Is my brew stuffed? stuck?

[The Wynnum Beer Project]

ok. Total noob here. Second brew.

Brew day on Sunday seemed to go ok. Went into no chill cube. Pitched Windsor Danstar yeast monday night. might have stuffed up the re-hydration. Never seen it done before. Tuesday moring there was a great looking kausen on top.

Wednesday morning and now this? My first brew didn't clear this soon. Should I pitch again? Am I stuffed? Is this normal?

Please help

 

[MCHammo]

Ok, not a lot to go by. Have you taken any gravity measurements? If you can compare what it is now to what it was when you started, we will have some sort of idea what the yeast may/may not have done. Do you know your expected OG, actual OG, and expected FG?

Rehydration is pretty hard to get wrong. Open sachet, pour yeast in some water (I usually use about half a bowl. I think lukewarm is usually about right temperature). Tap water is probably ok, but I usually go for pre-boiled water at or just above room temperature. Give them a bit of a mix and break up any lumps. I rehydrate at least 15 mins before I actually need the yeast. I hear it's also better if yeast are at about room temp before pitching (less temperature difference than if they've come from the fridge). But the fact that you got a krausen at all, seems to indicate that the yeast were probably ok.

 

[The Wynnum Beer Project]

Post boil SG was 1.022 which was under the expected 1.039. Fun thing is that I broke my hydrometer cleaning up.

I rehydrated at 35c as per instructions. Was a bit worried that the shock of going into the 18c wort might have killed it

 

[Yob]

Rehydration is pretty hard to get wrong. Open sachet, pour yeast in some water (I usually use about half a bowl. I think lukewarm is usually about right temperature). Tap water is probably ok, but I usually go for pre-boiled water at or just above room temperature. Give them a bit of a mix and break up any lumps. I rehydrate at least 15 mins before I actually need the yeast. I hear it's also better if yeast are at about room temp before pitching (less temperature difference than if they've come from the fridge). But the fact that you got a krausen at all, seems to indicate that the yeast were probably ok.

Mate, each yeast has its own specific requirements for rehydration (oh god, here we go again) so it's good practice to check the data sheets.

The right temperature is fairly important to get right and there is usually an optimum range +/- 5'c of x

After rehydration adjusting the 'starter' temp to that of the wort is pretty easy, add 200ml of wort every 5 mins to drop the temp to within +/- 5'c of the wort, the wort usually being coler will bring the temp down fairly quickly and doesnt take more than 20 mins... the added bonus is that your now propperly rehydrated yeast are already starting to align themselves to the wort and lag time will be (arguably) better.

@ OP.. Gravity reading... Taste?

Windsor is a funny one, can either take a while or if you get a good batch it can fly through rapidly, from the photo, it looks fairly normal.

ED. @ 1022 its going to be done in a day or so once you have a krausen. Ive had Windsor drop a wort 20 points in a day.

 

[The Wynnum Beer Project]

Need to buy a new hydrometer before I can get a SG. Didn't taste it but it swells very sweet.

 

[Yob]

Taste is one of the best instruments you have at your disposal, a hydrometer (to me) merely confirms what my taste buds tell me, I will usually fill the tube, drink a bit to lower the volume and then take the reading, I like to try and guess where it is prior to using the hydrometer... just a little game but it does help train the senses.

:icon_cheers:

 

[The Wynnum Beer Project]

Thanks for the advice. I'll taste as soon as I get home from work. I have no confidence that I'm capable of decerning anything useful myself but I do love tasting stuff.

 

[The Wynnum Beer Project]

Can I do harm by pitching again?

 

[MCHammo]

Mate, each yeast has its own specific requirements for rehydration (oh god, here we go again) so it's good practice to check the data sheets.

The right temperature is fairly important to get right and there is usually an optimum range +/- 5'c of x

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I always check, and get "near enough" on the occasions that I use dried. I would have thought that just for rehydrating, most yeast would be relatively similar. If they're not... I stand corrected.

Can I do harm by pitching again?

I don't think you'll do any harm, but then again I'm not sure you're going to do anything at all. As Yob pointed out, with a low OG like that, the yeast may have already (or nearly) done its job converting the sugars. A gravity reading should come up quite low, and a taste should reveal a much drier wort than before. Assuming 75% attenuation, it should come out at about 1.005

 

[QldKev]

What temp is the wort at? I'm thinking by looking at that you are having an extended lag period and it's probably be fired up when you get home from work.

 

[The Wynnum Beer Project]

Wort is being held at 18C

Thanks heaps everyone btw