well that was fast

[mahdel]

So I have a Milestones Donner and Blitzed kit in the FV I wanted to get done in time to condition for Xmas. Long story short, i get a 1020 stick after a week and my airlock was dead after 4 days or so (though I had a brown/whitish yeast crust still hanging about, it appeared to be doing nothing and it was stuck at 1020 both days I checked). Not to worry, I pop onto the board and check the suggestions. I add a new rehydrated packet of yeast (used danstar nottingham) and a little yeast vit, gave it all a gentle stir. I kid you not, within 30 seconds the top of the beer goes all bubbly and when I snap the top back on the airlock is bubbling away like crazy. Is that a)normal b)some sort of blessing from the beer gods or c) a sign of some headaches to come. It has been making my house smell wonderful so I hope i've not killed it.

[potatoes]

it does sound a bit strange that the yeast would kick into action really quickly. A couple of ideas. Maybe the lid wasnt snapped air tight and when you reapplied it, it started again. It could be that the Gentle stir gets thing going in a hurry, I have noticed this when racking to secondary FV. It might be worth the gentle stir if you think its stuck rather than re-pitching yeast. or it could be that the yeast which was in FV before started on the yeast nutrient as this sometimes has set off instantaneous fermentation when I have sprinkled it on a previous brew.

Have you taken another reading? Is it still stuck at 1020?

[mahdel]

The reading has dropped to about 1015 now, so all is well in terms of it starting fermenting again. It also still smells good so I'm hopeful. I had given it a gentle stir a couple of hours previously and nothing happened, which is when I decided to repitch yeast and add yeast vit as I had used the kit yeast and heard it wasn't good. The lid was, I think, snapped tight, but naturally I can't be sure. I think you may be right about the yeast vit. Next time I have the issue I will try gentle stir, yeast vit, and re pitching in that order, with some hours between and not add yeast with the vit again.

[sparky Paul]

I kid you not, within 30 seconds the top of the beer goes all bubbly and when I snap the top back on the airlock is bubbling away like crazy.

Probably CO2 coming out of suspension. CO2 is produced by the yeast, and some of it remains dissolved in the liquor - as soon as you stir the sediment particles up and/or add anything granular, it gives the dissolved gases nucleation sites to form bubbles.