Very slow fermentation with yeast bay vermont ale

[Mumbles]

Hi All,

decided to brew a vermont style ale using The Yeast Bays Vermont Ale yeast. This is the first time I've used this yeast.

Brew day was last wednesday (8 days ago). Everything was going fine, pitched into wort at 20C.

8 days later and I'm still on 1.028 with the target being 1.010.

I ferment in the basement of my pub which at this time of year usually sits comfortably between 19-20C. Unfortunately on the day of brewing we had a highly unusual cold snap outside with sub-zero temps taking the basement temperature down to between 14-15C for 4 days. I started to warm the room then to bring ambient temperature up.

Below is how it has developed.

OG - 1.052
At 2 days at 15C - activity (plenty of CO2 being developed) but little movement on hydrometer
At 4 days with temp slowly rising to 17-18C hydrometer at 1.040
At 6 days with temp 19C hydrometer 1.032
Today (8 days) temp 19C hydrometer 1.028

My question is, can I or should I, speed this up? I've had a slow ferment before but not this slow. On a previous brew I've shaken the fermentor to reactivate yeast but I'd really rather not risk mixing any of the krausen back in.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Nosybear]

Hi All,

decided to brew a vermont style ale using The Yeast Bays Vermont Ale yeast. This is the first time I've used this yeast.

Brew day was last wednesday (8 days ago). Everything was going fine, pitched into wort at 20C.

8 days later and I'm still on 1.028 with the target being 1.010.

I ferment in the basement of my pub which at this time of year usually sits comfortably between 19-20C. Unfortunately on the day of brewing we had a highly unusual cold snap outside with sub-zero temps taking the basement temperature down to between 14-15C for 4 days. I started to warm the room then to bring ambient temperature up.

Below is how it has developed.

OG - 1.052
At 2 days at 15C - activity (plenty of CO2 being developed) but little movement on hydrometer
At 4 days with temp slowly rising to 17-18C hydrometer at 1.040
At 6 days with temp 19C hydrometer 1.032
Today (8 days) temp 19C hydrometer 1.028

My question is, can I or should I, speed this up? I've had a slow ferment before but not this slow. On a previous brew I've shaken the fermentor to reactivate yeast but I'd really rather not risk mixing any of the krausen back in.

Cheers,
Nick

You can speed it up. Shake the fermenter, the stuff will just settle back out. I wouldn't speed it up though: A beer takes the time it takes. The yeast know how to do their job, let them, and know the timelines we set on our beers are ours, not theirs.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

^ and warm it up a bit.

 

[BOB357]

Pitching yeast warmer than the wort tends to promote some cells going to sleep, which doesn't help. Also, you don't mention whether you made a starter and/or aerated. Either way, I'd rouse the yeast and see if you can warm it up a bit more. No reason to panic. Give it another week and see where it goes.

 

[thunderwagn]

I guess I'm behind the times...what's a Vermont style ale?

 

[Nosybear]

The next BJCP style?

 

[oliver]

I guess I'm behind the times...what's a Vermont style ale?

isn't it Heady Topper?

isn't Vermont Ale yeast the Conan strain? Same with WLP095 Burlington?

 

[Mumbles]

Pitching yeast warmer than the wort tends to promote some cells going to sleep, which doesn't help. Also, you don't mention whether you made a starter and/or aerated. Either way, I'd rouse the yeast and see if you can warm it up a bit more. No reason to panic. Give it another week and see where it goes.

No I didn't make a starter. I'd just got back off holiday and had limited time to brew so didn't have a days lead in for a starter - I'm kind of regretting that now. I did aerate though.

For now, I think I'll go with warming it up a bit more and being patient. It's all a learning curve right.

 

[Mumbles]

isn't it Heady Topper?

isn't Vermont Ale yeast the Conan strain? Same with WLP095 Burlington?

The Yeast Bay (White Labs) label says
Isolated from a uniquely crafted double IPA out of the Northeastern United States, this yeast produces a balanced fruity ester profile of peaches and light citrus that complements any aggressively hopped beer.

So yeah, probably the conan strain.

 

[Mumbles]

Just a little update... warmed it up a little and it's moved to 1.018 on day 16 of fermentation... just gonna keep holding out for my target of 1.010