How to fire up fermentation (I should know this...)

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by GeeL, Nov 30, 2012.

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  1. GeeL

    GeeL Initiate (0) Aug 27, 2008 Massachusetts

    Hi. I should know this by now, but wondering how I can fire up fermentation again. I have a Mild ale that seems to have tapered off a little soon. OG was 1.052, it's at 1.020 after a little more than a week. I fermented at 65 for 3 full days then let it go. It got chilly so it's been at 61-62 since then (4 days). Yeast is WLP002, so should go a wee bit lower.

    My mash tun "bit it" and is all warped 'n stuff so doesn't hold heat. Because of that I mashed in really hot, like 160 or so. Could this have been so hot that a significant amount of unfermentables are in the beer?

    Too many questions. My main one is: can I get the yeast fired up to do more of their yeasty thing if I bring the temp up warmer (part 1 of the question, which I'm sure is yes) without getting all types of fusel alcohols (my main question).

    Thanks
     
  2. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    raise the temp and give 'er a little shake. Nothing above 70 or 72F. Don't open the lid, just a very gentle swirl for a few seconds. 160 is a mash out temp. Conversion halts at this temp and you may be stuck with a high FG.

    You may also consider adding some Notty or some 05 yeast to see if it will chew a little more sugar out of your beer. Hydrate either of these before pitching.
     
  3. Agold

    Agold Maven (1,287) Mar 13, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Why wouldn't you raise the temp over 72 on a beer that has already attenuated ~60%. It cooled off, by probably close to 5 degrees and 002 throws a lot of diacetyl. at the very least it should be warmer to clean that up. I would have no problem going up to 74-75?

    Another thing you might be able to do is add a bit of yeast energizer. Its good for stuck fermentations.
     
  4. mychalg9

    mychalg9 Pooh-Bah (2,123) Apr 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes raise the temp. You're probably safe to open it up and stir gently, as long as you keep everything sanitized. If necessary, pitch more yeast, as a last resort. There's a chance its fully fermented already, but I'd be wary to bottle without trying a few alternatives first.
     
  5. america2021

    america2021 Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2009 New York

    i'm in a very similar situation. oatmeal stout og 1.055 stuck at 1.020 with 1028. was down to 1.020 after 4 days and still there after 2 weeks- started fermentation at 62 (was a slurry and feared blowoff as volume was high in the bucket) raised to 66 over 3 days.

    i'm on a bit of a timeline as a case is going up to buffalo for a friend's wedding new year's weekend. had roused the yeast and raised temp to no effect. pitched rehydrated s-04 to try to take it down a bit more.

    as a fail-safe i'm brewing another 3 gal tomorrow in the event i need to blend.

    as noted your mash temp was high and all available sugars may have been utilized. how about the taste? is it overwhelmingly sweet and cloying?
     
  6. DanimalFL

    DanimalFL Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2012 Florida

  7. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    It's amazing that what started out as a joke in BYO (I think) keeps coming back as a real recommendation. Beano would be way more aggressive than the malts's own enzymes were in the mash (whether a normal mash or a too high temp mash). I suppose if you want a beer with very little body, it would actually work though.
     
  8. DanimalFL

    DanimalFL Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2012 Florida

    Ever tried it? I dont think it would hurt a mild, which is supposed to have a light body. I guess a better answer would be to raise the temp, rouse the yeast, if that still doesnt work try amalyse powder.
     
  9. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    No, I haven't. Have you? I have, however, read about many people's experiments ending in failure.
     
  10. DanimalFL

    DanimalFL Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2012 Florida

    I have. It does a great job in lowering the final gravity. A bit too much of a great job. I wouldnt recommend it for any beer that doesnt require a low FG. My buddy had an imperial pumpkin beer that got stuck in the 1.040 range. We hit it with some beano and it dropped a little below the 1.010 range. Its really a last resort type of thing. I would mess with the temp, rousing, re pitching, and amalyse powder first but if youre in a pinch with a small beer it may be worth a try. BYO did do an experiment with it, not sure how serious they were with it. Beano probably shouldnt have been my first suggestion (too early).

    http://www.byo.com/stories/wizard/a...can-lower-the-carbohydrates-what-do-you-think
     
  11. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Heh. Yeah, that was the joke article. It was then followed up (in another issue I think) with a recommendation of using artificial sweetener to restore the lost sweetness.
     
  12. beui

    beui Aspirant (275) Nov 3, 2009 Pennsylvania

  13. udubdawg

    udubdawg Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2006 Kansas

    Without knowing any mash/grist details or anything that would suggest fermentability of your wort, my first thought is that you are simply dealing with the Fullers strain's tendency to drop out as soon as it goes below 65. Although 4 days seems a bit slow for this strain/this gravity to be done anyway. Actually IME it doesn't seem to like reducing temp at all - it gets finicky with me if temp is not constant/increasing throughout fermentation. If in a cool environment I always raise ambient temp to account for the reducing beer temperature as the heat of primary fermentation dies down. I think this strain is great fermented at 68F, warming at the end.

    After it floccs out early, I have never had success swirling it back into suspension or by raising the temperature. This strain and Trappist High Gravity are the worst I've encountered in this respect. They seem to practically paint themselves to the bottom of the fermenter and quit. Obviously YMMV. I take the good with the bad since I love the speed and flavor profile of the strain.

    On a side note, if raising the temp and rousing the yeast does not work, and you bottle condition, I feel like there's a good chance when you awaken the yeast with the priming sugar it'll eat a bit more than you want and you end up with overcarbed beer at best.

    In short, if it does not restart, I'd add a little bit of some sort of fermentable as I warmed to make sure this yeast is truly done before I bottle conditioned. Or after it cleans up most/all that diacetyl, keg and enjoy what you've got.

    cheers--
    --Michael
     
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