Pitching death????

[Ol' Grog]

Need some advice. I've done about ten brews and this is a first. I got no bubbler activity 48 hours after pitching. The only thing different this time around was that I'm using Coopers dry yeast. I did rehydrate for about 11 minutes. I used my IC but I didn't take a thermometer reading, it wasn't exactly cold, slightly warm to the touch, but I've used this same technique with Nottinghams and never had any problems. This time I also steeped without a bag. Just dumped them in 2 gallons of 160-ish degree water, wait 20 minutes and then strain them with a steel strainer, then proceeded with boiling and adding wort as usual. Must say, I got a really super clearer wort when I was done brewing 60 minutes later.
However, Coopers was also only 7 grams, instead of the 11 grams of Nottinghams. I'm thinking after rehydrating them at room temperature, and then pitching at not-so-much room temperature, I probably shocked them. Surely they'd be reacting by now, 48 hours later, wouldn't you think?
Options: Re-pitch using Nottinghams? I got a couple of packets for back ups. What about the already dead yeast? Do I need to remove them? I use the sit in primary for two week and then rack directly to keg method. Kind of worried about contamination at this point.
Thanks.

 

[Ol' Grog]

Anyone????

 

[user 4295]

It's difficult to say exactly what happened to the yeast. You could have thermally shocked them if the wort was too hot. Remember if it feels warm to the touch it may have been in the 90's, which is too warm for pitching yeast.

You may have under-pitched with the 7g package. But that is a debate for another day! You did right by buying some additional packets of yeast in case of emergency.

Your best bet would be to spray some sanitizer solution on and around your airlock, do the same to your package of dry yeast and the scissors you will use to cut the package open, and just pitch the yeast dry into your fermenter and see what happens. Any dead yeast from your previous pitch will just settle out in the trub.

 

[BrewDey]

Just to make sure you did use some kind of extract-correct? I only ask because you didn't mention it.

 

[CBBaron]

My experience with long lag times:
http://homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=28634
Its a little different in that I used liquid yeast and not dry but I'm guessing the suggestions are still valid. Wait 3 days and if there is no activity then repitch.
Seeing as how you used a neutral dry yeast I don't think there is any harm adding another packet of yeast.
Craig

 

[Ol' Grog]

Thanks. I've been busy at work and I knew there was a thread on that topic already, just didn't have time to search it. Thanks for all your inputs. I'll do the "traditional" three days, but the bubbler is still at the level I pitched at, ain't doing squat. Reading johnsma22 comments, it was warm to the touch, no doubt. I was kind of in a hurry and should have put it in the bath tub with cold tap water and pitch later, but I was being rash. I think I killed them. I was really curious as to the difference in taste with the Coopers compared to the Nottinghams. All the Nottinghams have a familiar taste about them. I can tell the difference in hops, grains and even malts, but there is still "that" taste that is present with all the Nottingham brews so far. I just did order some more ingredients and added 4 packets of Windsor.

 

[Ol' Grog]

Well, I said screw it and started rehydrating my packet of Nottinghams for about 15 minutes. Popped the top off of the primary and guess what? I had the familiar tell-tale sign of fermentation, residue up the sides of the bucket. It even kind of smelled like beer, but how could that stuff ferment out within 12 hours? So I pitched anyway and immeadiately after stirring in the new yeast and closing the lid, I had bubbler activity. That kept up until this morning when I checked it, now there is no activity. Could the Coopers already fermented out in that short amount of time? This was a new recipe from Morebeer that I tried. Yes I know, I should have taken an OG measurement, but I didn't. Do you think it mattered that I put my hops in a bag now? I mean, after IC'ing it, there isn't a lot of trub in there. I know there needs to be some. I also screen my steeping grains pretty good too, so there isn't a lot of that stuff in there either.

 

[user 4295]

Dugh! I can't believe I forgot to mention that if you are fermenting in a bucket and if the lid is not completely sealed you may not get any activity in the airlock (because the CO2 is escaping through the lid seal) and mistakenly think that you don't have any fermenting going on.

If you have krausen residue on the sides of the bucket, but there is no longer any krausen (foam) on top of the beer, then more than likely the primary fermentation phase has completed! Congrats!

Pitching the new yeast and stirring it in would have caused some of the CO2 in solution to out gas, which would explain the airlock activity you experienced right after pitching.

My best guess is that it is done. Let is sit in the primary for another week if you are concerned and then bottle or keg it and allow it to condition for a few more weeks and then enjoy the fruits of your labor!

 

[Ol' Grog]

Thanks, that exact scenario did cross my mind, but I've never had that particular primary bucket to leak. You know, after you mentioned it, I do remember that I something smelled like "beer" around the kitchen for a couple of days, but then after I checked the primary, it was dog still. I can't believe that lid is toast. One thing did happen this last brew session. I had a piece of plywood leaning against it close to the burner to try and keep the wind away. Right about the middle, I noticed that the bucket was a little "warped," but the lid still sat fine and would click shut when I closed it. Boy, this brew will have me curious with the flavor having two different yeast strains in it. Shouldn't hurt anything if it did ferment out, would it? It'll just settle to the bottom eventually. Wonder if I should save that and experiment with another brew......I don't think so.

 

[user 4295]

It won't hurt anything having used the two different yeast strains because if you added the second yeast and the fermentation was done, the second yeast strain didn't really do anything but go dormant and settle to the bottom.

While the conditioning phase of fermentation is a product of the yeast the main flavor profile is set during the primary phase, which already occurred before you added the second yeast strain.

 

[Ol' Grog]

THANKS!!!! Boy, that was the fastest fermentation I've ever seen.