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No Oxygen = slow fermentation

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  • No Oxygen = slow fermentation

    So I brewed a batch of our house Red Ale on Saturday (14 plato) and after starting to knock out the batch through the HE and into fermenter I noticed that we were out of Oxygen. We had just changed the tank on the previous brew and had a leak. I don't have access to an air compressor so I kinda had to shrug my shoulders and say "oh well, we'll see what happens!"

    The yeast is WL 001 and it was a brand new 7 bbl pitch from BSI. We're currently on day five of fermentation and activity has been very slow. The beer is only about 25% attenuated (still bubbling away slowly but constantly) and currently at 10.5 plato. Even with a new batch of yeast normally I would expect fermentation to be just about over by day 5. My forced-fermenation test shows that I can expect a final gravity of around 3.8 (74% app. attenuation), so available sugar isn't a problem. Clearly lack of O2 is.

    Any ideas on what would be the smart thing to do? I expect an O2 delivery tomorrow, but I'm thinking that this far into fermentation it's a bad idea to add more. I've always thought adding O2 after more than 12 hours was a no-no. However, we're still only 25% attenuated so.....?

    Should I wait it out as long as the beer keeps fermenting (however slowly)? Should I try and pump some O2 in there tomorrow? Any thoughts? I will run out of this beer in the next week and could really use this batch getting finished asap.

    Any advice is always appreciated. Probrewer rocks!
    Hutch Kugeman
    Head Brewer
    Brooklyn Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America
    Hyde Park, NY

  • #2
    if possible, use a package of dry yeast.

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    • #3
      Call BSI

      I brewed 9/6 with a 7bbl BSI WL001 Pitchable slurry received 9/4. 15 og --9 today. Did not have your oxygen issue but the yeast action is slow as well (to say the least). I am calling BSI today and will never cheat on White Labs again!

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      • #4
        I suppose it could be BSI, but I've been using them for a while and have never had a problem. I'm pretty convinced that the lack of O2 is the problem
        Hutch Kugeman
        Head Brewer
        Brooklyn Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America
        Hyde Park, NY

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        • #5
          Hi Hutch-

          I'd call David at BSI ((719) 460-0418.) I've always found him to be a wealth of practical help in situations like this. My recollection (always an iffy resource) from previous discussions with David is that he'd advise oxygenation *up to* 25% attenuation on stuck ferments. Might be your only best shot in this situation.
          Clarke Pelz
          Cynosure Brewing

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          • #6
            Oxygenate and rouse thoroughly as soon as you have O2. Also, if you have facility to examine your yeast, I'd be inclined to check the viability.

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            • #7
              aerate and pray

              In the past I've had this happen trying to dial in the proper oxygenation (I went way too low). My yeast didn't really do anything after 24 hours so I attached a stone to the bottom of the fermenter and aerated not too vigorously until I had used about 100 psi out of the tank (after about ten minutes). The next day it was rocking and finished from there on out in three days as normal. The one issue is of course oxidation but it sounds like your yeast is new and therefore healthy so the yeast should gobble all of those o2 molecules. I had absolutely no flavor issues. It was also the house red and it took two months to finish (PB is a tuff craft beer market) and it still tasted great. The sooner the better though, as you want that yeast to out-compete any stray bugs before they get a chance to start respiration. Good luck and damn the leaks!
              Jay Stoyanoff
              Brewmaster
              Plattsburgh Brewing Co.
              Plattsburgh, NY

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              • #8
                Add O2

                Ditto what monkeybrewer said. I had the same problem with the same fix. Beer turned out great.

                Cheers,
                John Dean
                Blind Tiger Brewery

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                • #9
                  If you have a side racking valve on the tank, set up a pump and circulate from the side valve and back into the bottom valve of the tank with your aeration fitting in the loop ( with O2 or air bubbling in). Preferably, keep the tank under pressure (1-2 psi) to help with any foaming. Do this for ten minutes, wait four hours and see if things improve. They should.

                  Pax and luck,

                  Liam
                  Liam McKenna
                  www.yellowbellybrewery.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    There's a big difference between catching this 24 hours later and 6 days later. You can save this by oxygenating 24 hours later, but 6 days & 25% attenuation later is a completely different story. I think that if you oxygenate now you'll definitely have staling issues down the road. Your yeast cell growth phase is passed, and you have a very low cell count in your fermenter right now, so I'd suggest pitching some more yeast from another fermenter if you have it, and don't be shy. Obviously, this will dilute your new yeast, so you'll have to decide if the yeast or the batch is more important. I'd only oxygenate if you want to save the new yeast and want to roll the dice on the batch of beer.

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                    • #11
                      If you were to try oxygenating now it will create problems with the alcohol you have produced. Try pitching in some fresh wort, o2 extensively, allow time for yeast to soak o2 up, then pitch into main ferm. Or try the dry yeast route. Either way be careful about the yeast that has most likely already floced out.

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                      • #12
                        cell count

                        I am fairly certain that the 7bbl pitchable from BSI only provides 7 million cells per ml. You state that your Red Ale was 14ยบ Plato - thus, not only did you not oxygenate, but you also under pitched your first generation. I never use a straight 7bbl pitch for 7bbl of wort. I always propagate first - no stuck fermentations. Yeast labs *notoriously* cell you pitchable quantities that are under their own recommended pitching rates...
                        Next time: make a starter.

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                        • #13
                          Call Crosby Baker up and get a brick of the US-05 Fermentis yeast. Rehydrate it and pitch it in. That should get you going and will only cost you like $50.

                          I use it nearly exclusively and aerate with sterile filtered compressed air. I never run out of oxygen and get great results. Plus it is much cheaper!

                          R/
                          Mike Pensinger
                          General Manager/Brewmaster
                          Parkway Brewing Company
                          Salem, VA

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                          • #14
                            O2 source

                            Hutch,
                            If this happens again just run over to the nearest retirement home. Theres usualy plenty of O2 bottles there to grab and those folks are old so they dont put up much of a fight.....
                            -LOL, Ted
                            Brewmaster, Minocqua Brewing Company
                            tbriggs@minocquabrewingcompany.com
                            "Your results may vary"

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              How d'ja make out?

                              Hi Kugeman,

                              I sent you a PM just wanting to know how you made out as I presently find myself in the same situation.

                              Cheers,

                              Conan

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