Stuck Ferment?

sathid · Post by **sathid** » Monday Oct 29, 2007 8:32 pm

Hi everyone,

I did my second ever home brew recently.

It is meant to be a rough clone of a LCPA.

I used a 1.7kg pale ale kit liquid malt extract (deliverance brand)
1kg pale malt powder
100g caramalt steeped

2 packets of US-05 yeast (well, a pack of US-56 and a pack of US-05) rehydrated and primed.

fermenter volume 18.5L OG 1.053

Been in the fermenter since the 17th. Stopped bubbling on the 21st, and the gravity has been at ~1.018 ever since. The beer tastes alright, but is still very viscous. Sort of 'syrupy'. Very bitter aftertaste, and reasonable hop aroma.

Just wondering if you think I have a stuck fermentation. I was going to rack to a secondary for bulk priming, but was thinking maybe rack across, add another pack of yeast, leave it for a few weeks, before racking it back into the main fermenter (cleaned and sanitised) for bulk priming prior to bottling.

Thoughts?

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Monday Oct 29, 2007 8:37 pm

i'd rack it, taking an SG sample while you do. give it 3 days, check again. if it hasn't dropped, consider pitching another pack - but i expect it will.

what temperature is it at?

JubJub · Post by **JubJub** » Monday Oct 29, 2007 9:13 pm

I always used to end up with about 1014 with kit beers with BE2. 1kg of dry malt extract seems like a big beer plus the grain. Like KEG said, what is the temperature, a slight temperature correction might account for your gravity being say 1016-1017. It might well be done.

Jub

sathid · Post by **sathid** » Monday Oct 29, 2007 9:14 pm

thanks mate, I'll give it a try. Does anyone know where to get a glass carboy in Perth? Otherwise, would a regular plastic carboy make a suitable secondary?

Temp is presently 20 degrees, but it has been at 20-22 degrees for practically the whole time.

scanman · Post by **scanman** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:45 am

Plastic ones are fine for secondaries. Thats probably what most people on this forum use.
Its only a container after all.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 6:40 am

I'd expect 1008-1010 with those ingredients.

And as KEG said, I wouldn't bother repitching yeast until you've given it another test after racking.

ryan · Post by **ryan** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 1:44 pm

Chris wrote:I'd expect 1008-1010 with those ingredients.

And as KEG said, I wouldn't bother repitching yeast until you've given it another test after racking.

1008-1010 fg in 18.5l.?
Sorry, but I don`t agree. I reckon it`s within a point or so of being finished at 1018 with those ingredients and volume.

lethaldog · Post by **lethaldog** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 2:02 pm

Id have to agree with Ryan

Wont finish much under that, maybe get to 1.015 but if it has stopped id say its pretty well done, racking will help the beer regardless though

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 2:11 pm

Ah. Didn't notice the 18.5L.

lethaldog · Post by **lethaldog** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 3:51 pm

fermenter volume 18.5L OG 1.053

warra48 · Post by **warra48** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 3:51 pm

lethaldog wrote:Id have to agree with Ryan

Wont finish much under that, maybe get to 1.015 but if it has stopped id say its pretty well done, racking will help the beer regardless though

I agree with Ryan and Lethal. On my calculations you could expect down to 1015 but not less, so agree it is probably done.

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 3:58 pm

Beersmith gives me OG 1.047 FG 1.012 for 18.5L.

ryan · Post by **ryan** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:00 pm

drsmurto wrote:Beersmith gives me OG 1.047 FG 1.012 for 18.5L.

Throw it to buggery

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:12 pm

Just not sure how you could get a stuck ferment pitching 2 packets of US56 and keeping the temp at +20C.

i would just rack it and let it be for another week.

warra48 · Post by **warra48** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:15 pm

drsmurto wrote:Just not sure how you could get a stuck ferment pitching 2 packets of US56 and keeping the temp at +20C.

i would just rack it and let it be for another week.

Patience is a virtue. If you plan to chuck it, why not wait another week, or even two, and see what happens.

lethaldog · Post by **lethaldog** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:32 pm

Just one other thing that concerns me about this recipe.. No hops, either he forgot to mention them or its gonna be a sweet brew

ryan · Post by **ryan** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:39 pm

ryan wrote:
drsmurto wrote:Beersmith gives me OG 1.047 FG 1.012 for 18.5L.
Throw it to buggery

and of course, I meant throw the Beersmith reading to buggery, not the actual beer itself.

It`s finished fermenting.

ryan · Post by **ryan** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:42 pm

lethaldog wrote:Just one other thing that concerns me about this recipe.. No hops, either he forgot to mention them or its gonna be a sweet brew

He says-"reasonable hop aroma"

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 4:43 pm

Maybe it has finished fermenting but racking it and leaving it another week wont hurt it. Hell, with 2 packets of US56 you'll need a month of ccing just to be able to put away the knife and fork.

No offence taken Ryan, beersmith isnt that flash for kits, i will be the first to admit it.

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Tuesday Oct 30, 2007 5:23 pm

drsmurto wrote:Maybe it has finished fermenting but racking it and leaving it another week wont hurt it. Hell, with 2 packets of US56 you'll need a month of ccing just to be able to put away the knife and fork.

interesting point... will it actually make much difference at all to the amount of yeast after fermentation, or just lessen lag time? do the yeast keep reproducing full-on all the way through the ferment, or stop when they reach a happy equilibrium (or run out of oxygen)?