Stuck ferment

[Easy_Targa]

If you are reading this then you are probably a PH'er and a brewer. If so then advice please, my Christmas bitter has failed.
I am an experienced home brewer but never had this before.
I have just made a batch of wort from grains to a vague "Spitfire" recipe and all went well. 1.050 original gravity, and 23 degrees C, pitched in WYeast in a packet. (First time I have used this liquid that has to be activated 3 hours in advance of using it by popping a small bag within the packet of yeast).
36 hours have now passed and nothing at all, not a bubble. Any ideas out there?
What went wrong and has anyone rescued a batch (23 litres) from this position.
It will break my heart to throw it away.

[Pete Franklin]

Easy_Targa said:

If you are reading this then you are probably a PH'er and a brewer. If so then advice please, my Christmas bitter has failed.
I am an experienced home brewer but never had this before.
I have just made a batch of wort from grains to a vague "Spitfire" recipe and all went well. 1.050 original gravity, and 23 degrees C, pitched in WYeast in a packet. (First time I have used this liquid that has to be activated 3 hours in advance of using it by popping a small bag within the packet of yeast).
36 hours have now passed and nothing at all, not a bubble. Any ideas out there?
What went wrong and has anyone rescued a batch (23 litres) from this position.
It will break my heart to throw it away.

I would say first get hold of some good quality dry yeast as a backup (asap), next try airating the wort to jump start the fermentation, if there is no sign of life after a few hours I would be tempted to pitch the dry yeast. your biggest issue is going to be oxidisation giving slightly stale flavours and increased risk of bacterial infection (giving all number of unusal flavours) both of these are recoverable with time (depending on severity). If the wort has been covered it should be ok after 36hrs obviously the sooner it starts fermenting the better as the co2 produced provides a barrier to the oxygen.

[Easy_Targa]

Thanks Pete.
I did not mention in the first post that I did try a second batch of yeast last night. Started off a small bottle with some wort, sugar and dry yeast from a kit. Still nothing doing though.
I am going to put a few pints of well aerated wort in a demijohn then addd more sugar and fresh (dry) yeast, put it somewhere warm and hope it goes bonkers before pitching it into the fermenting bin with the rest of the wort. This is my best (and last) idea.
Did you ever use this WYeast stuff? It was £6.50 a bag would you believe and I am of the opinion that it has poisoned the wort.

[Gold]

Packeted dry yeast can actually be more reliable than liquid yeast as you tend to get a higher yeast cell count - particularly if your packet is approaching the use by date. It's best to make a starter before using liquid yeast.

[Mobsta]

Thought you had a stuck ferret for a minute. I've got one too.

[Turn7]

I had a brew stick earlier this year, I spoke to my supplier and they sold me a very aggressive yeast -I added this and snother kilo of brewers sugar and it went away like mad.

Took slightly longer to clear in the barrel afterwards, and was marginally sweeter is all.

[Easy_Targa]

OK used an old packet of Tom Caxton real ale yeast to get a vigorous 4 pint starter going then pitched it in. Fingers crossed its escaped the bin by the morning. Any experience of these liquid yeasts? Can they possibly be worth £6.50?

[SwanJack]

No bubbles(presumably in the airlock) doesn't mean you have no fermentation. Do you have a foam (krausen) over the top of the wort? if so you have signs of fermentation.

Taken from wyeyeast website

'Some fermentations will not take off for 36 hours due to many variables. Once past 36 hours, take a gravity reading, make sure that the temperature is warm, and agitate the carboy. Agitate every so often for 12 hours, then take a gravity reading to see if fermentation has begun.'

Hope it works out for you,my xmas ale http://hopville.com/recipe/114097# is still fermenting after two and a half weeks!! But it did have a high OG.

Edited by SwanJack on Wednesday 7th November 08:23

Edited by SwanJack on Wednesday 7th November 11:39

[motco]

Pete Franklin said:

Easy_Targa said:

If you are reading this then you are probably a PH'er and a brewer. If so then advice please, my Christmas bitter has failed.
I am an experienced home brewer but never had this before.
I have just made a batch of wort from grains to a vague "Spitfire" recipe and all went well. 1.050 original gravity, and 23 degrees C, pitched in WYeast in a packet. (First time I have used this liquid that has to be activated 3 hours in advance of using it by popping a small bag within the packet of yeast).
36 hours have now passed and nothing at all, not a bubble. Any ideas out there?
What went wrong and has anyone rescued a batch (23 litres) from this position.
It will break my heart to throw it away.

I would say first get hold of some good quality dry yeast as a backup (asap), next try airating the wort to jump start the fermentation, if there is no sign of life after a few hours I would be tempted to pitch the dry yeast. your biggest issue is going to be oxidisation giving slightly stale flavours and increased risk of bacterial infection (giving all number of unusal flavours) both of these are recoverable with time (depending on severity). If the wort has been covered it should be ok after 36hrs obviously the sooner it starts fermenting the better as the co2 produced provides a barrier to the oxygen.

I agree with that. In the four decades of brewing chez moi this has happened once and I repitched and it was fine.

[stourbridges2tvr]

Yeast loves zinc, try a zinc supplement from the health food store.

[Blown2CV]

just stick it out, it will all even up during the ferment period. Make sure room temp is correct and consistent.