Bad yeast experience

[Martin the fish]

I have used Muntons Premium Gold yeast twice now and on both occasions it has stuck at around 1020. First was a muntons IPA kit. Just sprinkled yeast on top as per instructions, it stuck at 1020 and had to be roused every day till it finished.
This time it's AG#2. I rehydrated 2 sachets and got them going as a starter, which was bubbling away like a good un. Till day 3 when it just stopped dead. After 2 really good rousings, nothing.

Anyone else having a hard time with Muntons yeast? Perhaps it's their yeast not the actual kits???

[mysterio]

Hmm, I've used Muntons PG a few times, it's not too bad a yeast and i've never had any attenuation problems. Maybe the yeast you got had been sitting around at room temps with the kit and lost some viability. Rehydrating will also help.

I tried a couple of the Muntons kits and I didnt particularly like them, personally. The Coopers ones I made were better.

[Martin the fish]

I bought the yeast seperately and they came out of the shop fridge, into my AC car, straight into my fridge at home.

My AG#2 seems to be misleading me. So i could be worrying for nothing.

I'm using liquid yeasts from now on anyway

[delboy]

I have used Muntons Premium Gold yeast twice now and on both occasions it has stuck at around 1020. First was a muntons IPA kit. Just sprinkled yeast on top as per instructions, it stuck at 1020 and had to be roused every day till it finished.
This time it's AG#2. I rehydrated 2 sachets and got them going as a starter, which was bubbling away like a good un. Till day 3 when it just stopped dead. After 2 really good rousings, nothing.

Anyone else having a hard time with Muntons yeast? Perhaps it's their yeast not the actual kits???

Its probably fermented the wort in two days, there is a big differnece between kit fermentations and AG fermentations.

[Martin the fish]

Thanks Delboy. I'm just beginning to realise this. Thanks also for your tips on my liquid yeast

[booldawg]

In the case of fermentation happening in 2 days, I'm guessing you wouldnt leave it the full 10 days before bottling? The way I brew is to ferment in the primary, no air lock - just the lid cracked open and then bottle condition once fermentation has stopped.

I ask this because I have my first AG fermenting

[delboy]

BD I would leave it the full ten days (or longer) regardless of it appearing to have finsihed (i typically leave mine a few weeks in the primary).

Letting the beer sit in contact with the yeast will allow the yeast to clean up the beer converting non desirables into more pleasant compounds etc.

Your beer will only improve during this time so its worth being a little patient.

[Martin the fish]

I don't bother with it till it's been in the FV for 10 days. Only reason i will do anything is if it appears nothing is happening all of a sudden. Most brews now spend 10-14 days in FV. I don't do that secondary FV thing. I don't see the point yet.
Basically i don't care if it's finished fermenting in 2-3 days. I'll still leave it ten days before i take a reading.

[Graham]

I have used Muntons Premium Gold yeast twice now and on both occasions it has stuck at around 1020. First was a muntons IPA kit. Just sprinkled yeast on top as per instructions, it stuck at 1020 and had to be roused every day till it finished.
This time it's AG#2. I rehydrated 2 sachets and got them going as a starter, which was bubbling away like a good un. Till day 3 when it just stopped dead. After 2 really good rousings, nothing.

Anyone else having a hard time with Muntons yeast? Perhaps it's their yeast not the actual kits???

Lots of people on here have complained of Munton's yeast under-attenuating, so there must be something in it. However, it might be Munton's kits and not the yeast.

Dry Beer enzyme usually remedies it from what I've read here, and that shouldn't happen unless there is something wrong with the kit. I have just done a quick search and it seems to be all kit brewers that have problems with stuck fermentation using that yeast. However, that is not surprising because all-grain brewers would be more likely to use something else.

[Buzz]

I've struggled with MPG in the past - trouble is, my local HBS doesn't stock much else. I pitched 3 packets in my last AG just to make sure. This time the gravity has got down from 1042 to 1012 without rousing. I've taken it off the yeast today and the beer tastes great.

[Graham]

Whoops! hit the submit button too early. I keep doing that! I wish they'd move the two buttons apart.

[Graham]

I don't think it is the yeast in the cases of the kits sticking Graham, several people here have changed the yeast for Safale 04 or Nottingham and experienced the same problems, they've also added yeast vit/nutrient.

One forum member here reported that they have changed the instructions on the packaging of at least one of their kits saying the kit is ready once it reaches 1020, which would mean the kit only produces a beer with approx 2.5% alcohol.

Along with the stuck fermentation a permanent haze sometimes occurs that cant be shifted, presumably a yeast haze. The people who made up the kits all report that the wort was thoroughly aerated and kept at the right temperature.

fwiw this one of the questions and answers in there online faqs...

Question :
My Conkerwood ale kit has stopped ! It is not bubbling but has not reached gravity for bottling. It is over 2 weeks old and kept quite warm. What can I do ?

Answer :
There is a few reasons why this could have happend and if you can send me a note of the batch code i will check the yeast and extract we have as a retained sample.

In the mean time you could add another yeast sachet to the brew as this may kick start the fermentation again.

The only reason I suspected yeast is that some yeasts, euphemistically known as stout or porter yeasts, are under-attenuating and cannot ferment one of the complex sugars produced in wort, which most yeasts can. Continuously propagated yeasts, propagated on sugar and air, can change character and exhibit such characteristics. However, the yeast has now been ruled out, so it's not that.

The fact that dry beer enzyme, amyloglucosidase, makes a difference is significant. (Amyloglucosidase was used to make "Lite" beers. Whatever happened to them?). It breaks down some of the higher sugars making them more fermentable.

This could mean either the extract or the yeast is the problem, but as the yeast has been ruled out. that means that something must be wrong with the extract. I have old technical data for Munton's kits and they guarantee a minimum fermentability of 63%.

I've punched the figures into my own, very own, written by me, beer engine and for a 3kg kit, should yield a final gravity of 1009 (from 1040 at 23 litres). It obviously aint doing that. Something is wrong with the extract.

Don't rely too much on the answers you get from Munton's "Ask Andy" now "Ask Linda". Here's another answer:

Yes, it is suitable for single infusion mashing. Would suggest a protein rest at 67C

A protein rest at 67C? What planet are they on?