that we opened our first ever bottle of our first AG brew tonight after 2 weeks of bottle conditioning and a week in the fridge. It was absolutely delicious and perfectly carbonated so we must be doing something right!

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

Hi!

Ok. I’ll bring it up a notch temp wise.
I took the sample via a tap. I haven’t tested my hydrometer.
I thought as it was a physical test rather than a digital/tech based test it was fairly accurate.
I’ll test again on Wed and if it hasn’t dropped i’ll pitch some US 05.
I presume the instructions for pitching that if the beer has stalled are on the packet...or do I need to do anything specific given that there is already significant alcohol content?

I’m consoling myself with the fact that we opened our first ever bottle of our first AG brew tonight after 2 weeks of bottle conditioning and a week in the fridge. It was absolutely delicious and perfectly carbonated so we must be doing something right!

It will still taste good if you do nothing, but opening and closing is not the said thing to do,even though, i use a method called rousing, which is stirring the yeast daily after 4 days but only with specific yeast.
I found this online:
For beers with higher original gravity of 1050 we recommend two vials or the preparation of a starter in 1 liter of water. For initial density greater than 1070 we recommend 3 vials or the preparation of a starter in 2 liters of water.

 

[RachelM]

Well we’ve obviously inadvertently underpitched. It’s only our second AG brew but it would be helpful if instructions like that were on the packet/tube.
Hey ho. You live and learn.
Thanks for all the help!

 

[BREWERS DROOP]

Try doing a starter next time with liquid yeast, you will get a better result

 

[RachelM]

Will do... off to buy a conical flask... (because we haven’t spent enough already obviously!)

 

[foxbat]

Using a hydrometer and mashed at 65.
What does “massive underpitch” mean? Does that refer to the temp drop?
In terms of the yeast we exactly followed the instructions on the yeast tube, we had more yeast than required for our volume. The pack said no starter required. We got it out of the fridge 6 hours before.
Sorry, i’m confused...

White Labs liquid yeasts contain 100bn cells at packaging date. They have a 6 month best before. Therefore yours was manufactured on 16 May. Your brewday was on 30 September. Entering the manufacturing date and your brewday date into an online yeast starter calculator shows your yeast was 35% viable on brewday. It had 35bn cells remaining and you needed 230bn for a healthy fermentation of 20 litres of 1.060 wort. That's a very big underpitch and certainly the reason for the stalled ferment.

To get where you needed to be you would have needed to prepare a first stage 500ml starter (using a stirplate) and then stepped up with a further 1 litre. That would have got you to 247bn cells with a sensible innoculation rate. You could possibly have done it with a single 1.5 litre starter but the innoculation rate would have been borderline low.

[edit] Your beer is not ruined or lost in any way. Just pitch some rehydrated S05 and it should finish the job for you

 

[foxbat]

Will do... off to buy a conical flask... (because we haven’t spent enough already obviously!)

Try Cream Supplies. They have the cheapest and delivery is sensibly priced. Definitely get a 2 litre - the 'Academy' brand has a nice flat base that works well on a stir plate. A 3 litre is handy if you ever get into lagers but they don't seem to have them in stock at the moment.

 

[RachelM]

Wow! That yeast starter calculation is v useful - sadly i’m still a few steps down from that level on my learning curve!

 

[RachelM]

So how much S 05? Enough for the whole volume? Do I literally rehydrate it as per instructions (10 x weight sterile water) and lobb it in and stir gently... or do I need to make up a starter with it using DME and yeast nutrient?
Please bear with me... this was only our second AG brew...

 

[Bigcol49]

So how much S 05? Enough for the whole volume? Do I literally rehydrate it as per instructions (10 x weight sterile water) and lobb it in and stir gently... or do I need to make up a starter with it using DME and yeast nutrient?
Please bear with me... this was only our second AG brew...

Hi!
Don't make a starter with dried yeast!
Rehydrate in cooled, boiled water and pitch into your wort.
The other thing to consider is accepting your brew as is and trying again with improved knowledge. It will be beer, but not quite what you were aiming for. It may actually suit your taste.
Experience is the name we give to our mistakes - Oscar Wilde.

 

[jeg3]

Another pitfall to watch for is bottling an under-attenuated beer and the resultant bottle bombs.

I recently brewed a porter and a dark bitter with MJ M15 empire ale, which is a low attenuating English ale yeast. The porter was bottled and was massively over carbonated, even when chilled to near freezing. The bitter was served from a king keg and was all foam.

I would definitely try to get to the desired FG rather than bottle it now

 

[RachelM]

I had already had the same concerns about bottling this beer. Our last batch was perfectly carbonated and we’re committed to bottling this batch rather than doing anything else with it.
We will try some rehydrated dried yeast on Wed if there’s been no change....

 

[RachelM]

Interestingly it’s gone from 1024 to just a fraction below 1020. It’s now at 23 degrees and it tastes nice but now a bit effervescent and full of tiny bubbles...
fingers crossed.
Already done the yeast calculation for our next brew though!