Nutrient To Fermenter

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whatwhat

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Hi all

So I have had an ale fermenting very slowly for a few weeks now (20 degrees). I used ringwood ale yeast. Now it was still fermenting down all be it very slowly, but after a couple of weeks and having the hydrometer still read 1024 i decided to add a teaspoon of yeast nutrient to the fermenter. Well after only a couple of minutes the tub is bubbling away like its on fire and it looks to be that a nice looking krausen has formed on top. I wasn't really expecting such a quick response from the little yeasties. Would this be normal? or have a done a silly silly thing to said slow ale?

Thought?
 
Ringwood type yeast often needs rousing to get it back in the game, when you added the nutrient did you stir/mix it in?
 
Not sure how it will affect your beer, but staggered nutrient additions are common in winemaking.

Lack of nutrients could definitely be a reason for yeast stalling, but Wolfy's point might be closer to the mark in regards to ringwood.
 
Not sure how it will affect the finished product, although I am sure it will be drinkable..
Did you make a yeast starter or pitch the packet straight into the vessel?? and what temps did you ferment at??
Could be a good idea to rack it as soon as it bottoms out for the second time too, before the yeast does anything unwanted...
 
What I strongly suspect is happing is that you have just provided a bunch of nucleating points and CO2 that is in solution is forming bubbles on those points... and that what you are seeing has nothing to do with fermentation. I suspect that yeast simply cant respond that quickly to the addition of some nutrient.
What Wolfy had to say is more likely to be useful and most likely the case.

Just to carry the conversation a bit further what do you mean by Nutrient largely there are two types of products sold under that heading? The first being Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) which is just a Nitrogen source, the other which I prefer to call Yeast Food contains DAP, autolyised yeast, vitamin B complex, phosphorous, trace elements and the list goes on
The first could be equated to putting Super on the lawn; you get a quick response if the lawn happens to need phosphorous. The second is more like good compost; it gives a long sustained supply of a wide range of nutrients and keeps the lawn healthy for a long time.
I have a strong preference for the Yeast Food type of products, and because give a more sustained supply of nutrients one addition at the start is all that is usually required in beer brewing.

I would like to know how accurately that 20oC fermentation temperature has been maintained and how big and healthy the yeast pitch was odds on thats where the answer lays.
Mark
 
During the long spells when 1469 West Yorkshire was unavailable I used Ringwood as they are close cousins. I often had attenuation problems as it likes to floc and avoid making alcohol. Good rousing, in fact a good thrashing with a slotted spatula after 12 hours then another thrashing 12 hours later usually did the trick.
 
Thanks for the thoughts guys.

The temp was maintained with a thermostat and the yeast was just added after the packet swelled completely. That was about 6 hours after mixed.

The 'nutrient' was the yeast food type also.

This yeast is really temperamental i will say. I have read up on it a fair bit but am still surprised at how fussy it has been. All seems to be going along well now and i will be giving the fermenter a good shake daily to keep the yeast in suspension

Fingers crossed.
 
When it comes to racking Im more of a maybe type of guy.
In a normal gravity healthy wort, with a good sized pitch it shouldnt be required, but it has its place and I think we all know that a lot of home brews arent perfect, fully oxygenated and pitched with ideal populations.
So maybe, without knowing a lot more about the specifics of the brew in question I wouldnt be so quick to jump on either a yes or no, no one has I believe even asked how many litres the smack pack went into nor what the OG was, for all we know it might all have been over a week or two ago.
Mark
 
When it comes to racking I’m more of a maybe type of guy.
In a normal gravity healthy wort, with a good sized pitch it shouldn’t be required, but it has its place and I think we all know that a lot of home brews aren’t perfect, fully oxygenated and pitched with ideal populations.
So maybe, without knowing a lot more about the specifics of the brew in question I wouldn’t be so quick to jump on either a yes or no, no one has I believe even asked how many litres the smack pack went into nor what the OG was, for all we know it might all have been over a week or two ago.
Mark

I'm not a yes or a no kind of guy either with racking. I too believe it has its place.

My no is purely in response to this:
Could be a good idea to rack it as soon as it bottoms out for the second time too, before the yeast does anything unwanted
and was entirely in context of this thread and the OP.

My post was possibly lazy but laziness makes me post less these days, so that will make you happy.
 
Just because a pack has swelled, does not mean you are going to get a good ferment.

There are forgiving yeasts, and Ringwood is not amongst them. BUT if you give it good conditions and have a good, and very importantly, healthy yeast pitch, then it should attenuate to spec and not splurt diacetyl all over a sweet beer.

If you want to get certain results and you are happy to go the distance, Ringwood is ace, if you are likely to not really want to go the extra measures, then stick to US05 or notto, or... *uuugh* S04.
 
What I strongly suspect is happing is that you have just provided a bunch of nucleating points and CO2 that is in solution is forming bubbles on those points... and that what you are seeing has nothing to do with fermentation. I suspect that yeast simply cant respond that quickly to the addition of some nutrient.
What Wolfy had to say is more likely to be useful and most likely the case.
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Well i did a little experiment on this point. I again added some nutrient to a different fermenting wort and got the same result. That is almost instant 'krausen like' foam and rapid air lock activity.

The second fermenting wort had reached 1012 at normal pace under the same environmental conditions prior to the nutrient food addition. Happy to confirm that this had nothing to do with fermentation.

I feel you were on the money with nucleating points and CO2 in suspension.

Thanks
 
I'm not a yes or a no kind of guy either with racking. I too believe it has its place.

My no is purely in response to this: and was entirely in context of this thread and the OP.

Racking does have it's place, I was purely expressing my opinion in that if the yeast was roused and attenuation was still not achieved, the yeast will not help the beer any longer. I was thinking more along the lines of re-pitching fresh, healthy, viable yeast.
 
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