First-timer - two questions about yeast

[Chevette Girl]

Ah well, I'll just throw a couple of grams in there, one today and one tomorrow before leaving I guess. But doesn't the fermenting process take like two weeks? One would expect the different "milestones" like the 50% sugar level to take a little longer, in relation to the total fermenting period.

Yeast don't wear watches or look at a calendar, they just perform their job as best they can given all the tools you give them. Most of us have had a few fermentations that just dragged and dragged, and most of us have had a few that have blasted through the 1/3 break before we took our second SG reading.

But you're saying that I shouldn't put the lid on the week I'm gone (which should roughly account for 1/2 of the fermenting process)?

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you should leave the lid off entirely while you're gone (that's just asking for it), just that removing it to check on things is not something to be afraid of. Some folks here do the first half of fermentation with only a sanitized cloth or towel over the bucket. I don't because that's just asking for fruit flies around here, but the theory is that it allows better CO2 escape and oxygenation.

 

[Hagroth]

Yeast don't wear watches or look at a calendar, they just perform their job as best they can given all the tools you give them. Most of us have had a few fermentations that just dragged and dragged, and most of us have had a few that have blasted through the 1/3 break before we took our second SG reading.

Of course, but I won't be able to take any measurements while I'm gone so the clock is my only friend :/ I hope it's not that picky, I'll check the status when I get back home and see if I need to put something more in there. But it's always nice to have estimates when possible

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you should leave the lid off entirely while you're gone (that's just asking for it), just that removing it to check on things is not something to be afraid of. Some folks here do the first half of fermentation with only a sanitized cloth or towel over the bucket. I don't because that's just asking for fruit flies around here, but the theory is that it allows better CO2 escape and oxygenation.

Hehe ok, thought so!

I came up with another question: Some people say that Wyeast's claim that their smack pack Activator yeasts is enough for five gallons isn't true. Does anyone have any experience in this? If not, I could always take a bit extra yeast, that won't hurt will it? Is it possible to overdose the yeast as long as you stay within a margin of perhaps 50%?

 

[Chevette Girl]

I've never used a smack pack myself, but some folks here routinely double or triple-pitch so I don't think it will hurt. Just make sure you use the same strain, some do not play well with others.

 

[Hagroth]

I've never used a smack pack myself, but some folks here routinely double or triple-pitch so I don't think it will hurt. Just make sure you use the same strain, some do not play well with others.

Ok, I'll use a little more yeast than the package says then, just to be safe. What if it isn't enough and the fermenting has stopped by the time I get back home without reaching the alcohol tolerance level of the yeast? Can I just pour in some more and continue the fermenting by then?

What about nutrients? Would it be devastating if I'd throw in, say, 10-20 grams rather than the usually recommended 2-4 grams before I leave for one week?

Thank you very much for the quick answers, totally rep'd!

 

[Midnight Sun]

I myself have not used smack packs for mead, I have for beer. To insure a good takeoff I always use in conjunction with a starter. As strange as it sounds, a packet of dry yeast has just as many, if not more, viable yeast cells than a smack pack.

Certainly no harm in over pitching yeast. As Chevette mentioned, some recipes call for two packets of yeast. In high gravity musts, or other conditions that make fermentation difficult, it may be a requirement. Or less commonly, you make a starter....

I don't recommend overdosing the nutrients. Whatever your yeast don't use will be available for spoilage bacteria. Also, too many nutrients may add off flavors.

 

[Hagroth]

...

All right, thank you!

I'm about to start now, there's one thing that isn't quite clear to me. Reading the hydrometer. I'm thinking of sanitizing it in a bath of Star San solution and then lowering it into hte must before pouring yeast in there. Should that be before the nutrients as well by the way? Anyway, that should be all right, right? I'll just stick it in there until it floats and read the scale and then pull it out and continue with putting in nutrients and yeast and so on.

 

[kudapucat]

I usually measure the gravity before adding yeast and energiser.
This is because then you know more of the weight is due to sugar.
Also the yeast will drop out at the end. So they won't be measured then either.
Also, I usually measure SG in a small vial, not in the must itself. It's much more convenient, and easier to read.

 

[akueck]

The Wyeast nutrient instructions are geared for beer. So they say to add them at the end of the boil, which is something that you do for 99% of beers.

I wouldn't leave the lid totally off, but you could probably get away with a less than airtight seal. I think the point was that the CO2 produced will take up the headspace, assuming a less than totally open fermenter.

 

[Chevette Girl]

What if it isn't enough and the fermenting has stopped by the time I get back home without reaching the alcohol tolerance level of the yeast? Can I just pour in some more and continue the fermenting by then?

That's not quite the way it works... when you pitch the yeast, the reason they need nutrients and energizer and oxygen up front is because the first thing they set to is multiplying. Unless you dramatically underpitch, the only difference will be saving time on a couple of doublings (a yeast culture doubles its cell count in about 90 minutes). By the time it hits lag phase it's making alcohol and not multiplying as much, by the time you hit 1/3 sugar break, it's pretty much made as many yeast cells as it was going to. If it gets to a point and then stops before it hits its tolerance (we refer to this as sticking, or a stuck ferment), simply adding more yeast will not get it to finish because the new yeast won't be acclimatized to the alcohol content and will probably give up before they get started. If you end up with a stuck ferment, let us know and we'll walk you through the restart procedures... and thanks for the rep! Always glad to help!

 

[Hagroth]

Thanks everybody, I'll read your replies tomorrow as I need to get some sleep now. I have initiated the fermenting process and it feels terrific!

Just one question - the airlock. I filled it with water until it wouldn't take anymore. The water was now about halfway through the little spheres of whatever you want to call them. I put the airlock into the little hole in the cork of the fermenting bucket, and screwed the airlock lid/cork onto the airlock. This is correct, right? I don't quite think it makes sense because the airlock's there to let gasses out - wouldn't the lid prevent those gasses from going any further than the last air room inside the airlock? The airlock is supposed to be closed; the airlock lid/cork sealed? I'd appreciate any replies within six hours a LOT! Thank you!

 

[Chevette Girl]

As long as air can get through your airlock (that being its purpose) you should be fine, the caps on those things usually are either full of holes or are not a tight seal. If you're using a bucket, you should be able to get it to blurp if you press down on the lid of the bucket and push some air out. If you can't, take the lid off the airlock, the only reason for the lid is to keep fruit flies out and to keep the water from evaporating as quickly.

 

[Hagroth]

As long as air can get through your airlock (that being its purpose) you should be fine, the caps on those things usually are either full of holes or are not a tight seal. If you're using a bucket, you should be able to get it to blurp if you press down on the lid of the bucket and push some air out.

My cap didn't have any holes. Not that I saw anyway. The bucket/airlock DID blurp however, bubbles did go through the water inside the airlock when I put the bucket down and so on.

 

[Chevette Girl]

My cap didn't have any holes. Not that I saw anyway. The bucket/airlock DID blurp however, bubbles did go through the water inside the airlock when I put the bucket down and so on.

Then you're fine. Even the lids with no holes generally aren't an airtight fit. I use plastic wrap over mine when the caps crack or disappear...

 

[Hagroth]

Then you're fine. Even the lids with no holes generally aren't an airtight fit. I use plastic wrap over mine when the caps crack or disappear...

All right, makes sense!

Here's a picture of the airlock and the lid I'm using by the way: http://shop.humle.se/utrustning/jasning/forkultivering/jasror

 

[Hagroth]

Oh, can I ask you one more question? This isn't urgent at all however: I chose to fill my bathtub with about 30 litres of water, enough to submerge all my tools into it. I then applied the recommended dose of Star San. I didn't just submerge and wash the equipment before usage, but I used this bath as a sort of storage for all my equipment between usage. For example, I would put my mixing spoon in there, pick it up when I was about to use it, and then put it back in after I'd done my stirring. Star San is supposed to be a no-rinse product, so I never rinsed anything. I just picked it up, shaked it a little bit to get rid of at least some of the foam/solution and then used it.
Also, before I poured my water (the ingredient, that is) into the fermenting buckets, I had washed them thoroughly with a sponge and partial submersion/rotation in the bath. There was a little foam still in there and probably some of the water + Star San solution, but I did shake it a bit to get rid of as much of it as possible before pouring my water in there.
This leads me to my question: This is no problem is it? They say "Don't fear the foam" and that the foam becomes nutrient or at least digestive for the yeast or something like that. Have you done anything like this when you're making mead?

Thank you!

 

[Midnight Sun]

I use a product similar to Star-san, Iodophor. Yup, totally no-rinse. I have tried both rinsing with tap water after sanitizing with Iodophor and also no rinse. I couldn't detect any difference, so now I only use the no-rinse method as it is easier. I totally understand your question, though, it was very hard for me to embrace the foam the first time I tried it.

Keep in mind if you use bleach, you definitely need to rinse after using. I know you didn't ask about it, but I just thought to mention it. I like to change things up every 5-6 batches, but that is probably overkill.

 

[Hagroth]

I use a product similar to Star-san, Iodophor. Yup, totally no-rinse. I have tried both rinsing with tap water after sanitizing with Iodophor and also no rinse. I couldn't detect any difference, so now I only use the no-rinse method as it is easier. I totally understand your question, though, it was very hard for me to embrace the foam the first time I tried it.

Keep in mind if you use bleach, you definitely need to rinse after using. I know you didn't ask about it, but I just thought to mention it. I like to change things up every 5-6 batches, but that is probably overkill.

Ok thank you, that's comforting. Even though I've read it before it's definitely hard to ignore the foam.

Yes, of course

 

[akueck]

I routinely have giant piles of foam shooting out of the carboy as it fills. No worries, it's just foam.

 

[Hagroth]

I routinely have giant piles of foam shooting out of the carboy as it fills. No worries, it's just foam.

All right, thanks everybody! Exciting to see how it turns out!

 

[Hagroth]

Ok, it's been more than one week and I've just returned home. The "blurping" intervals in the airlocks is 1 min 50 sec for one batch and 1 min 15 sec for the other (they have varying degrees of honey in them). This is a bit long, isn't it? The fermenting can't possibly be completed already, 9 days later, can it?

I suppose I'll have to measure the alcohol content with a hydrometer to see how it's been doing. Do you think the following method is good?

1) Let the mead flow into the glass cylinder using the sprigot in the fermenting bucket and do the measurement. (The glass cylinder and the hydrometer have been sanitized with Star San).
2) Open the lid of the fermenting bucket and pour the sample back in, followed by of course shutting it again like before.

I won't have to worry about contagion or anything if I follow this method?

Thanks!