Staled Ferm Help!

[AlzHighmer]

Did a double batch of Muntons Cerv. 2 cans LME & 8 lbs. dme some hops.
Boiled 6 gals. Put 3 gals each tap water in sanitized ferm buckets over nite to bring it to about 70 deg. Cooled wort to below 80 deg. Let drop 3ft. to ferm bucket and stirred to help aerate, (maybe not enough). Hydrated 2 pacs Muntons yeast each and pitched. 3 or 4 hrs. later they kicked off well so I moved to a cooler bathtub. 65 deg. May have gotten cooler overnite. Got some blow of in one. Gave a little shake cleared the hole and put in a clean
air lock. About mid morning they both quit. Moved to a warmer area. they are now about 72 deg. for 12 hrs. 2 bubbles per min in one the other a little better. Painfully slow compared to past batch.

What now? can't re aerate after ferm has started. Am leaving now to drive 180 miles round trip for more yeast.
Leave it alone, ad yeast or ??? Help!

 

[pompeiisneaks]

It's been said before, I'll say it again, ferm lock activity means nothing. The only indicator of fermentation is a beginning and subsequent gravity readings. Your yeast may have gone berserk and finished fermentation already. Your yeast may still be active. Have you taken daily gravity readings to ensure it's stopped or isn't already at a good terminal gravity?

 

[SD-SLIM]

Hello, just leave it alone...dry yeast packets sometimes explode in to overdrive on the first day and then switch back to first for the remainder of the fermentation. As a rule of thumb, you just should leave your beer alone for two weeks (even though its painful to leave your baby this long), but continually opening your fermenter during this period to take gravity readings can introduce bacteria and off strings of yeast that can effect your beer. After the two weeks start taking your gravity readings, keep in mind that when fermentation ends, the yeast will start to clean up after themselves for a few more days...here is a good resource for questions you might have about the yeast and/or fermentation process: http://www.howtobrew.com/sitemap.html

 

[AlzHighmer]

Thanks for the replies pompeiisneaks & SD-SLIM. Turns out I've read that info in the past more than once and it just did'nt sink in. Old age is a terrible thing.

Palmer does seem to contradict himself by saying watch airlock activity to gauge time for secondary ferm and in another paragraph saying to ignore it as you pointed out.

This site is actually 99% repeat. I'm guessing you still like helping the brew challenged such as myself because you still answer our questions. And as he says on Tosh.o We thank you for that!

SD-SLIM Thats funny- "leave my baby alone" Last batch fermed in my bedroom
and that blup blup blup of the airlock bubbles is more comforting than annoying.

Vic

 

[Pick]

Hey Alz, do you know those logger guys on TV?

 

[ThePearsonFam]

Alz,

Grew up in Scarborough, ME... Good to see another Mainiac. Currently stationed in Norfolk, VA. Can't wait to get back to the farm in ME tho.