too little yeast??? should i add more within 24 hours?

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corinne
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Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2006 4:07 am
Location: san diego

too little yeast??? should i add more within 24 hours?

Post by corinne »

2nd brew....am a newbie to homebrewing. when pitching the yeast (wet not dry) i shook up the vial then openned it immediately. doh! yeast exploded all over the carboy. i added the remainder but i'm afraid there won't be enough for proper fermentation of my 5 gallons of brew. if i don't see some serious action w/i 24 hours, should i add more yeast? how much? can i over do it?
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brewmeisterintng
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 384
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:47 pm
Location: Clarksville, TN

Time is against you

Post by brewmeisterintng »

The reason we look for a shot lag time between the time we pitch the yeast and we see fermentation is that we don't want the bad stuff to establish a strong hold before our yeast has a chance. Some people try to cheat by pitching on the warm side. It works but plan for off flavors.
The old adage of an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure would fit in here.
But hey, we all have traveled the same road and did some of these things.
Now down to business. Hopefully you have pitched a second packet/ tube of yeast and got it going. You may be fine with what yeast made it into the fermenter. It just might take longer to ferment out. It is critical that you take a final gravity reading to insure that your yeast did its job. Once you see a blub in the air lock, aerating the wert is no longer an option. It will oxidize the beer. Next time plan a yeast starter and guarantee your fermentation.
-James-
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