Failed/slow fermentation pumpkin ale

Yeast & Fermentation
1

Hi, so I’m working on my 6th batch, first 5 went perfectly turned out amazing, all extract brews this one included. This one is the pumpkin ale from midwest, i put in a few cans of pureed pumpkin, the brew went great, everything normal, I hydrated the dry Muntons 6 gram yeast, poured the wort into the fermenter, added the yeast, shook the crap out of the fermenter (simple method but it’s always worked fine for every batch) and put it into my fermentation chamber where it holds at 68 degrees.

I did not take a hydrometer reading.

That was 8 days ago, I waited 3 full days with zero sign of fermentation, no krausen on top, no bubbling fermenter, no swirling motion inside.
So after 3 days I pitched a pack of safale us-05. After a day I saw some fermentation, but I would definitely classify it as “slow”, I counted about 12-16 bubbles/minute over the course of a few days, but no swirling or motion inside the beer which I’ve seen on every other batch, and a thin patchy layer of krausen.

So all that leads to my question, is this going to a crappy weak beer? Is there anything I can do to amp up the fermentation? Again, no gravity readings. I’ve never worried about it before because it just added steps and I was using ingredient kits so I was pretty sure what I was getting anyway.

Any help would be great thanks!

2

Though not necessary in the beginning, we really can’t tell where the beer is at now without a gravity reading.

3

Is it worth taking one now?

4

That would be the only way we can tell where the beer is at “now”. :wink:

Being an extract kit you know what the OG should have been. If it’s still in that area you know something is wrong. If the gravity is much lower, you know it’s chugging along.

5

Took one just now, (8 days after first pitch, 5 days after 2nd pitch) and the reading was 1.040. SG was supposed to be 1.042-1.046 according to the kit.

So is this a massive bummer or is there something I can do?

6

I currently brewed a pumpkin ale and after 4days, my airlock seems to be barely bubbling. Is this normal, should i pitch more yeast or what can i do to be sure everthing is ok. My last batch, a heff did not come out with good flavors. It is so hard to describe, somewhat buttery and just a stale yucky after taste. I will be so devistated if this pumkin ale come out terrible after i concentrated and following instructions to a tee i will be mortified! Please help!!