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Steve Nance
New Member
Username: Wsbrewer
Post Number: 18
Registered: 08-2009
Posted From: 71.71.57.246
| | Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 03:24 pm: | 
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I didn’t want to hijack the Yeast Storage thread but I have a sort of related question.
I had a 3L starter of WYeast 3787 that I didn’t get to in 2010. I decanted and stored in boiled/cooled distilled water in a Mason jar for 8 months, took that and made a 2L starter which behaved normal. It was pushing the foam stopper out of the flask on a stir plate even after adding Fermcap-S to the starter wort (1.038). I decanted that, pitched a fresh 1L starter on brew day and pitched to a Belgian Dubbel (1.073) around 8 - 10 hours after that. The fermentation proceeded normal (68F – 70F) and subsided to about ½ in of foam after 14 days. It was still pushing a significant amount of CO2 so at the end of the 16th day so I raised the temp to 74F. Within 24 hours the foam was gone so I thought it was mostly CO2 that I was seeing. I racked to a secondary on day 18 and the SG was 1.016 which is only 2 points higher than anticipated. The hydrometer sample was very yeasty with lots of yeast still in suspension, and it had a bit more bubblegum and banana than I wanted but not out of style for a beer that needs lots more conditioning. After sitting in the secondary for a couple of days it looks to be in a true secondary fermentation, yeast streaking up the sides of Carboy, small clumps rising to the top every so often and steady airlock activity. Could this be a sign of distressed yeast from being stored under distilled water for 8 months? I plan on checking the gravity again soon, it’s been in the secondary 9 days now, and if the gravity has not changed in the next 5 days I will crash it and keg it. I’ve used this yeast before and can hopefully tell a difference in fermentation character, but are there any other signs I should look for that indicate a distressed yeast type of fermentation? |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 12736
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.150.49.181
| | Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 05:58 pm: |
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My suspicion is that it hadn't quite finished fermenting when you racked it. Wait until the activity subsides, take a gravity reading and taste the sample. My opinion is that the gravity will be a few points lower and it will taste fine, although probably still a bit young. |
Bierview
Advanced Member
Username: Bierview
Post Number: 997
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 69.125.118.54
| | Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 10:32 pm: |
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If you rack too early but use a secondary fermentation, what differences could you expect from having left it in primary for those additional days? For example, 14 days in primary and 30 days in secondary. That's a total of 44 days. What difference would you see if you left it in primary for 7 days and secondary for 51 days. Total days being the same in number. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 12737
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.150.49.181
| | Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 10:36 pm: |
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In general it's best to leave the beer on the primary yeast until it has finished fermenting. By racking to secondary you remove some of the yeast that might have fermented the beer. It would be better to rouse the yeast and wait a few more days before racking. But as a practical matter, it may not make that much difference. |
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