I posted last week about my ailing lager that doesn't seem to be fermenting.
Now I have an ale that has the same problem, brewed a week later. The new
things I haven't done in the past are:

#1: I used liquid yeast. It did a great job on the primary ferment, so I
figured this isn't the problem.

#2: I did a secondary fermenting for the first time. It was about 2 week,
only, making total fermentation time about 4 weeks.

#3: I added water to the secondary to bring both brews up to 5 gallons.
I've usually been at about 4 gallons in the past. I still used the priming
sugar provided with the specialty grain kits, about 3/4 cup or so.

#4: I used one-step to sanitize the bottles. I've always used chlorine in
the past, but I liked the quicker sanitizing time. I DID NOT RINSE.

Could it be that the one-step killed the yeast? I see a powdering of yeast
on the bottom, but only a TINY bit of carbonation (not even any bubbles
rising). I just bottled the ale 8 days ago. Does liquid yeast take longer
to carbonate a bottle. I moved the lager back to a warmer room, and the ale
is in a room about 65 degrees.

How long should I RDWHAH before I panic and try to do something? Is there
anything I CAN do to save these brews?

Thanks for any help!!

ChasM

In my experience regarding poor or slow fermentation and carbonation
1. the temp at which you ferment is very important. For ale, above 65
MINIMUM. I prefer 72 degrees.
2. I was told by my supplier to NOT use liquid yeast unless I was making an
exotic like Begian style beer. He told me to mix the beer very well by
shaking and stirring the fermentor and then ADD THE DRY YEAST AT THE TOP
without rehydrating it first. Let it sit, do NOT shake or stir again. In
24 hrs I get perfect slow fermentation and essentially complete. I usually
put in 2 packets dry.
3. My secondary fermentation is for the more complex sugars to convert. I
do not get any reaction from the water air lock. What is important is the
completion via the FG readings of the hydrometer. When they repeat each
day, you are complete.
4. I had a Red Hook Clone not ferment in the bottle and almost completely
flat. I uncapped each one and poured in a 1/2 teaspoon of the carbonating
corn sugar to each bottle and recapped them. After about two weeks at room
temp, I tried one and it was fine.

Let me know if any of this is helpful.
Jose'


"ChasM" <chasmill70@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c3kmia$rk8$1@news.astound.net...[color=blue]
> I posted last week about my ailing lager that doesn't seem to be[/color]
fermenting.[color=blue]
> Now I have an ale that has the same problem, brewed a week later. The new
> things I haven't done in the past are:
>
> #1: I used liquid yeast. It did a great job on the primary ferment, so I
> figured this isn't the problem.
>
> #2: I did a secondary fermenting for the first time. It was about 2 week,
> only, making total fermentation time about 4 weeks.
>
> #3: I added water to the secondary to bring both brews up to 5 gallons.
> I've usually been at about 4 gallons in the past. I still used the[/color]
priming[color=blue]
> sugar provided with the specialty grain kits, about 3/4 cup or so.
>
> #4: I used one-step to sanitize the bottles. I've always used chlorine in
> the past, but I liked the quicker sanitizing time. I DID NOT RINSE.
>
> Could it be that the one-step killed the yeast? I see a powdering of yeast
> on the bottom, but only a TINY bit of carbonation (not even any bubbles
> rising). I just bottled the ale 8 days ago. Does liquid yeast take[/color]
longer[color=blue]
> to carbonate a bottle. I moved the lager back to a warmer room, and the[/color]
ale[color=blue]
> is in a room about 65 degrees.
>
> How long should I RDWHAH before I panic and try to do something? Is there
> anything I CAN do to save these brews?
>
> Thanks for any help!!
>
> ChasM
>
>[/color]

Joe wrote:[color=blue]
>
> In my experience regarding poor or slow fermentation and carbonation
> 1. the temp at which you ferment is very important. For ale, above 65
> MINIMUM. I prefer 72 degrees.[/color]

This is oretty deependeant on the yeast strain you use, but in general I
find my beers are much better if I keep the temp. well under 70...except
for some Belgian strains.
[color=blue]
> 2. I was told by my supplier to NOT use liquid yeast unless I was making an
> exotic like Begian style beer. He told me to mix the beer very well by
> shaking and stirring the fermentor and then ADD THE DRY YEAST AT THE TOP
> without rehydrating it first. Let it sit, do NOT shake or stir again. In
> 24 hrs I get perfect slow fermentation and essentially complete. I usually
> put in 2 packets dry.[/color]

Why on earth not use liquid if that's what you want to use? How do you
make a good hef, for example, with dry yeast?
[color=blue]
> 3. My secondary fermentation is for the more complex sugars to convert. I
> do not get any reaction from the water air lock. What is important is the
> completion via the FG readings of the hydrometer. When they repeat each
> day, you are complete.[/color]

"My secondary fermentation is for the more complex sugars to
convert"...doesn't make much sense to me...do you mean complex sugars to
ferment? That has already been accomplished by the time you get to
secondary usually. Secondary is more a clearing and conditioning stage.
[color=blue]
> 4. I had a Red Hook Clone not ferment in the bottle and almost completely
> flat. I uncapped each one and poured in a 1/2 teaspoon of the carbonating
> corn sugar to each bottle and recapped them. After about two weeks at room
> temp, I tried one and it was fine.[/color]

Good technique!

------------->Denny
--
Life begins at 60 - 1.060, that is.

Reply to denny_at_projectoneaudio_dot_com

On Thu, 08 Apr 2004 05:44:57 GMT, "Joe" <daddee2@comcast.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>In my experience regarding poor or slow fermentation and carbonation
>1. the temp at which you ferment is very important. For ale, above 65
>MINIMUM. I prefer 72 degrees.[/color]

I just brewed a large batch (14 gallons) of English Pale Ale. It was
fermented at 55 degrees for about a week, then transferred to a 33
degree room for two weeks for cold conditioning. It turned out
delicious and very well carbonated when I bottled it.

Joe wrote:
... <snip>[color=blue]
> 2. I was told by my supplier to NOT use liquid yeast unless I was making an
> exotic like Begian style beer. He told me to mix the beer very well by
> shaking and stirring the fermentor and then ADD THE DRY YEAST AT THE TOP
> without rehydrating it first. Let it sit, do NOT shake or stir again. In
> 24 hrs I get perfect slow fermentation and essentially complete. I usually
> put in 2 packets dry.[/color]
... <snip>

Your supplier's advice is, shall we say, less than optimal. The better
brands of dry yeast are as good quality as the liquid yeasts, and, if
the give you the flavor profile you want, better value for the money.
BUT... Dry yeasts are very limited in the flavor profiles available.
There are no dry Belgian yeasts available, no true dry lager yeasts, no
dry hefeweizen yeasts, no dry Kolsch yeasts, no... Well, you get the
picture.

I suspect your supplier can't be bothered with stocking a refrigerator
with a good variety of liquid yeasts, perhaps because of limited
turnover (liquid yeasts don't have the long shelf life of dry yeasts).
But to say that they are only useful for exotic beers is to
significantly limit your possibilities. Does he by chance also carry
only two or three types of hops, or only dry malt extract, or only a
half dozen grains, or ...?

-- Andy McKellar
Dallas, TX