A while back, I brewed a RIS and a double IPA, both 1.090OG. Neither of these ever really got much carbonation. Just checked a Northern Brewer Belg golden strong and it’s also a little flat, although it’s only about 2 weeks into bottle conditioning.
I use the standard priming sugar packs and haven’t ever had carbonation issues on anything with an OG of 1.070 or less.
I’ve never added yest prior to bottling, think this would be worthwhile on my upcoming Number 8 and barley wine?
Given your experience, I think it would be worth adding yeast at bottling. I’d recommend Safbrew T-58 for it’s alcohol tolerance and high sedimentation. Please let us know if that solves the issue.
+1 Good insurance.
1/4-1/2 pack of dry yeast is all you need. Just mix in with your priming sugar.
when adding yeast how much do you guys typically use?
Will do. I initially thought the 1st 2 high gravity beers were due to issues with the bottle caps, so I switched them and that seemed to solve the problem of medium gravity beers that I brewed after that.
I’m due to bottle a Number 8 in about a month and don’t feel like having another flat beer. I’ll also recheck the NB Belg golden strong in another couple of weeks. It had been in the secondary for about 2 months as suggested in the recipe sheet. For only being bottle conditioning for 2 weeks, I can’t say it’s horrible.
Also, after opening the yeast packs, how long are they good?
True, but since I don’t have a use for the rest of the packet, I pitch it all. You are not going to get very high viability pitching into high-alcohol beer, and there is no harm in pitching the whole packet. If I were bottling 2 baches at the same time, I would just use half in each.
True, but since I don’t have a use for the rest of the packet, I pitch it all. You are not going to get very high viability pitching into high-alcohol beer, and there is no harm in pitching the whole packet. If I were bottling 2 baches at the same time, I would just use half in each.[/quote]
I pitched a whole packet once, and I definitely saw a lot more sediment in my bottles than normal. I started using 1/4 packet, but I’ve heard that 1 gram of dry yeast is sufficient.
According to the yeast mfgrs fact sheet, “Opened sachets must be sealed and stored at 4°C (39°F) and used within 7 days of opening.”
http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/upl ... SFBT58.pdfThis sheet also has specs for how much to pitch, “2.5 to 5 g/hl in bottle conditioning.” 0.2 hl ~= 5 gal. So, erockrph has it right.
I’m going to use 1/4 of the packet from now on and toss the rest. I think 3 times the min recommended amount is plenty of margin (if not overkill).
Sounds good. Thanks for the advice.
Any thoughts on Safale US-05? I have no reservations using T-58, but I really dislike wasting anything. I know it’s not a huge deal, just a little OCD thing of mine.
Also, direct pitch or hydrate? If direct pitch, how long would I wait before bottling. Obviously if hydrating first is ideal, mixing it in would probably work.
True, but since I don’t have a use for the rest of the packet, I pitch it all. You are not going to get very high viability pitching into high-alcohol beer, and there is no harm in pitching the whole packet. If I were bottling 2 baches at the same time, I would just use half in each.[/quote]
I pitched a whole packet once, and I definitely saw a lot more sediment in my bottles than normal. I started using 1/4 packet, but I’ve heard that 1 gram of dry yeast is sufficient.[/quote]
Same here. I used to use a whole pack. When I bottled, I used Nottingham, about $1 a pack. Prices have gone up, so I can understand not wanting to waste.
Beats undercarbed beer though. :cheers:
Someone here posted they use half or partial packets of dry all the time for small batches, and just sanitize, fold and tape it shut, and put it back in the fridge.
EDIT:
[quote=“dmtaylo2”]Screw the 0.3 pack of dry yeast, and just pitch one pack. I can virtually guarantee that your beer will turn out just fine with just one pack.
That being said, I use partial packs a lot because I am a small batch brewer. I usually only make 1.7 to 2.5 gallons at a time, so then it’s a waste to use a whole pack for those. All I do is sanitize the pack as well as possible before opening, use a half pack or however much, then fold over the side a couple of times and tape it shut, and stuff it into the refrigerator. You can seal the sanitized packet in a Ziplock if you’re worried about contamination. It will keep just fine for several YEARS like that. Next time I need it, I take the tape off, pitch and roll. No need to weigh the yeast or anything like that. Just feel around how much yeast is in there, and estimate how much you need, sprinkle it out, and that’s good enough.
Dry yeast is awesome stuff. If I could, I would use dry yeast for everything. Unfortunately, I am also somewhat picky with my yeast choices so I do use a lot of liquid since there are so many dozens (hundreds??) of kinds available.[/quote]
Should be pretty economical if you can spread out one for 3 or 4 bottling sessions.
S-04 makes a good bottling yeast, since it ferments fast and clean, and flocculates out fast. It will paint itself to the bottom of your bottle.
Hydrate prior to pitching?
FWIW, I know some (many? all?) companies that produce dried yeast specifically recommend against hydrating prior to pitching…
Some recommend hydrating and some recommend directly pitching. Some say that direct pitching kills off a certain amount of the yeast. I have done it both ways and haven’t really noticed any appreciable differences either way.
For priming purposes, hydrating the yeast might be a slightly better option in the sense that the yeast will be in liquid form and allow for more quicker and more even distribution. The encapsulated yeast pellets might not distribute evenly if you don’t give it adequate time to do so.
Something pertinent I probably should have mentioned earlier. I generally don’t do yeast starters. Could this also be a source of my carbonation issues? I did a few ~1.080 beers and didn’t have time to make a proper starter. I hit goal FG and these carbonated, but am wondering if my lack of starter could be responsible.
A friend of mine made a RIS with US-05 and Nottingham, which tasted great. Was thinking of trying this out soon to see if it helps with carbonation.
[/quote]I pitched a whole packet once, and I definitely saw a lot more sediment in my bottles than normal. I started using 1/4 packet, but I’ve heard that 1 gram of dry yeast is sufficient.[/quote]
Throw the packet in a week before you bottle and leave the extra sediment behind.
[quote=“Rookie L A”]
Throw the packet in a week before you bottle and leave the extra sediment behind.[/quote]
I’ve been thinking something like this wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Pitched 1/2 a packet of T-58 in my Number 8 yesterday. Threw the other half in my barley wine in case it needed a little help before I rack it to secondary. For the barley wine, I’ll be using Danstar’s CBC-1.
You probably know more about brewing beer than I do, but I’ve noticed that my higher content beers tend to carbonate more slowly than others. You probably also know to store the bottles at a reasonably warm temperature for at least a couple weeks. Other than that I have no idea.
