Post
by billvelek » Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:38 pm
I'm going to chime in here, although I'm not sure whether I could be right or not.
First, regardless of any leaks -- which would cause the air lock to not bubble -- you should have krauesen by now if it is fermenting. I'd say that if you don't have krauesen, then you definitely have a problem; it you DO have K, then I wouldn't worry about it and just check the gravity in a few days because you have an air leak and you'll need to monitor the gravity to see when fermentation is finished.
Second, if your wort is not fermenting by now, what is the cause? Most of the possibilities have been covered except for too much sanitizer in your fermenter; did you rinse your fermenter well before adding the wort and yeast. If this happens to be the problem, then adding new yeast isn't going to do any good. The only other possibility that occurs to me is that you underpitched into a wort which was so well aerated that the yeast have remained in a reproductive stage for all of this time. Granted, there is still some slight amount of fermentation occurring (the 'crab tree' effect), but I think, if I understand correctly, the amount of fermentation during the aerobic stage is fairly insignificant, so you might not see krauesen or any noticeable amount of CO2 during the aerobic reproductive stage. And if you couple that with the low temp (66F is definitely on the low side for an ale although well within range according to the post from Jawbox re Wyeast), I still think that everything probably progresses more slowly, including reproduction. This is just some speculation on my part. I _always_ make a starter first, including when I use dried yeast, but _especially_ when I use a vial or smack pack. Also, you didn't indicate the age of the vial, and from what I've read, you didn't "proof" it. Sooo, ... if you used a vial had a lower than expected yeast count (was expired or nearly expired), ... pitched it without a starter, ... into a relatively cold but very well aerated wort ..., then I suspect the small number of yeast are probably engaged in a slow orgy rather than fermentation.
Third, as old as your wort is at this point, I would taste it before I spent any more time messing around with it; the reason for pitching sufficient yeast is so that they out number bacteria and take control. If they have been slow in doing this ... as in this instance ... the bacteria have probably ruined the wort. If your wort has soured or has been spoiled with other bacterial tastes, it is beyond salvage and should be dumped unless it is mild enough that it might be something like a lambic. Taste it and if you think it is salvageable, then by all means, pitch more yeast as soon as possible, just as 'southerncomfort' suggested.
I might be completely wrong, but if not, I hope that helps.
Cheers.
Bill Velek
Last edited by
billvelek on Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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