0

So we got a can of Coopers German wheat beer kit, and decided to do 2x10 lites batches, trying slightly different recipes with each one. We boiled up orange zest and corriander seeds and added the liquid to one of the 10 lite batches, and for the other we just added the coopers brew enhancer kit 1 instead of the sugar, to see what it was like.

The step which may have messed it up: I rehydrated all the yeast in a (sanitized) jug and added half to one and half to the other.

Both OGs were similar in the 1052-1054 range, both about 22/23c.

The one we added the orange zest liquid went into total overdrive - bubbling maybe every 5 seconds for 2 days, and has now completely stopped.

The other one (with the brew enhancer in it and the slightly higher OG) hasn't bubbled once.

I'm hoping someone might have some pointers for where I went wrong - it was the same wort and year, the fermentation buckets and air locks are both the same. Some small differences in recipe. My guess is trying to halve the rehydrated yeast was probably a bad idea?

I'll measure both gravities tonight and update this question. I'm just wondering why two very similar fermentations have acted so differently!

Update

I measured the gravities and they were both about 1.010, so it looks like fire.eagle's advice was correct!

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6

Measure the gravities of the brews. Since you said you've got them in buckets, I'm going to assume you haven't looked inside them to see if you had krausen or anything like that on top. With the buckets, it's entirely possible you didn't have a perfect seal on one of the buckets, so the CO2 escaped out somewhere besides the airlock. I know my first batch didn't bubble once, and it's because the lid wasn't perfectly tight.

As for splitting your yeast, so long as you dissolved it completely and mixed it before you poured to make sure nothing was trying to settle down (if you left it for a while), you should be fine there. You might have underpitched a batch a little, but you should be fine.

But, relax and check your gravities. More than likely they've both been fermenting fine, just one found a different route to vent it's CO2.

Improve this answer
3
  • Thanks fire eagle. I'll check the gravities at the weekend and report back!
    – John Farrelly
    Commented Oct 25, 2012 at 10:47
  • Thanks fire.eagle. Checked the gravities today and they were both down at 1.010 - Hurray!
    – John Farrelly
    Commented Oct 28, 2012 at 21:12
  • 1
    This has happened to me as well. Buckets are great to ferment in, but don't count on the airlock to bubble.
    – GHP
    Commented Oct 29, 2012 at 17:41

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.