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No fermentation. Not enough oxygen?

Yeast & Fermentation
#1

I just brewed a 1 gallon batch of Dry Irish Stout. Like all my previous brews, I followed all instructions to the letter. Once I got my wort chilled to 68 degrees F, I strained wort into my Little Big Mouth Bubbler. Everything was carefully sanitized with Star-San.

Aeration:
I aerated with my aeration stone system (the one with the fish tank air pump and in-line hepa filter). The problem is I could only aerate for about 1 minute, after which everything foamed up to the edge, so I had to unplug. I’ve had success before just using the air hose without the bubble stone, or alternatively controlling some of the foam with fermi-cap, but this time I didn’t want to use fermi-cap. Given how much foam was produced, I hoped 1 minute was sufficient for oxygenation. I then poured 1/2 packet of the included dry yeast, as instructed.

After 10 days there has been no sign of fermentation whatsoever. Is this because of inadequate oxygenation? If so, what should I do? Should I cap the bubbler and just shake it for 5 minutes like you do with the starter kits? Or is the brew a lost cause by this point? It’s just sitting there like a neglected jug of coffee at this point.

The temperature of the room is about 68-70 degrees F.

#2

Dry yeast, you really don’t need to oxygenate or aerate. Is there a ring of gunk around the fermenter? With half a packet of yeast in a 1 gallon batch, and the fairly low starting gravity of an Irish stout, you could have missed fermentation at those room temperatures. Can you take a hydro measurement? Can you sneak a sample and taste it?

#3

Okay, I did that. Unfortunately, I do not have a starting hydrometer reading for day 0. But the hydrometer sample I just took (at about 68 degrees) reads a specific gravity of about 1.01

There is a ring of gunk above the wort, but I think that may have been from the foam-over when I used the air stone.

I also tasted the sample. It doesn’t taste sweet. Maybe if I taste three more samples and get buzzed, then I’ll know for sure.

Maybe fermentation was over and done with the first day while I was away? But absolutely zero activity after that, not so much as a single CO2 bubble through the air lock. All of my previous brews had at least some slow fermentation and air lock activity afterward.

#4

Yep, it’s done. 1.010 is completely reasonable for a terminal gravity. The directions had you overpitch the yeast by about 3x what you really needed, and then with the aeration they just went nuts. The temperature was probably a bit too high, but what’s done is done. I’d give it a few more days to a week, check it again, and if you’re at the same gravity bottle away.

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#5

Wow, that’s awesome, I’m glad it’s okay and not ruined. I can’t believe it completed the entire process so fast. I turned my back for a day, and all done. A stealth brew.

Thanks for the info. :+1:

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#6

Hmmm… a Covert Celt… :smirk:

#7

I’m assuming it’s extract so your starting gravity should be what was predicted in the recipe. I agree just shake it no need for the aerater. Temperature is reasonable for an English ale yeast IMO

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