First ever non-starter?

[spittybug]

I don't want to be that guy. The one that always asks "does this look infected?" or "why don't I see bubbles?". I've been brewing for years without doing so. I have a bit of a head scratcher right now though. I brewed up a quick 5 gallons of what is supposed to become a Biere de Garde. 1.064, nothing odd about brew day or ingredients. I have the corny (large diameter blow off hose) sitting in ~72* room. I pitched what turned out to be an old (didn't notice) pack of Safbrew S-33 yeast. I got a few bubbles after a few hours and it kept going for about 12 hours then abruptly stopped dead. No way it was done. Waited 2 days. Nothing, not even rousting. Real low yeast viability I reasoned. Opened up, tasted.. still very sweet, so no it didn't ferment it. Pitched a fresh pack of Mangrove Jack M-47 Abbey, doesn't expire for many months. 48 more hours and still nothing. I've never had this before....wort was well aerated. Does this perhaps want even warmer temps, I'm right in the range it wants though, 64-77?

Meanwhile in the ferm cabinet, 10 gallons of Kolsch are chugging along like nobody's business at 63*. Started in 12 hours or so, per my usual.

Ah, yeast.

 

[RM-MN]

It's time for a hydrometer reading. Bubbles are only a way to see if there is an exchange of gas.

 

[spittybug]

Agreed. I used the tastebud hydrometer and it is very sweet wort.

 

[spittybug]

Still nothing..... Looks like it will have to wait and then get pitched on top of the yeast cake in the conical once the Kolsch comes out. Who knows what that will be....

 

[spittybug]

6 days after pitching the second pack I now have ~ 6-8 bubbles per minute. I'm refraining from opening the corny to take a reading as I don't want to risk any infection with such a slow starting fermentation. House is at 73 or so degrees and the yeast should have been going gangbusters days ago. It's been my experience that the Mangrove Jack yeast like VERY warm temps (for the Belgian stuff), but my only other option is in the garage which is closer to 90*. Keg was clean and sanitized with Starsan. No adjunct in grain bill. No odd hops. Nothing that I believe could have "poisoned" the wort. In all my years of brewing, this is a first for me. Makes me appreciate the ones that start in 12 hours!

 

[spittybug]

1.020 and appears done. Leaving for a few more days since it should be 5 points or so lower. What an odd fermentation this has been.

 

[togodoug]

I’m trying to learn from what happened to you. Did you re pitch and then just wait six days?

 

[spittybug]

Sorry, so long ago that I don't remember. These days I have a dedicated refrigerator for the fermenter, TILT to monitor everything and always do a starter for the yeast. I mash at 148 - 150, keep the pH ~5.3 and add a bit of amylase to the mash. So far so good. I also keep some champagne yeast on hand to pitch if necessary but haven't needed to do so. Can't remember my last stall, perhaps it was the one above?