Homebrewing: I'm making a Russian Imperial Stout, I pitched my champagne yeast about a week ago when I...?!
!.!.!.racked to secondary!. It doesn't look like the yeast is doing anything!.
Does anyone have experience using champagne yeast!? Is it a less vigorous yeast!? Should I not be seeing much (any) foam or was my yeast not viable!? All the recipes I've read say the yeast is low foam!. I used a yeast slap pack and it swelled so I'm pretty sure the yeast was viable!.
Thanks for your help!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Does anyone have experience using champagne yeast!? Is it a less vigorous yeast!? Should I not be seeing much (any) foam or was my yeast not viable!? All the recipes I've read say the yeast is low foam!. I used a yeast slap pack and it swelled so I'm pretty sure the yeast was viable!.
Thanks for your help!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
I used champagne yeast in my cider!.!.!.!. and noticed it doesn't foam, it seems unlike many other yeasts it just floats throughout when alive!.!.!. when it dies it joins the crap at the bottom!.
is your fermentor's airlock bubbling!? if it is, there is something happening!. if its not, or only bubbling every few min, its probably either taking a while to take off!.!.!. or there is something inhibiting its growth!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
is your fermentor's airlock bubbling!? if it is, there is something happening!. if its not, or only bubbling every few min, its probably either taking a while to take off!.!.!. or there is something inhibiting its growth!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Champagne yeast is a wine yeast, and requires a different pH than ale yeast!. They also have a lower flocculation than do a typical ale yeast!.
Though you can use a wine yeast to make beer, the results are not as good as if you were to use, oh, an English Ale style yeast!. The yeasts these days are quite specific to the styles of wine/lager/ale that are produced, and you will get a much better result by using the proper yeast!.
When you racked it into the secondary, did you taste it!? Did you record your specific gravity of your wort before putting it into the primary, and later into the secondary!. An SG reading will tell you for sure whether the yeast is working!. If it isn't, you might want to try some strain that is specific for these situations!. I know that Lalvin has one!. I'm sure that there are others!.
also, did you aerate the wort properly!? This will cause the fermentation to get stuck!.
Is this an all grain, or extract brew!?
And finally, don't forget, and I can't stress it enough, sanitation, sanitation, sanitation!. I have seen fermentations get stuck because of poor sanitation!.
In order to find the answer to your question, there are a few other questions that have to be answeredWww@FoodAQ@Com
Though you can use a wine yeast to make beer, the results are not as good as if you were to use, oh, an English Ale style yeast!. The yeasts these days are quite specific to the styles of wine/lager/ale that are produced, and you will get a much better result by using the proper yeast!.
When you racked it into the secondary, did you taste it!? Did you record your specific gravity of your wort before putting it into the primary, and later into the secondary!. An SG reading will tell you for sure whether the yeast is working!. If it isn't, you might want to try some strain that is specific for these situations!. I know that Lalvin has one!. I'm sure that there are others!.
also, did you aerate the wort properly!? This will cause the fermentation to get stuck!.
Is this an all grain, or extract brew!?
And finally, don't forget, and I can't stress it enough, sanitation, sanitation, sanitation!. I have seen fermentations get stuck because of poor sanitation!.
In order to find the answer to your question, there are a few other questions that have to be answeredWww@FoodAQ@Com
Champagne yeast is a fast yeast!.!.!.it's likely that it's done!. Champagne yeast can handle 17% potential wort, but starting out that high may cause some off flavors as it's going to be stressed anyway!. In the end, a specific gravity reading is going to give you your final answer!. Test it!.!.!.taste it!. I make a habit of always pouring a sample glass full when racking to secondary so I can taste how it's going!. Stouts are too dark to see if it's clarifying, but you should be able to start seeing a distinct sediment layer on the bottom!. Between a not-sweet taste and a nice clear line at the top of your sediment layer, those should be ok indicators that the yeast is doing its thing correctly!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Have you checked specific gravity!? Is it changing!? Have you reached final gravity!? (17% sounds just a tad high both for champagne yeast and for Russian imperial stout!. Shouldn't it be in the 7-8% range!?)!. Finally, pardon me for mentioning this to an experienced home-brewer but do you have a good seal on your fermenter!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
how's your wort!? Are you sure of sugar conversion!? i don't use slap packs!. I like to proof the yeast so I can see it!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
