Crappy OG and inactive yeast.. :0/

What went wrong? Was this supposed to happen? Should I throw it out? What do I do now?

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zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

Crappy OG and inactive yeast.. :0/

Post by zeno »

I live in NC.. Southeast, baby.. Home of the "heat index." What's that? That's when it's sooo humid, we have to have another temperature rating to account for it.

It's too hot to brew over a gas burner in my appartment garage. I can't do it on the potch cause someone will see me (illegal). I can't do it outside cause I'd have to be 500 ft away from the buildings, and I don't like the idea of carrying 5gal of wert in a 7.5gal kettel 500ft, then up 3 flights before I can cool it down.

As such, I made this last brew on the stove. First time. Everything was seemingly fine. Started with 4 gallons to steep in, and 2 gallons to sparge the grains with. I brought the sparge to boil, then set it on the back burner to cool for adding to the carboy later. Everything in the 4 gallons went well except one thing. It boiled off a crap load of wert!

I had to add an enormous amount of water. Infact, I didn't bother making a full 5 gallons. The OG was at around 1.042.

Well, I pitched the yeast (white labs irish ale) and airated. This was about 10pm last night. Currently, nothing... No growth, no nothing. There was a thin cloudy film last night (about 2cm deep) around 1am, but this morning, nothing.

So.. Is my 1.042 OG beer a lost cause? Any input on how I screwed up the stove boil?
jayhawk
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
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Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2001 12:05 am
Location: Vancouver, BC, CA

Starter

Post by jayhawk »

1042 is plenty to get fermentation going, so maybe it is your yeast. Did you make a starter for your white labs or did you just pitch a vial in to the wort?
zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

Rookie style, baby!

Post by zeno »

Shook that baby up, and threw 'er right in there! I take it I screwed that one up, hu?

Also forgot to mention, the wert was closter to 78 degrees or so.. Tap water wasn't getting cold like the hose use to. Next time I plan on using a fountain pump and ice water.. Maby the heat also had something to do with it (ie. the wert was too hot)
zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

BTW

Post by zeno »

Just got home from work... nothing.
jayhawk
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 472
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2001 12:05 am
Location: Vancouver, BC, CA

Try this

Post by jayhawk »

Try giving the wort a stir or shake. Since you didn't have the yeast going with a starter, it will take longer for them to get moving. It is likely that the yeast are sitting on the bottom trying to "wake up".
broon
Light Lager
Light Lager
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Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:08 am
Location: Raytown, MO, US

You didn't mess up

Post by broon »

I always use the WL tube yeast and no starter. Same way you did it. I also pitch once it gets to under 80 deg. I think as long as it's not over 90 there's no problem. In my short time (only 15 batches) I've only had this problem once. But I think that was due to low conversion during mash. It still ended up with some alcohol and tastes good.
broon
Light Lager
Light Lager
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:08 am
Location: Raytown, MO, US

Stovetop 5 gal brews

Post by broon »

I have done all of my 5 gal all grain brews on the stove top with much success. An early year issue of Zymurgy this year had an article in the back on how to do it in two pots. Works very well. If you'd like more info on how, let me know.
zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

Wow this is slow..

Post by zeno »

Got up this morning and... YEAST! Well, at least I know it'll brew now. This has to be the slowest I've ever seen it though. Not the rapid growth rate I've seen in all my other brews. Maby shipping the yeast from cali to NC in this rancid heat damaged the yeast. One thing's for sure... it's sloooow...
zeno
Pale Ale
Pale Ale
Posts: 56
Joined: Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:44 am
Location: Cary, NC, US

all grain?!?!

Post by zeno »

Never herd of doing all grain on o stove.. You get a fecent mash efficientcy?
broon
Light Lager
Light Lager
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Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 7:08 am
Location: Raytown, MO, US

Mash efficiency is good

Post by broon »

Basically when you sparge you fill the first pot half full, completely fill the second, then finish filling the first. All additions during boil are split equally. So if 1 oz of bittering hops are required, 1/2 oz goes in each pot.

I followed a recipe exactly out of the "Beer Captured" book and had OG and FG were right at expected according to the book. They have been slightly off (higher OG, lower FG) when I use the Beer Tools calculator at 72% efficiency.
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