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Im fermenting a 20 liter, 5lb sugar, can of tomato paste, 15g of EC-1118

I added 3 packs of 5g ec-1118, the first 2 I rehydrated. The third pack I just sprinkled it ontop to see what would happen. It has formed a 1/8" thick layer of yeast on the top, It looks like wet bread!

Should I stirr up this slurry and get those babys suspended? Or should I leave It alone... Its fermenting pretty slow. The temp is only 17-18 degC and theres only 15g of yeast in there. Its only droped from 1.095 - 1.070 in a week.

What do you think?

As long as you aerated it enough, there is a lot more than 15g of yeast. The yeast started reproducing as soon as you pitched it.

17C is going to be a long ferment. If you can get the temp up between 20C and 25C, you'll get faster results.

I'm not sure whether you should stir it up or not.

I aerated it allot. I poured it from pail to pail 5 times makeing a 4 foot waterfall! Then pitched the yeast immedeately.

Im just speculating, that the yeast on top is a huge ass culture and if I stirr it up the wash should take off?

Anyone concur?

As I understand it, the fermentation speed has less to do with the quantity of yeast in suspension than it does to do with temperature. You probably have a good colony of yeasts going right now, but they're acting sluggish because they're cold. Raise the temp a few degrees, and they'll take off.

There's a couple of good ways I've found to safely raise the temperature of a wash. Obviously, setting the yeast by the radiator is a good way to go, if you have a radiator. If you don't, though, I've found that a 60 watt bulb in a desk lamp does wonders for safely keeping your yeast warm.

KatoFong wrote:As I understand it, the fermentation speed has less to do with the quantity of yeast in suspension than it does to do with temperature. You probably have a good colony of yeasts going right now, but they're acting sluggish because they're cold. Raise the temp a few degrees, and they'll take off.

There's a couple of good ways I've found to safely raise the temperature of a wash. Obviously, setting the yeast by the radiator is a good way to go, if you have a radiator. If you don't, though, I've found that a 60 watt bulb in a desk lamp does wonders for safely keeping your yeast warm.

Doesnt the bulb only work in a contained area like a box? Or can I just put the lamp near the wash in a small room or closet.

I have a brew belt on one wash and it doesnt do shit. It only raised the temp to 19 and I dont want to spend the money for all my fementers. The room I brew in has a 1500w heater but it drives my wife nuts when we get the electricity bill lol.

Either way spring then summers only a few weeks away, The temps should start rising on their own soon.

It helps to use a desk lamp, so you can direct all of the light at your wash, but literally I had a five-gallon wash on my desk and a lamp aimed at it constantly, and it brought the temp up pretty quickly.

KatoFong wrote:It helps to use a desk lamp, so you can direct all of the light at your wash, but literally I had a five-gallon wash on my desk and a lamp aimed at it constantly, and it brought the temp up pretty quickly.

cool Ill give it a shot. Lots of old desk lamps with adjustable arms layin around.

The temp is a bit low but shouldn't really be a problem, though warmer is faster it will also be prone to producing more higher alcohols and nasties that don't taste good. 25 deg C shouldn't be bad though. If you want to raise the temp forget the lamp and use a heating pad, the same kind you would use a sore muscle. Other than that, I would recommend adding a bit of lemon juice and most certainly yeast nutrients. Not sure what the tomato paste brings to the party but i suspect that it as something to do with helping out the yeast. Just think of yeast nutrients as vitamins for the yeast. Sugar & water just isn't enough for yeast to really thrive and do the job quickly. The lemon juice is to help the ph of the wash and then by adding the yeast nutrients you are giving them what they need to do their job. Normally say when brewing wine or beer, all of the nutrients that the yeast would need are already there from the grain or fruit. This is not so with the sugar only wash. The price of yeast nutrients is really cheap and far superior, to using paste IMHO.

Next time I guarantee that you will have better results by doing what i've suggested. I've always done the above and have never had anything but volcanic & totally complete fermentation

I use an electric blanket folded in half. It wraps around 2 five gallon buckets quite well. Thermostat control dials temp in fairly accurately. I don't know what they cost new, I got the one I use as a gift years ago and it has been stored in my closet sence then. It works well for this purpose, though.

I have done some ferments at @55degrees F and they went so slow it was painfull.

To warm them back up, I put the carbouy in the shower with me, and took a hot shower with the drain pluged.

Water contact transfers heat much better than air.
Then I put the carbouy near the heater/radiator.
After that, I got some action.

Didn't you worry about the water getting into the carboy and possibly infecting your wash?

Nope, I have a 1 way bubbler with a rubber bung on it, and the bubbler is full of Listereen mouth wash.

so should I stirr it all up?

I would with a clean stick.

Then you will be the proud owner of a magic yeast stick

What is long brown and stickey ?


Get yer mind out oif the outhouse, its a stick.