Dead yeast?

[ajcmbrown]

Hi all, I am about to test my first ever brew, a Coopers Home Brew Kit and it seems to be coming along well.
My second attempt is where I feel I have run into trouble though. Coopers Australian Pale Ale with the kit yeast (yeah I know, don't use the yeast that comes with it) and it started with SG of 1038 using rainwater, but by the second day it had dropped to 1010 and has stayed there since. Is there a way I can test my brew for signs of not fermenting? It is a bit gassy, is a very light colour which I kind of expected being a pale ale, there are no obvious signs of infection and it tastes ok I guess, but I am not sure how it should taste.
I don't want to go to the trouble of bottling if it is a dud brew, si there any definitive way I can tell?

 

[manson81]

Sounds like it fermented out in the first 2 days to me. What temp was it at in those first two days.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Leave it a few days, then test again, leave a few days and then test again. If it finished at 1.010, you'll have much the same reading.

Some Ales finish at the 1.010 mark (and some hydrometers need calibrating correctly) - mine generally are around the 1.008-1.010 mark, mainly because I like a little leftover body to keep the hops balanced.

It should taste like warm, slightly fizzy but still flat, bitter beer. If it tastes sour (or vinegar like) then it's infected.

 

[ajcmbrown]

It was warm here on Saturday when I first set it up, but I don't think it went over 26 degrees on the thermometer (stick on type), do you have any idea what could cause it to ferment out so quickly?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

It was warm here on Saturday when I first set it up, but I don't think it went over 26 degrees on the thermometer (stick on type), do you have any idea what could cause it to ferment out so quickly?

Fermenting it at such a high temp will be the first culprit.

But even Nottingham fermented in its right range can get done in 4 days regularly, so it could be a fresh lot of yeast also.

 

[ajcmbrown]

I'll sample it tonight for taste, and it was bought the day before from Georges Liquor Barn I think in Phillip, Canberra, so there is a good chance that the yeast is quite fresh, I think they sell a lot of HB supplies from there.
What is the ideal temp for mixing in the fermenter?

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Generally an ale yeast will be 15 or 16 to 21 or so degrees.

It's probably another reason why buying proper yeast works, because they give you the parameters in which to use the yeast - takes the thinking (at least initially) out of it for you.

 

[ajcmbrown]

i actually had a packet of yeast in my hand on Friday at LHBS and somehow it didn't make it to the register, I wanted it but must have put it down again.
I will get some proper yeast for the next brew though.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Proper yeast makes a difference - both in what you know it can do, plus quantity of yeast.

One of the many off flavours that can occur in beer is stressed yeast, by underpitching (not putting enough yeast in). Generally you need at least the 11-12g packet of yeast for a 21-25 L brew and occasionally more. The other is more obviously fusels by brewing at too high a temp for the yeast.

If you have issues at this time of yeast temp wise, you might want to consider a Saison Yeast - especially now there's a dried variety called Belle Saison. It's made to withstand higher temps than most ale yeasts.

 

[ajcmbrown]

Sounds like a good idea, and lower the temp I mix it at!

 

[manticle]

You'd want to know what a saison typically tastes like before trying to make one at home.

 

[ajcmbrown]

After tasting this brew, it tastes fine, it pours a bit frothy but still reads low. It is still a little cloudy but I guess that is normal. Any clues?

 

[ajcmbrown]

You'd want to know what a saison typically tastes like before trying to make one at home.

Is it an "acquired taste" or something?

 

[ajcmbrown]

Here's a pic of the fermenting beer and the temp.

http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y464/ajcmbrown/IMG_20140123_184955_zpsp4cp27kk.jpg
http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y464/ajcmbrown/IMG_20140123_185106_zpsnkgfnj3c.jpg

 

[hoppymonster]

I'm having the same problem with my brew at the moment, mine is a all gran mash GM Sierra IPA and it has fizzed out big time on the 4 days and is all over.. I always use fresh yeast but haven't seen this before? Taste and looks great! Soooo strange!!

 

[manticle]

Is it an "acquired taste" or something?

Not necessarily. They are delicious when made right - just if you expect coopers pale or boags premium, your expectations will not be met. The more you learn about beer, the more you learn about and appreciate its diversity. A lot of new brewers want a cheap way to make generic 'beer' and think of 'beer' as a specific drink that tastes like x. Beer has been around for a long time in many nations across the world and so tastes like all the letters of the alphabet. Don't expect x- expect a or y or t or g. Once you can do that, you will love saison.
And biere de garde.
And bier de mars.
And kolch.
and altbier, pilsner, bitter, witbier, weizen, tripel....

You get the picture.

 

[ajcmbrown]

yep, that makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to explain to a noob!

 

[ajcmbrown]

If the yeast has fermented out, is there anything I can do to revive it? Add proper yeast? Stir to oxygenate?

 

[DU99]

do people really check the dates on back of yeast packet's and look how they are stored in LHBS, :icon_offtopic:

 

[ajcmbrown]

Just for the record, what is the maximum shelf life of brews and yeasts? The tin I used had a use by date of late 2015, is that fresh?