Signs of underpitching

[brewerTristan]

I brewed up a Mild yesterday and the fermentation has started, but there isn't much of a krausen forming. So far I can only attribute this to one of two things: (1) it's a low-gravity beer or (2) I didn't pitch enough yeast.

I'm worried it might be the second. I used some yeast I harvested from a previous batch, where I used the majority of it to make a starter for a different beer, then grew up a smaller amount for the mild. I wasn't very rigorous about it, but I would say I started with about an ounce of yeast and grew that up twice in 600 ml starter worts.

The yeast I pitched looked bountiful, but who knows. Should I just relax and see how the beer turns out? What signs should I look for of under-pitching? It seems kind of hard to underpitch on a mild (the O.G. was about 1.040). Is there a chance I could pitch more yeast if it doesn't attenuate out?

[Sent From My iPhone]

I think you'll be fine. Some people don't even make starters for Milds, they can benefit from the esters caused by yeast growth.

[tavish2]

1.040 is about the perfect gravity for growing yeast. you should get about 4x growth in that 5 gallon batch and the yeast should not be super stressed. I know some folks who brew 20 gallon batches and they make a 5 gallon bitter or mild as a starter for their 20 gallon pitches.

[brewerTristan]

Yeah I guess I just wasn't sure if I pitched enough for even that volume of wort. I think as long as it hits terminal gravity, I'll be okay. Thanks for the advice.

[brewinhard]

As long as the beer started fermenting within a reasonable amount of time then I am sure you pitched enough yeast. I have brewed up some low grav milds that barely had much of a krausen ring after fermentation was done and only fermented for 2-3 days.

[brewerTristan]

As long as the beer started fermenting within a reasonable amount of time then I am sure you pitched enough yeast. I have brewed up some low grav milds that barely had much of a krausen ring after fermentation was done and only fermented for 2-3 days.

Yeah this has been my experience thus far. I think it started early yesterday morning. It may even be done now (I brewed it Tuesday afternoon). I definitely saw some yeast activity, it was just brief. I really love a good mild ale, so I hope it turns out well.

This is a side note to the topic, but has anyone used White labs premium bitter ale? The mild was my third beer with it (I'm trying to get the most out of it). The two previous were a bitter and an ESB. The bitter turned out great and I haven't bottled the ESB yet.

[brewerTristan]

I just took a gravity reading (day 4). It's at 1.015. That seems a little high but it's a super malty beer and since I overshot my original gravity a little, a high finishing gravity will put the alcohol around where I was expecting.

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

I'm not familiar w/ that yeast, but I bet you'll get a few more points over the next few days. If you want to take it down a bit more, you could bump the temp up a bit and keep the little fella's goin.

Sounds like it's working out for ya though.