Urgh, Wyeast 3333 problems.

[menoetes]

Hey Brewheads,

Well I have a Hefe in the fridge sitting on Wyeast 3333: German Wheat and it's stalled out on me at an SG of 1.020. I tried to underpitch a bit to bring out the banana esters, mayhaps I underpitched too much?

Now I'm uncertain what to do. I've uppered the temp to 19'c and given the FV a bit of a swirl but failing that I'm uncertain. I'm out of the 3333 yeast but I have a coopers lager dry yeast and a pack of US-05 in the fridge that could finish it off...

Basically I'm just asking for help - any ideas?

Cheers,

- Meno

 

[Adr_0]

Let it warm up from ambient to 22-23°C and swirl every 20min or so - should be fine. Don't do this with a heatbelt unless you want a green apple wheat beer - just let it warm up gently.

A second thing you could do is throw 100-200g dextrose in to get things going again.

 

[JasonP]

Hey Brewheads,

Well I have a Hefe in the fridge sitting on Wyeast 3333: German Wheat and it's stalled out on me at an SG of 1.020. I tried to underpitch a bit to bring out the banana esters, mayhaps I underpitched too much?

Now I'm uncertain what to do. I've uppered the temp to 19'c and given the FV a bit of a swirl but failing that I'm uncertain. I'm out of the 3333 yeast but I have a coopers lager dry yeast and a pack of US-05 in the fridge that could finish it off...

Basically I'm just asking for help - any ideas?

Cheers,
Throw in the lager yeast and gradually cool down. Should be right after couple of days.
- Meno

 

[menoetes]

Thanks guys, I'll try the heating and movement before adding any extra ingredients at this stage I think. It's just a bit of a shame - up until now it was going so well!

 

[Adr_0]

If you want more esters out of that yeast (and they come through in citrus as well... great yeast to pair with Motueka) don't be afraid of 21-23°C straight up, though you will need to wait another week to let the sulphur dissipate - generally still 2 weeks from brew to bottle. What is your batch size? Zee Germans often do wheats in an open fermentation in wide rectangular fermenters. Pressure suppresses the formation of esters, so if you have a 50-60L fermenter and chuck 20L in the bottom with only a tiny bit in your airlock you will get more esters. But don't underpitch... it sounds like a good idea but 90% of the time it's not.

 

[Adr_0]

Thanks guys, I'll try the heating and movement before adding any extra ingredients at this stage I think. It's just a bit of a shame - up until now it was going so well!

Don't heat it, just let it warm up with ambient - set your control temp on the fridge to 24°C for e.g.

 

[menoetes]

Sorry, I did mean warm naturally to a higher temp. There is really no point in heating anything in Brisbanes weather atm...

I'm brewing a 25lt batch in a 30lt FV, it's a bit of a squeeze with the krausen that these European wheat yeasts can throw up.

Cheers for the advice Adr_0

 

[menoetes]

Anyway... I've managed to get it down to 1.014 over the last week or so just by gently agitating the yeast cake & bringing the temp up to 22-23'c. It's at 1.014 and that seems to be where it's going to stay. So I'll bottle it tomorrow.

Cheers for the help as always, Gents.

- Meno

 

[Adr_0]

If you can, maybe leave it for another 5 days after it hits FG. Particularly if the first sniff you take of a sample has a bit of sulphur in it.

EDIT: although to be honest if you don't have any sulphur notes and you have been regularly swirling it, it is probably ok.