LACTOSE (my first go)

    So i decided to add some lactose to the last 15m of a partial mash, 5gal boil. i used the recipe for my cocoa/ coffee stout that turned out really nice, but just wanted to take some of the dryness out. i figured on adding HALF the suggested 1# of lactose, that i read in most milk stout recipes, just to prevent making it too sweet. i hit my target gravity within a few points. I pitched a healthy yeast starter at the right temp, shook that badboy like nutts... this was sunday. today being day three in the primary there is very little krausen and very slow action on the airlock. like one bubble q30 seconds. I'm wondering this...

1. Will adding lactose slow fermentation of a typically vigorously fermenting stout?

2. What effect does lactose have on krausen formation/retention?

and...

3. If i have a perfectly rolling fermentation of an IPA sitting within 6" of the aforementioned stout, temperature cant be the issue, right?

again... 3 days pitched, healthy starter, rolling IPA right next to this batch, tested and tried partial mash recipe with .5# of lactose, REAL SLOW NO KRAUSEN.

???

1.  No. 

2.  Not in my experience. 

3.  Wouldn't think so, no.

Have you measured the gravity?  Not all yeasts for a krausen.  What yeast did you pitch?

bowiejunk said:

3. If i have a perfectly rolling fermentation of an IPA sitting within 6" of the aforementioned stout, temperature cant be the issue, right?

Click to expand...

I find the yeast in my stouts are mesmerized by the rolling and churning fermentation of my IPA and congregate to the side of the demijohn and watch longingly.  This tends to slow down the Stout fermentation.  I fear the Stout year are a bit jealous and become indignant and refuse to work, slowing the fermentation of the stout and diminishing the krausen

Depending on the  gravity, you might not have enough yeast.  If the wort was well below the target fermentation temp, you will increase the lag time.  You most likely don't have enough dissolved oxygen too.  These can create slow, uninspiring fermentations.  You can take a gravity reading to determine how the fermentation went.  You might have missed most of the fermentation all together.  Again, a gravity reading will tell you how it is going.

well... i pitched the same ammount of yeast i have on previous occasions. a nice 1 quart starter geared up 3 days prior. low sg starter, good temp pitch... i did the same tech areation for every batch with good results... just this time added lactose... im stumped... stand by for GRAVITY...
:-\

tom_hampton said:

Have you measured the gravity?

Click to expand...

well i just did tonight... 8 days in primary gave me 1.041. 45% attenuated. 4.3% abv in a stout that is supposed to have 7+%

so i raise this question...

how much more will it ferment in secondary?

First, lactose does not affect fermentation.  It is a non-fermentable sugar.  That is, beer yeasts cannot break these down and consume them so they stay in the final product in some form.

Your first pitch was basically dead.  The yeast you had was not viable very viable, your starter was not as healthy as you thought it was or you added yeast to hot wort in your starter.  It is hard to say what happened for anyone but we can say your pitch was not viable.  So, transferring to a secondary will have zero affect.   

Secondary is not a further fermentation process.  It used to be necessary to get the beer off the yeast but that is not needed any more.  Sometimes folks age or add adjuncts to the secondary other times it is to clarify. 

You can try to pitch a new pitch of yeast.  I would taste the wort first to make sure it is no obviously infected or tainted with something weird.  Rehydrate some dry yeast, aerate the wort and pitch the yeast.    While it might not be saveable, this is an inexpensive and easy shot at salvaging it.

the wort was, final answer,  70 degrees as needed.

the airlock on the stirplate flask was churning co2, and that starter was "started" at 70 degrees... POSITIVE

the only thing i can figure out is that i used a new chiller, well a repurposed chiller that i did not clean properly. this is the only variable that i can take into account... IM PIXXED!!!

im going to pitch the batch and start over...