Stout of Death?

[Brew_George]

Hi all,

After concocting a BIAB Stout based mostly on an online recipe I'm having some problems with activity. I made a yeast starter on the day but after pitching the yeast at 25'C nothing obvious was happening (hydrometer reading and no Krausen) after a whole week. So I bought some more yeast this past weekend and (being slightly impatient) pitched again without making a starter this second time.

Still nothing is happening! Have I done something terribly wrong? The recipe/details are below:

17 Litre batch:

2kg Pale malt
225g Roasted Barley
115g Dark Malt
115g Wheat flaked
50g EK Goldings
25g Hallertau Hops

70'C Strike water
65'C Mash for 75mins

60min boil, 50grams EK Goldings hop addition
15min 25 grams Hallertau hop addition

 

[RobWalker]

i know this is a daft question but....have you checked it hasn't fermented? my stouts have often finished overnight...

if you're worried about infection, you can boil it again :thumb:

 

[pittsy]

The only thing i can think of is darker malts have less amino acids which are vital for healthy yeast , but with that amount of pale malt you should be fine :wha: and you say you have done a hydrometer just now (have you checked it in water ? 1000) 25c a little warm but wouldn't kill the yeast , no idea

 

[Brew_George]

Thanks all,

What I might do is re-boil it... maybe add an extra 1kg of pale malt that I could mash separately and add before I boil the rest of the wort?

Then re-pitch another yeast starter.. see whats what!

One question:
When I re-boil the wort should I add all the contents of the fermenter (trub and all)????

Many thanks.

 

[jonnymorris]

I would leave the trub behind.

Silly question but I assume you've got it at a good temperature?

 

[RobWalker]

i would happily add a scoop of the trub. it's full of protein and in america, it's quite commonplace to add a big tablespoon to the keg to help with a healthy secondary fermentation.

but most of it can sod off, certainly :

 

[ScottM]

Stupid question, but if there was a trub wouldn't that point to fermentation?

 

[jonnymorris]

Stupid question, but if there was a trub wouldn't that point to fermentation?

Not if its break material from the boil.

 

[ScottM]

Stupid question, but if there was a trub wouldn't that point to fermentation?

Not if its break material from the boil.

Ahh, I thought that was left behind when transferring

 

[jonnymorris]

Ahh, I thought that was left behind when transferring

Agree that it should be...

 

[jonnymorris]

i would happily add a scoop of the trub. it's full of protein and in america, it's quite commonplace to add a big tablespoon to the keg to help with a healthy secondary fermentation.

Presumably because its full of yeast. If the yeast in this scenario is not healthy and you're going to re-boil anyway I see little point in transferring any trub back to the boiler.

 

[Brew_George]

Hi all,
Just to update anyone moderately interested that after adding the second lot of yeast and waiting a week it has fermented out to 1.009!!

No idea what/how this happened but happy it did :)

Racking into secondary today and adding coffee beans, should be fun.

 

[winelight]

I very occasionally get this kind of situation, I just sprinkle on a teaspoon of yeast and leave it another week, so far it's always solved the problem, glad it worked out for you too.

 

[RobWalker]

glad to hear it. beer can be weird at the best of times.

jonnymorris - good to know! cheers.