Peach Wheat/ No Activity in Secondary

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by JayS2629, Aug 22, 2012.

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  1. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    So, I added five pounds of pureed peach into a 5 gallon, sterlized paint bag in my secondary plastic bucket. Tied it off after racking from primary on top of it all. The bag is floating. The original wheat beer fermented nicely with super yeast. It started at 1.075 and ended at 1.014. Now, the beer has been at 65 degrees for 36 hours and there is no bubbles from the blow off hose. There is no bulging of the lid. Is this something to worry about? If so, what should I do at this point? I saved the yeast slurry in a sanitized jar. Should I put a little of it in the bucket? Should I stir? Try to sink the floating bag?
     
  2. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    I am also wondering....I threw frozen peaches into boiling water for 30 seconds, then took out with a sanitized strainer and put into a sanitized blender. One pound at a time. From there I dumped them in the bucket. I did not cool them down in an ice bath. Is it possible I killed any remaining yeast because the peaches were too hot when I siphoned the beer on top? This leads me to the question I already posed....should I pitch more yeast?
     
  3. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    There is a lot of sugar in peaches... viable yeast should have gone nuts.

    What was the fermentation temp, current temp, and strain of yeast?
     
  4. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    Primary fermentation temp was 65. Current temp is 65. Yeast strain is San Diego Super Yeast. WLP090. Again though...see my second post where I mention that the peaches may have been hot.
     
  5. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    WLP090 should go from 65-68... and it should have plenty of viability at only 8.1% ABV. It should be chomping away on the sugar from the peaches. Perhaps the heat did kill it. You could try pitching some more yeast and also raise the temp up to @67/68F.
     
  6. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    Is it common for it to take 48 hours or more before seeing activity? I just wondered because the super yeast made a very clean beer. I figured most flocculated to the bottom. Perhaps it takes a while for enough yeast in suspension to reproduce enough to cause visible activity?
     
  7. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    You could always draw some wort, and place it in a growler along with some boiled & cooled DME + water, and see if it starts fermenting. It should krausen up, at least a little, if there is any viability left to the yeast... and if there is any left in suspension.

    I have trouble imagining a few hot peaches killing all your yeast though.
    You're already at 8.1%, so time should be on your side to do a few experiments.

    That said, have you taken any gravity readings since you pitched on top of the peaches?
     
  8. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    I have not taken any gravity readings since adding the peaches on Monday night. I will do so tonight. I understand things could have fermented overnight quickly, especially with this being super yeast. However, it is strange that there isn't even a bulge on the lid. I find it hard to believe a few hot peaches killed all the yeast too. It was one pound at a time I put into secondary which should have given them time to cool some, and they went from frozen into boiling water for only 30 seconds or so. It is hard to imagine they got very hot being in there for that short amount of time. Plus they were macerated in a blender before going into the bucket. I don't know.
     
  9. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    What are you fermenting in? An "Ale Pale"?
    If you're doing the 5gal plastic bucket... make sure the lid is on tight.

    I know I've thought my lids were on tight before, when they weren't.
     
  10. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    Yes, an "ale pale". I checked last night and didn't notice any untight lid. I opened it and took a peak. No krausen. I made sure it was tight. Still, no activity this morning.
     
  11. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    Where did the peaches come from? The only other thing I can think of, is that there may have been some preservative or other anti-bacterial on the peaches that killed the yeast, but I think that's pretty unlikely.

    WLP090 should be crushing that fruit sugar.
     
  12. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    Thanks for all the advice. It is driving me crazy. My homebrewing friend says I shouldn't worry about it, but I'm watching the clock so I can check on it when I get home. Anyone else have an opinion on this matter?
     
  13. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    In truth, you don't have to worry about it.
    You hit over 8% abv. The peach juice and chunks are imparting a peach flavor. You're just not gaining any alcohol content. (which we won't know for certain w/o a gravity reading)

    Really, you can just let it sit two weeks and then not worry about it again until it comes time to carb.

    You'll have to take into account the extra sugar from the peaches when you go to bottle, so you don't end up with bombs. You may also have to re-pitch the yeast then. Best to do some experiments now to see what's happening.
     
  14. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    I plan to bring the temp up to 68 and stir things around when I check gravity tonight. If nothing happens, I'm kegging it anyway so no worries on bottle bombs.
     
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  15. VikeMan

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

    I wouldn't literally stir at this point. You don't want to add O2.
     
  16. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    Thanks, I'll just rock the bucket around after I close it back up.
     
  17. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    Good news! Even though I saw no activity, everything is done! Hydrometer reads 1.016, so its fermenting. Tasted a little tart. Will some peach extract sweeten it any?
     
  18. VikeMan

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

    Hold on... you were at 1.014, and now you're at 1.016. Did you take a reading in between those two that was higher (after adding the peaches) that has now attenuated down to 1.016? If so, it's fermenting, but not necessarily (and probably not) done.
     
    ao125 likes this.
  19. JayS2629

    JayS2629 Initiate (0) Oct 23, 2010 Alabama

    I was just assuming that 5 lbs of peaches surely added more than 2 gravity points. Does anyone know how much they should add per pound? Anyway, they are still in there. I'll leave them for a few more days.
     
  20. ao125

    ao125 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2010 Virginia

    I saw that and I was like "wait... what?"... but yeah. I'd like to know what the gravity was after the peaches were added.
     
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