by Dunnonuthin » Sat Apr 14, 2018 9:49 pm
Having very similar issues to mattyb.
Just cannot get the next generation ferment to kick off.
Using Macrum recipe. 25L washes.
When fermentation has finished, I cold crash to 2deg for a couple of days before the stripping run. After that, dissolve the 3L molasses (Fremantle brand)+3kg sugar in 10L hot dunder. Add tsp Epsom salts. Chill to 30deg. Add to lees. Airate the bejesus out of it. Leave overnight in the fermentation chamber set at 36deg.
Next morning? Zero fermentation activity. Add some fresh, hydrated lowans yeast, and by that evening it’s fermenting happily. This happened on both the 2nd & 3rd generations.
Done my research, and tested the pH of the 3rd generation using test strips (0-14type). Now, dunno if they worked correctly (cause the colours didn’t really change, just took on a rum wash hue) but if they did work correctly, my best interpretation means pH should have been about 5. So pH is not the issue?
(I tried the test strips on Bakers soldering flux and my own saliva, and got the expected results, so I suppose they are working)
I’ve got at least 2 more gens left in this bucket of molasses.
Any ideas what’s causing the apparent stall in fermentation?