Yeast, please ferment my beer!!

Have you looked at your fermentor and begged your yeast to ferment properly? For me, this is what it has come down to. The last 3 batches I have brewed, I have literally begged the yeast to ferment.

The first one was a batch of Hoppy English Pale Ale. The dry yeast in question was bought in Singapore from a home brew store. Even after 24 hrs, there was no sign of fermentation and the gravity was the same as the original gravity. I had to rack to another fermentor and re-pitch. Used T-58 as that was the only one I had. The result: fermentation went fine but the spicy phenols from the yeast overshadowed the aroma hops. Further, high bitterness in the EPA did not go well with the character of T-58. Overall, a beer that I did not want.

In the second batch, we were brewing a wheat beer and decided to do a split batch and test out two yeasts. Safbrew 33 and T-58. Once again, the yeastie beasties did not do their job. Finishing gravity 1.025 on a 1.050 beer. Left it for over a week but no movement. Roused it but still NOTHING.

In the third batch, we brewed a Best Bitter and pitched Safale 04 which I had got from London in Feb 2011. This yeast had worked very well in a recent batch so there was no reason to doubt it. Sadly, the fermentation stopped at 1.025. Just racked it to another fermentor today and pitched Safale 05 to complete fermentation. What will the beer be like? No idea but fingers are x'ed and once again the begging begins!

From all this, one thing is clear: we, in India, who try to brew have to really struggle to get things going. I have been brewing since 6 yrs now but it doesn't get easier. Just ordered yeast worth 100 USD. Hope to have it soon and brew once again. This time though, I am not taking chances: will test 100 ml of wort with the yeast an if it ferments, then I will pitch. Else, throw the damn beasts down the drain and let them ferment SHIT.