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Anyone had any issues with White Labs Australian Ale Yeast?

Ck27

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I was wondering if anyone has any experience with White Labs Australian Ale Yeast, Ive had a IPA fermenting for around 13 days and I took it out today cause it looked like it was done and took a sample and my hydrometer said 1.026 OG was 1.066 so I'm wondering why its been such a sluggish yeast and has anyone had it drop out and need to be shook back up, cause I transferred the beer back onto  the yeast and shook it gently and the fermenter started to bubble again and the yeast is back at work, I thought it was a bit odd that 13 days in this yeast is still going because white labs describes it as being a fast fermenter.

I'm fermenting around 66-68F right now. Tube was a bit on the older side and I had to use it, it was around 1 month from expiration but I did use a healthy dose of nutrient and when I pitched it it showed a thick krausen the next day so I'm not really sure what happened but its back and continuing its fermentation I'm guessing maybe 4-5 more days and it should be done. Ill let it sit a couple more than that just to be safe.
 
A packet close to expiration in a 1.066 beer really needs a starter. I assume this is a 5 gallon batch or better.
.
 
BOB357 said:
A packet close to expiration in a 1.066 beer really needs a starter. I assume this is a 5 gallon batch or better.
.

Its about 5.5 Gallons, I'm hoping that it will clean itself up and finish over the next 5-7 days, ill just keep the yeast in suspension. I don't use starters never had a reason to probably never will. Don't have the gear for it. Ive done up to 1.098 OG with yeast without a starter and just pitched multiple packets.

I'm betting the yeast is just falling out because white labs told me that it can do that.
 
Ck27 said:
BOB357 said:
A packet close to expiration in a 1.066 beer really needs a starter. I assume this is a 5 gallon batch or better.
.

Its about 5.5 Gallons, I'm hoping that it will clean itself up and finish over the next 5-7 days, ill just keep the yeast in suspension. I don't use starters never had a reason to probably never will. Don't have the gear for it. Ive done up to 1.098 OG with yeast without a starter and just pitched multiple packets.

I'm betting the yeast is just falling out because white labs told me that it can do that.

Multiple packets of yeast instead of a starter is good, but the beer in question was still grossly under pitched.
 
BOB357 said:
Ck27 said:
BOB357 said:
A packet close to expiration in a 1.066 beer really needs a starter. I assume this is a 5 gallon batch or better.
.

Its about 5.5 Gallons, I'm hoping that it will clean itself up and finish over the next 5-7 days, ill just keep the yeast in suspension. I don't use starters never had a reason to probably never will. Don't have the gear for it. Ive done up to 1.098 OG with yeast without a starter and just pitched multiple packets.

I'm betting the yeast is just falling out because white labs told me that it can do that.

Multiple packets of yeast instead of a starter is good, but the beer in question was still grossly under pitched.

Eh, White Labs told me you can use one tube for 1.060 ish and under. So it might be slightly worse. But should eventually ferment out even if I have to babysit it
 
My grain bill was
10 pounds GlenEagles Maris otter
2 pounds crystal 10L
1 pound Carafoam
1 pound Biscuit malt

I think that's all I can't remember though. But I do have at least 4 pounds unfermentables is it possible that is causing the higher gravity???.
 
I think that biscuit malt is fermentable, so you only have 3 lbs of unfermentables, still quite a bit. What does BeerSmith say about the FG? What was your mash temperature?

--GF
 
GigaFemto said:
I think that biscuit malt is fermentable, so you only have 3 lbs of unfermentables, still quite a bit. What does BeerSmith say about the FG? What was your mash temperature?

--GF

yeah, biscuit that I had mentioned on the front label, I ordered it from More beer that it was not fermentable. Umm I hit the OG that beersmith suggested that I would get 1.064 OG I basically nailed it, it estimates I would get 1.016 FG so for all I can say I nailed it as far as what beersmith is telling me. My mash temp was 156F.
 
I bottled the beer and am hoping after a week or 2 in bottle it will have carbonated and matured a bit and developed it's flavor I've put beers in a bottle that have looked horrible let them sit for 3 weeks and came back to a completely different beer that looks and tastes nothing like what went into the bottle
 
Ck27 said:
BOB357 said:
A packet close to expiration in a 1.066 beer really needs a starter. I assume this is a 5 gallon batch or better.
.

Its about 5.5 Gallons, I'm hoping that it will clean itself up and finish over the next 5-7 days, ill just keep the yeast in suspension. I don't use starters never had a reason to probably never will. Don't have the gear for it. Ive done up to 1.098 OG with yeast without a starter and just pitched multiple packets.

I'm betting the yeast is just falling out because white labs told me that it can do that.

You most likely have all the equipment in your kitchen to make a starter.  Just takes some container to hold the starter wort.  Container can be glass or food grade plastic.  Make up a 1.036 to 1.040 starter wort.  Shake the wort until it is mostly froth for aeration and pitch your room temperature yeast.  Shake or swirl the starter whenever you walk by to keep the wort aerated.  Denny's Shaken Not Stirred method.

A healthy yeast pitch is less likely to stress the yeast.  Stressed yeast can produce some off flavor esters.  Starters can save some money especially if the only yeast available has some age to it.

 
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