william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
Here's the situation:
2 weeks ago I brewed a batch of pumpkin ale, something I have done many times before. 10# base malt, 2 pounds specialty malt, 1 lb. brown sugar. 1 oz. hops, spices as required. OG 1.065 on the refractometer. Put in the ferm chamber at 77F. Stirred vigorously with a sanitized spoon to aerate. Pitched WLP550 and let it sit for a week. Opened the bucket a week later, no krausen ring, no foam, no signs there was ever yeast in there at all. Refractometer says 1.056. Crap. Got out the power drill and a sanitized paint stirrer, aerated the F*&^ out of it, checked to verify the actual wort temp was the same as the temp controller was reading. Spot on. Left another coupe days still no love. Went back t the LHBS, purchased a fresh packet of WLP 550, pitched and aerated again. End of the third week, still no krausen ring, Refractometer still says 1.056. Bought some iodine to do a starch test and verify conversion was successful. No purple.
Now, here's my dilemma:
I have another batch i was preparing to brew. It's exactly the same yeast, hopps, spices and grains. Only difference is addition of molasses to make it xmas beer. In fact I bought the gran for both batches in the same order. I looked at the 10 pounds in the basement and the crush looks good.
1. Should I trash the pumpkin batch or keg it after another week in the ferm chamber and see how it carbs?
When I brew the second batch, what should I change?
The only thing I can think of is the strike water was a bit warm (170F) when I doughed in. However, the iodine test tells me conversion took place.
I am at a loss.
2 weeks ago I brewed a batch of pumpkin ale, something I have done many times before. 10# base malt, 2 pounds specialty malt, 1 lb. brown sugar. 1 oz. hops, spices as required. OG 1.065 on the refractometer. Put in the ferm chamber at 77F. Stirred vigorously with a sanitized spoon to aerate. Pitched WLP550 and let it sit for a week. Opened the bucket a week later, no krausen ring, no foam, no signs there was ever yeast in there at all. Refractometer says 1.056. Crap. Got out the power drill and a sanitized paint stirrer, aerated the F*&^ out of it, checked to verify the actual wort temp was the same as the temp controller was reading. Spot on. Left another coupe days still no love. Went back t the LHBS, purchased a fresh packet of WLP 550, pitched and aerated again. End of the third week, still no krausen ring, Refractometer still says 1.056. Bought some iodine to do a starch test and verify conversion was successful. No purple.
Now, here's my dilemma:
I have another batch i was preparing to brew. It's exactly the same yeast, hopps, spices and grains. Only difference is addition of molasses to make it xmas beer. In fact I bought the gran for both batches in the same order. I looked at the 10 pounds in the basement and the crush looks good.
1. Should I trash the pumpkin batch or keg it after another week in the ferm chamber and see how it carbs?
When I brew the second batch, what should I change?
The only thing I can think of is the strike water was a bit warm (170F) when I doughed in. However, the iodine test tells me conversion took place.
I am at a loss.