Thank you for the quick responses! Up until yesterday, I have been doing 5 gallon partial mash brews. I seem to do best with IPAs, and brews with fewer adjuncts. I did a rye saison which tasted quite decent, but was a bit thick, and did not attenuate out fully. My most recent batch is an imperial pumpkin ale which, though fairly high ABV, did not quite reach the hydrometer readings in the recipe, is also VERY thick, and very sweet. I am using an ale pail, and have been vigorously stirring my wort with a stainless steel spoon, then pitching. Yesterday, I did my first all-grain 2.5 gallon batch. I picked up the ale pail shook the hell out of it, then pitched a smack pack of Wyeast American ale II. Fermentation started very quickly, and more vigorously. I have also found that accurate hydrometer readings are tough to get with partial mash because I don't think I am mixing the wort and the rest of the spring water enough. I am also brewing in a pot used for canning/jarring rather than a brew pot, and I am wondering if that is making any difference. Wide-mouth pot, and not a great heat or cooling conductor. Thank you very much for your comments. The last couple of batches have been discouraging. I am leaving the pumpkin ale to mature in the bottle for three weeks. I hope that helps it.