Problematic Brew?

[Northan Monkey]

Hi all.
Now I’m not exactly a NOOB, and have maybe 30 - 40 successful brews under my belt. However I think all has come unravelled on this one?
The problematic beer in question is a Kona Big Wave clone which I have made several time with great success.
The only change I made on brew day was to switch to a Lalbrew yeast.
I rehydrated as per Lalbrews guidelines and pitched with yeast exactly the same temp as the Wort.
And here is where all goes quiet. I’m not the most patient and like to see airlock activity within 36 hours. But this did NOTHING and after 96 hrs. I took a gravity reading to reveal it had dropped .002 so I waited another 48 hrs and measured again. This reading was the same! So I pitched a pack of Mangrove Jacks M44 in dry. The beers after 7 days has reached 1.008 but I saw no airlock activity? The fermenter is sealed and with a squeeze will push bubbled from the airlock.
The beer has had another week in the primary so pretty much 3 weeks in total though still has a large foamy head sat on top.

However... The samples I have taken are very cloudy, and the taste seem like young beer but has a sharp harsh bitter after taste? I can’t put my finger on any usual off flavour indicators.

Do any seasoned brews have any pearls of wisdom for me? Do I wait it out or pitch it all down the drain.

thanks in advance

 

[philjohnwilliams]

Unless you need to have the fermenter empty, I'd say wait it out. I have had a few beers that were not so good at two weeks but great at 8.

 

[Northan Monkey]

Unless you need to have the fermenter empty, I'd say wait it out. I have had a few beers that were not so good at two weeks but great at 8.

Thanks for your reply Phil.
Is that 8 weeks in the fermenter at 19oc / 66of?

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

However... The samples I have taken are very cloudy, and the taste seem like young beer but has a sharp harsh bitter after taste?

The classic taste of yeast. High levels of yeast in beer are not pleasant, bitter and biting, yuck. Let the yeast drop out, if you can, force the yeast out by cooling the beer.

The beers after 7 days has reached 1.008 but I saw no airlock activity? The fermenter is sealed and with a squeeze will push bubbled from the airlock.
The beer has had another week in the primary so pretty much 3 weeks in total though still has a large foamy head sat on top.

I can't explain this. The amount of CO2 produced by fermentation is huge, you should have seen some sort of airlock activity.

 

[Hawkbox]

I bet the seal isn't as good as you think it is, I wouldn't worry to much about it.
If you can, let it sit for another week or two before packaging it and then give it a few weeks in the package.

 

[Northan Monkey]

I bet the seal isn't as good as you think it is, I wouldn't worry to much about it.
If you can, let it sit for another week or two before packaging it and then give it a few weeks in the package.

After a few hours reading and museing the whys and wherefores. I think I will leave it be for at least another week, probably 2. Before transferring it to a secondary. At which point I might fruit it with Mango and pineapple for an experiment. Nothing ventured nothing gained scenario. Then bottle it rather than have it blocking a keg and fridge space.