Fermenting for a month?

[Tim 1987]

Ok, not sure if I should be proud or worried. Made 14 gal of mash with 8 lbs of flake corn with amylase conversation and 8 lbs of corn sugar and a couple hand full of raisins a MONTH ago, 4 weeks. I'm tired of waiting, the air lock is still bubbling every 5 to 10 seconds. I'm afraid to lift the lid in case something jumps out of the 21 gal barrel and slaps me around or my red star yeast will retire and I will have to pay them a pension. ???

[Still Life]

Only because it's been solving problems lately, I'll recommend warming it up.
It's the stalling season. A belt heater and blankets may resolve this.
The Red Star just might be huddling instead of pensioning.

[OtisT]

Hi. Did you happen to measure your OG and do you know where it is now? That's a good way to check when a ferment is done done.

If not, you could take a sip. IMHO, you should do that anyway, even if you are measuring. Anyway, if it's dry, it's done. If it's sweet, it's not.

Beyoncé this advice, I would need more info on how this ferment has progressed from the beginning to help further.

[OtisT]

Hi. Did you happen to measure your OG and do you know where it is now? That's a good way to check when a ferment is done done.

If not, you could take a sip. IMHO, you should do that anyway, even if you are measuring. Anyway, if it's dry, it's done. If it's sweet, it's not.

Beyoncé this advice, I would need more info on how this ferment has progressed from the beginning to help further.

[Tim 1987]

No, I didn't measure the OG, I thought when the airlock stops the yeast is done eating because the food source is gone and or the yeast dies. Don't think it's low temperature PA has been in the high 60s at night and high 70s in day for the last 3 week's, this week the temp was dropped. Plus my garage stays warmer than the outside temp. They seem happy there, what's another couple weeks

[OtisT]

No, I didn't measure the OG, I thought when the airlock stops the yeast is done eating because the food source is gone and or the yeast dies. Don't think it's low temperature PA has been in the high 60s at night and high 70s in day for the last 3 week's, this week the temp was dropped. Plus my garage stays warmer than the outside temp. They seem happy there, what's another couple weeks

Well, I guess if you you don't have issues, you don't need to measure OG. It sure comes in handy though when troubleshooting a ferment, and eliminates a lot of second guessing. . I don't always measure mine either, but only with ferments I have been successful with several times. Nothing wrong with waiting.

And I have no idea what I mistskenly typed for "beyond" that my spell check turned into "Beyoncé." That girl has some reach.

[greggn]

> Don't think it's low temperature PA has been in the high 60s at night and high 70s in day for the last 3 week's

Ok, so you know the ambient temperatures ... do you know what temperatures your yeast needs ?

[nerdybrewer]

my spell check turned into "Beyoncé." That girl has some reach.

I can only imagine...

[Tim 1987]

Just wondering if anyone has had this issue. I used 4 table spoons of starter yeast, installed about 90 degree mash. Around 80 degrees give or take 5 to keep them happy which mine are. I guess I'm a little proud of them...I did use lemon juice also. They must be eating because of producing gas. I made more mash got tired of waiting on this one.

[The Baker]

OtisT said, 'And I have no idea what I mistakenly typed for "beyond" that my spell check turned into "Beyoncé." '

My wife sent a text to our late-teen niece Aleisha.

Quite possibly started it, 'Hi, Leisha".

Spellcheck changed it to, 'Hi, Lesbian'.

Geoff

[nerdybrewer]

Just wondering if anyone has had this issue. I used 4 table spoons of starter yeast, installed about 90 degree mash. Around 80 degrees give or take 5 to keep them happy which mine are. I guess I'm a little proud of them...I did use lemon juice also. They must be eating because of producing gas. I made more mash got tired of waiting on this one.

Sorry if I missed it, do you have a hydrometer?
If so, what's the reading now?
No matter what it was at the start, if it's down near 1.000 now you're good.

[Tim 1987]

Good idea. I will check that and taste it, give them one more day. If I pull the lid that might do them in, can't live forever.

[Worm_Drippinz]

Slower ferment the better.


Gunna be some good drop!

[Shine0n]

Could also be trapped gasses in the muck in the bottom?

Don't be so concerned about infections, I know there's been ALOT of talk lately but the likely hood of it happening are slim as long as you're not filthy when getting a sample or your utensils are already infected.

Take a sip, dry= finished
Sweet= not finished

If you have some ph strips or a meter check the pH with the removed sample, an ideal ph will be above 5

[bilgriss]

I go back to the first 'warm it up' recommendation. You are using bakers yeast, which wants to stay warm. If you are going to ferment into the 60's ambient temperature, get beer yeast that likes cooler temps. US-05 or Nottingham is good in the 60's, Nottingham is happy down to the 50's even (although it throws some phenols above 75). Those cool nights will put the red star to sleep.

[HDNB]

i give up trying to restart mashes. I just put down 4 in a row, the first i put in the kettle to work off, the next two into my fermenters and the last one stayed in the mash tun.
the first stalled at 1.035 at day 7 and worked slowly down to 1.028 over the next week. i added a bit of heat here and there.
the next 2 finished in 4 days, dry as a bone. the last one is just finishing up now i think i'm at day 3.5 this am, it looked good last night.

all made with the same material, same temps, same yeast same pitch rate. all in the same building.

i ran the 1.028 last night took the half of what should have been there booze and i'm done with it...i had to, the kettle needed to be emptied so i can run the ones in the fermenters before some bug starts drinkin' my likker.

i'd sure like to know how one out four (for all intents and purposes) identical mashes stalls and the others finish perfectly.

[BoomTown]

i give up trying to restart mashes. I just put down 4 in a row, the first i put in the kettle to work off, the next two into my fermenters and the last one stayed in the mash tun.
the first stalled at 1.035 at day 7 and worked slowly down to 1.028 over the next week. i added a bit of heat here and there.
the next 2 finished in 4 days, dry as a bone. the last one is just finishing up now i think i'm at day 3.5 this am, it looked good last night.

all made with the same material, same temps, same yeast same pitch rate. all in the same building.

i ran the 1.028 last night took the half of what should have been there booze and i'm done with it...i had to, the kettle needed to be emptied so i can run the ones in the fermenters before some bug starts drinkin' my likker.

i'd sure like to know how one out four (for all intents and purposes) identical mashes stalls and the others finish perfectly.

I feel your pain. Had that happen several times at our distillery with 80 and 100 gallon ferments. I suspect it was because I got careless about enzyme temperature ranges, and we had a steam heated Mash Tub with the steam being fed to a manifold on the bottom and an agitator that kept the mash moving past the steam feed pipe. What I think was happening was the enzymes were flowing past the steam heated pipes, and neutralizing the enzymes. We changed our technique to simple heat the Mash up to 180, and moved it to the fermentor vessel, monitor the drop back to 160, and then add enzymes. That worked better, but we still had the occasional stalled mash. It really hurts to loose that much work and not understand how or why...sorry for your loss.