Big hops - slow fermentation

[Liam Callaghan]

Just made my first pale ale (only been brewing for 13 years and I don't like to rush these things) with a great swag of hops.  Unfortunately my efforts to whirlpool failed dismally and I dumped a small mountain of hops into the fermenter, easily 3-4" at the bottom the next morning.

The yeast was kindly donated from a mate (American Ale II) and was foaming like a rabid dog when I pitched it.  I didn't make a starter as there was ample yeast to do the job.  Great to be given a fresh jar of yeast :)

Then it just didnt visibly move for 3 days before firing up and smashing it in 4 days. 

Is it normal lag time from Am Ale II or a function of having 400g of hops and trub in the fementer?

Presuming the acid from the hops is going to hurt the yeast a bit?

 

I'm guessing it's not a good thing to brew on the trub like that but it's turned out to be a great beer, would be happy drinking it straight from the fermenter :)

I checked it Wednesday night and its run right out to an awesome dry PA 1.048 to 1.006 and really well balanced - I am really stoked with it actually

Everything else ran as normal, although I did run my brewery in a different way which allows me to make two beers at once which is quite exciting!

[Jamie McQuillan]

Hey. That's one heck of a lag time. I had a batch of NZ IPA with 16/L and it had about a cm of hops on the bottom (I didn't settle it well enough). After a day there was an eruption of activity on the bottom which churned it all up. Activity was a little slower to get going, but was still obvious after 12 hours. The batch was a bit phenolic (NHC judging). I have been wondering if the hops in the ferment contributed to this, but it sounds like your brew is tasting great.

[Smiffy]

I think it was just coincidence. I deliberately left the"late" hops in once to see if more hop flavour came through, but it didn't make create a lag.

I think all the acid from the hops will already be in solution, so the presence of the solids won't add any more acid.

[Mark Thomas]

Was there a big difference in the temperature of the yeast slurry vs the wort?  That could cause the delay as the yeast adjusts to its new environment.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-5.html

Ideally, the starter's temperature should be the same as what you plan the fermentation temperature to be. This allows the yeast to get acclimated to working at that temperature. If the yeast is started warmer and then pitched to a cooler fermentation environment, it may be shocked or stunned by the change in temperature and may take a couple days to regain normal activity.

[Peter Smith]

I see a definite lag in multi gen us05 in huge hoppy 250g plus per 22l batches, low hop not so much also in high g beers   maybe thats the real cause not the hops