Plinian legacy fermentation.

Your OG was way UNDER the estimated OG of 1.070 (yours was 1.062) so you are going to have LESS malt to balance the bittering hops. Even though the recipe is using hop shots for bittering it will still be relatively more bitter at 1.062. .008 is on the cusp of being significantly off...you'll be OK, but expect a little extra bitterness (not a bad thing for a lot of hopheads) : )

ps Take a look at something called IBU:GU(OG) ratio...one of the more important concepts in designing IPAs. Cheers

pss About time for a 1/2 day ride over to Santa Rosa : )

 

A timely post as I just did a batch of The Plinian Legacy yesterday from Northern Brewer, rather the extract version. I was concerned about the 6 gallon recipe fermenting in a 6.5 gallon bucket so I ran a blow off hose to be safe. Checked this morning a mere 17 hours after I pitched the yeast and there was already kraussen in the blow off and there was some activity. Was disappointed when I went back this afternoon about 24 hours after I pitched because there was literally no activity at all. Temp has been holding around 72 degrees and I used White Labs California Ale WLP001 which preferred temp is 68-73 degrees so I should be good. Didn't make a starter, but used the Mr. Malty pitch calculator and pitched 5 vials.

Any ideas guys?

 

Sounds like you've got the "big picture", now just make some starters and save a little $. : )

 

Was hesitant because I've never made a starter before, but am planning on trying it next batch. Not a first time brewer, but don't have tons of batches under my belt either. Any idea what could be going on here?

 

Damn 5 vials is a lot! But depending on the age and since it's a 5 gallon DIPA recipe I can see it. Since it's only been what 30 hours just be patient. If you are really concerned take a gravity reading today and another in 24 hours. 72 is on the warmer side of the recommendation as the beer could be warmer in the center. Could have just been a quick fermentation. The only way to know is take gravity samples. If the FG is too high and it's finished fermenting than look at your options.

I believe if you pitch too much yeast you lose the growth stage and it hurts fermentation. 5 vials does sound like a lot, but I've never brewed anything over 8%, so I don't really know.

 

It's actually a 6 gallon recipe and the target O.G. is 1.07 and I hit 1.073. Pitch calculator said to pitch 4.1 vials considering the viability of the yeast I was pitching so I don't think I over pitched with 5. I will sit tight, but I am sweating it out a bit. Everything else was perfect... FML!

 

Probably no problem at all...sometimes fermenters don't bubble for whatever reason...not necessarily an indicator of anything other than a leak somewhere in the fermeting bucket/lid.

I would oxygenate anything over 1.070 though...did you do anything to mix in some extra O2?

 

No. Just shook the shit out of the bucket for a few minutes prior to pitching.

 

That would come to $50 at my now defunct LHBS.

 

you really have to make a starter with the White Labs and Wyeast liquid packs. When I made it last year, I only used a single pack of US-05, did primary for 2 weeks, secondary for 2 weeks and then bottled. I got no carbonation after two weeks because it stalled at 1.019.

nowadays if its an imperial ale and I'm using US-05, I always pitch two packs.

 

pinyin - what was the final gravity you were shooting for? I contacted Northern Brewer and they told me around 1.018 should be the target. I opened the bucket today after 3 days and my reading was 1.017 so there's been activity even though I haven't seen anything in the blow off hose.

 

Allow me to suggest 1) the NB contact was clueless and/or 2) the NB kit ain't up to snuff b/c the BYO and HBA recipes both cite 1.011 as the target FG.

 

Interesting.

 

I always shoot for 1.010 with any ale that I've done in a four week timespan. With that kit though, there is so many fermentables that most people underpitch the yeast.

For me it was a lesson learned at least.

 

For what it's worth, when I did the Pliny kit from MoreBeer my FG was 1.018 (OG was 1.083), the kits are quite a bit different though with the MB kit using a half pound of malto.

My Pliny the Younger clone that I put together had an OG of 1.092 and a FG of 1.008, for comparison.