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[Kenny Rogers]

The batch I'm having a problem with is an Octoberfest recipe from my local brew supply shop. I can see yeast sediment at the bottom of the carboy (around 3 inches at the bottom), but no krausen (foam at the top) or noticeable CO2 bubbling.

- Setup is in an insulated garage, no true temperature control, but temps have been fairly consistent around 40 degrees (A bit cold from what I've read for primary fermentation... recommended around 55). It's better than the 20 degrees outside, lol.

- Equipment sanitized with bleach, rinsed many times to get the bleach out

- Using Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager (smack pack), waited 4 hours @ room temp, bag inflated as usual

- I am also making a Doppel Bock, fermentation activity has been normal, given the exact same environment (different recipes, different yeasts though). 


I'm hoping someone can give me some insight as to what happened.  I may end up just throwing in some more yeast and hoping for the best.  #1 fear is bacterial infection 

[Urban Indian]

........

How is that DUI thing coming along?

[rsmith2786]

40 degrees is just too cold.  The majority of the yeast isn't active and what is active is digesting the sugars very slowly.  I usually ferment lagers between 50 and 55 and it still takes forever compared to an ale or steam.

[Doug]

Why not just move it inside?

[junkyard racer]

you need to ferment at least at 65deg. I hope your yeast hasnt settled into your trub. You could try to go get a air stone/air thingy for a fish tank and toss in some yeast nutrient to hope it comes back.

your probably SOL though on this batch.

[Teg2boo]

Wikipedia is a nice source to know what is the optimal temp for a bacteria to be very active.

This is the temperature for yeast:

Yeasts will grow over a temperature range of 10 °C (50 °F) to 37 °C (99 °F), with an optimal temperature range of 30 °C (86 °F) to 37 °C (99 °F), depending on the type of species (S. cerevisiae works best at about 30 °C (86 °F). Above 37 °C (99 °F) yeast cells become stressed and will not divide properly. Most yeast cells die above 50 °C (122 °F). If the solution reaches 105 °C (221 °F) the yeast will disintegrate. There is little activity in the range of 0 °C (32 °F) - 10 °C (50 °F). The cells can survive freezing under certain conditions, with viability decreasing over time.

I don't know about beer, but a bacteria is a bacteria

[97Econobox]

Haven't done the brew yet still doin wines ciders type stuff but i had read exactly what Vesticle and dooder said.  Lagers are around 55 and most everything else is higher.  Its too cold for that batch.

[Kenny Rogers]

There's a difference between ale yeast & lager yeast.  Ale yeast you can keep inside the house around 70 degrees.  Lager yeast is a bitch... gotta regulate the temp the whole time.  I'm just going to try a new strain and hope it starts working.  I'll move the carboy closer to the interior house wall to keep the temp slightly higher.

........

How is that DUI thing coming along?

You think I quit drinking?     I'm just not drinking and driving. 

[junkyard racer]

I've never done a lager, but I thought that you held it at 68ish until the yeast stopped bubbling, then you transferred to a secondary and let it sit in a cold environment (hince thats where the lagering takes place)

teg, thats for like bread yeast. brewers yeast...furthermore, a strain like what hes using is a totally different yeast.


Just pulled up instructions for a NB lager kit....looks like I was half right. They say to ferment around 48-56deg and after fermenting, transfer to a secondary...then put it in a cold (35-40deg) place.  ....pretty much what you said in the first post.

Id move it inside to a warmer place.

[88dx]

U fucking Hippie just buy the fucking beer 

[Kenny Rogers]

U fucking Hippie just buy the fucking beer 

I drink store-bought beer while I make homemade beer.  Then I re-use the bottles (like a hippie) for my beer. Too bad keystone Ice doesn't come in pop-top bottles 

And yes, jyc, I will be moving the beer somewhere near 50 ish deg... I think it'll jump start the yeast.

[junkyard racer]

sweet. I just bottled my rye porter stout today.

Do you do extract or all grain?

[fork]

That is too cold for primary fermentation.  I woulld bring it inside and repitch yeast.  You can lager down cold like that after primary, but that just too cold.  Look at the specs for the yeast it should tell you the temps it can ferment at.  I've got a belgian dark strong I'm drinking now and a scotch ale going into secondary today, getting bottled before Christmas.  All grain is where its at but don't hate on extract. 

[Kenny Rogers]

I'm doing all extract brewing right now... I don't know enough about controlling grains to decide on a recipe.  So far I've been going on the recommendation of my brew shop.  6 ales and 1 lager under my belt... so far so good, but this batch has me nervous.

I will move it to a warmer place, check it in a couple days. If I don't see any activity I will re-pitch some new yeast.

Skeet, skeet, skeet I'm drunk on sam adam's cherry wheat (and whiskey).  I warn anyone & everyone: do not buy sam's cherry wheat.  It's the worst sam's I've ever had.  Usually I love Sam Adam's... balanced, flavorful, well crafted.  But this cherry wheat tastes like boston lager + caugh syrup (so... delicious to some of you).

Taco Bell.   I'm out.

[88dx]

Now you sound like a pussy who drinks beer for the taste 



Pack your bags and move to Canada 

[Doug]

How much is the cost of HMBrewing compared to just buying it? I looked into it a long time ago and it seemed pricey to get going. Would have to drink a lot of beer to recoup any savings. Then again this was years and years ago.

[Kenny Rogers]

After the initial equipment costs, each batch of ingredients costs between $20 - $35, depending on where you get your materials, and what recipe you're making.

5 gallons yields around 50 (12 oz) beers, so it's right around $.50/beer - $3/6 pack

Right around PBR/Keystone prices.  And Steve, MORE alcohol content    Taste + alcohol = win win

[klyph]

After moving it to a warmer area, you'll probably have to agitate it to get the yeast back into solution. The fact that it's been sitting for a while without fermenting will affect the flavor, but the batch is by no means lost. Unless, of course, it's become infected.

[Whitey]

Coors says their "beer" is frost brewed.   


Stick to prision wine's.  Much easier 

[fork]

Making your own beer won't save you money over buying natty ice, it may save you a little over good expensive craft beer but not much.  It also takes a lot of time. 

And yes Sam adams is good, but the Cherry wheat is garbage, since you have good taste in beer, please see my avatar, best beer ever St Bernardus ABT12.

 When I brew my friend and I brew 10 gallon all grain batches, and we buy grain in bulk, less than a buck a pound.  If we wanted too we could make about 100 beers for about 30 dollars. 

[Teg2boo]

Coors says their "beer" is frost brewed.   


Stick to prision wine's.  Much easier 

Taste like shit too!

[fysh]

The only thing the french canadians ever did right:



Shit is PHENOMENAL, and not a bad price tag either.

[junkyard racer]

I'm doing all extract brewing right now... I don't know enough about controlling grains to decide on a recipe.  So far I've been going on the recommendation of my brew shop.  6 ales and 1 lager under my belt... so far so good, but this batch has me nervous.

get into all-grain. buy a few kits from northern brewer to get going. its intimidating at first...then your like...fuck, this was easy.

[klyph]

I'm doing all extract brewing right now... I don't know enough about controlling grains to decide on a recipe.  So far I've been going on the recommendation of my brew shop.  6 ales and 1 lager under my belt... so far so good, but this batch has me nervous.

get into all-grain. buy a few kits from northern brewer to get going. its intimidating at first...then your like...fuck, this was easy.

All that's keeping me from going all grain is a mash lautering tun. An all grain setup takes up twice as much space as an extract setup.

[Kenny Rogers]

Update: I think it's going to turn out alright.  Signs of fermentation have become evident after warming it up to around 50 deg.  I'll just let hang out and become delicious for a while    Didn't need to re-pitch the yeast, so that makes me happy.

I'm doing all extract brewing right now... I don't know enough about controlling grains to decide on a recipe.  So far I've been going on the recommendation of my brew shop.  6 ales and 1 lager under my belt... so far so good, but this batch has me nervous.

get into all-grain. buy a few kits from northern brewer to get going. its intimidating at first...then your like...fuck, this was easy.

All that's keeping me from going all grain is a mash lautering tun. An all grain setup takes up twice as much space as an extract setup.

That's another reason I haven't made the leap to AG.  Space is definitely an issue.

[klyph]

Crystal malts and partial mash turn out some pretty awesome brews. I think after christmas, I should have everything to make a mash tun.