Has It All Gone To Waste

[KitRou]

Hi all,

On my second brew and I am trying the SafLager 23 yeast.

Bbeing new to it all I think I have buggered it up. I sprinled the yeast on top of the froth then put it in the fridge (between 12 and 15 degrees).

No action for a couple of days and then I realised I should of stirred the yeast in (told you I was new). So opened it up and sure enough yeast sitting on the top relaxing.

Stirred it up then back in the fridge - that was a day and a half ago and still no action so I have now taken it out of the fridge hoping that if it warms up a bit the yeast will start doing it's thing and I can put it back in the fridge.

This whole thng started on Sunday.

My question is should I be doing something else or should I just throw the whole thing away and start again

 

[Pennywise]

You don't need to stir in dry yeasts at all, they work perfectly well when just sprinkled on top. I'd be more concerned about opening up the fermenter and stirring it in a few days later. Have you taken an SG reading to see if the gravity is dropping? It's the only way to be 100% sure that it hasn't fermented yet

 

[bum]

Never tip a beer until you KNOW it is a dud.

When you say the yeast was sitting on top relaxing is there any chance that might have just been the krausen starting to form?

When you stirred it did you do so gently or quite vigorously?

Take a gravity sample to see if anything is happening in there before you panic.

 

[KitRou]

I haven't taken another reading but I've been very watchful of the bubble thing on top (not sure what that's called) and no bubbles at all - not even a slight movement of the water levels changing so I have presumed no fermentation. I can take a reading tonight and see though.

As I mentioned - when I opened it up the yeast was just sitting on top of a foamie bit on top of the wort. Reading through some posts I got the impression I should of stirred it in.

 

[KitRou]

Never tip a beer until you KNOW it is a dud.

When you say the yeast was sitting on top relaxing is there any chance that might have just been the krausen starting to form?

When you stirred it did you do so gently or quite vigorously?

Take a gravity sample to see if anything is happening in there before you panic.

I stirred it in slowly

 

[keifer33]

I only stir dried yeast if I can be bothered and it's not necessary. The airlock on top is not a thing to trust as there may be a leak letting pressure out. The foam on top can mean fermenting has started and if there is condensation on the lid it's also a good sign. The pitching temperature for dried yeast may have been a bit low if at 12-15 c

 

[Pennywise]

That thing is called an airlock, and it's only job is to keep dust and bugs and shit from getting in the fermenter, while it can also vent out co2, this is not where co2 likes to vent, so it usually finds another place to escape like the seal around the lid or the airlock grommit.

That foamy bit on top would be your krausen, yay, that means it's fermenting. Take your hydro reading tonight, you'll prolly find it's almost finished. Don't bottle yet though, leave it another week at least

 

[Pennywise]

The pitching temperature for dried yeast may have been a bit low if at 12-15 c

12-15 degrees is a fine pitching temp for a Lager, I'd personally go lower, I would have pitched 2 packs though

 

[bum]

That foamy bit on top would be your krausen

It seems OP feels this foam is the same stuff he pitched the yeast on to in the first place. Not sure how you'd get a wort to foam like this so that it'd hang about for days but that seems to be what he's reporting.

KitRou, next time have a think about rehydrating your yeast (which is advisable for numerous reasons even though it may not be essential) prior to pitch. If you've got this foam again it'll drop right through into your wort.

If your yeast has in deed just been sitting above the wort the whole time it isn't ideal but theres no reason to automatically assume your brew is done for. Now that it has been given a stir though give it a few days to see what happens. But ignore the airlock. A nice bloop is reassuring but the absence of noise doesn't really mean anything at all. If the gravity is dropping fermentation is occurring.

 

[lano]

You may not be getting bubbles because you have not got a good seal around the lid. So I would not worry too much.

Is there a scum on the top of the brew (around the edge of the brewer)? if so, it is working!

I agree though.... dont throw it out yet.

 

[keifer33]

Only going by the fermentis yeast info that says to dry pitch while temp is above 20. I am happy to stand corrected but haven't tried any other method than pitch then drop the temperature to fermenting temps (as far as dry pitching goes)

 

[chestynuts]

I was like this the first time I used Saflarger 23 yeast. It was in the fermenter fridge at 10C and nothing was happening. Increased to 12C after five days and it eventually kicked off. However not once did the airlock move. It is a very slow yeast and must be given plenty of time. Mine took just over two weeks to ferment but I left it for three to make sure.

Just be patient and take a gravity reading after a week to see if anything is going on. Don't go to high with the temps though.

 

[earle]

That thing is called an airlock, and it's only job is to keep dust and bugs and shit from getting in the fermenter, while it can also vent out co2, this is not where co2 likes to vent, so it usually finds another place to escape like the seal around the lid or the airlock grommit.

If OP's first brew was ale it probably fermented more quickly and produced CO2 faster meaning air lock was more likely to bubble as well as gas escaping elsewhere. With lager yeast at lager temps gas is produced more slowly, more likely to escape around seal than push through airlock. The difference between an ale and lager yeast fermentation can be a bit worrying for newbs.

 

[kocken42]

DWRHAHB

 

[Synthetase]

In agreement with the others: the only reliable way to know if fermentation is occurring is to take measurements.

Interestingly, the first time I ever used this yeast it took off like a rocket and pushed so much sulphur out it yellowed the bottom of my airlock. Stank too

 

[rendo]

It hasnt gone to waste at all...dont throw all that good beer away. i am happy to come and pick it up

worst case you buy a new packet of yeast and she'll be right

My thoughts are there is nothing wrong...
i)it might be taking a while to kick off..
ii) it might have already started and you just dont know it

Your hydrometer is your best friend. Take a reading....what was the original gravity (OG) and what is the specific gravity (SG) now....??

Rendo

I haven't taken another reading but I've been very watchful of the bubble thing on top (not sure what that's called) and no bubbles at all - not even a slight movement of the water levels changing so I have presumed no fermentation. I can take a reading tonight and see though.

As I mentioned - when I opened it up the yeast was just sitting on top of a foamie bit on top of the wort. Reading through some posts I got the impression I should of stirred it in.

 

[KitRou]

Hi all,

Brilliant feed back and I can happily report that I took a reading last night and IT's ALIVE...The OG was around 1044 and after 4 days it's reading 1030. :lol:

Sounds like slow progress but it seems that is the norm for this type of yeast at this temp. I've put it back into the cooler at 12 degrees.

I'll take another one on Sunday just to make sure it's still going and I'll leave it for another week before seeing if it's finished.

One thing that did surprise me was how happy I was when I realised it was doing it's stuff. It was like nursing a sick puppy back to full health - I'm only two brews in and already have that 'addicted' feeling.

 

[flano]

Hi all,

Brilliant feed back and I can happily report that I took a reading last night and IT's ALIVE...The OG was around 1044 and after 4 days it's reading 1030. :lol:

Sounds like slow progress but it seems that is the norm for this type of yeast at this temp. I've put it back into the cooler at 12 degrees.

I'll take another one on Sunday just to make sure it's still going and I'll leave it for another week before seeing if it's finished.

One thing that did surprise me was how happy I was when I realised it was doing it's stuff. It was like nursing a sick puppy back to full health - I'm only two brews in and already have that 'addicted' feeling.

I'm doing one with that yeast right now.
The packet says for between 11-15 dgrs in 20-30 litrs use 2 x 11.5 grams packets.
At room temp use 1 packet.

I only used one packet myself at 14 dgrs ...It did take a little while to get going .
I have done this before and it turned out great though.

 

[KitRou]

I think that's why I was excited - got a standard kit on secondary fermentation in bottles (my first attempt) which was pretty standard Munich beer kit with a brew 'enhancer' - I have no idea what that will taste like but it was really only a trial to make sure I knew how to use the equipement.

This one though and I'm expecting a certain type of lager - used a Mexican kit, dextrose and SAFlager. I'll be starting another one shortly - same as this one but with added Super Alpha hops to gauge the difference in taste.