Help! I think I screwed up my second beer

[homebrewjapan]

My first beer (Black Rock Lager with sugar) fermented down to 1006 without any problem

But my second beer (Black Rock Whispering Wheat with Munton's Wheat Spraymalt) has issues.

Firstly, on day 1, it almost exploded:
http://homebrewjapan.wordpress.com/2009 ... ing-wrong/

I then left it, went on vacation, and came back to there being almost no activity. I left it again and there continued to be no activity so 3 days ago I tested the gravity: 1018-1020.

I should expect 1012 using malt, right? So again I left it. But last night I tested the gravity again and sure enough, 1018-1020. It really isn't doing anything. Temp range is around 20-24 so it should be doing something.

So last night I took the yeast from another kit and sprinkled it on top. It foamed a little when I did, so I put back on the lid - and I could see some activity (the lid started to swell).

But this morning I've woken up and there's no activity at all. Peeking inside the lid there's not a single bubble.

I realise that it was probably stupid and pointless to sprinkle yeast in because yeast needs oxygen to get going and there isn't any in there now, right! Doh.

I think this might have been screwed up from the beginning. On the Munton's Spraymalt webpage it says "Substitute two packs (1 kg) of Spraymalt for all the sugar recommended in the beer kit recipe. Important note: when using this recipe you must use Muntons Premium Gold yeast as you will be producing a beer particularly rich and full-bodied requiring the improved fermentation characteristics of the Muntons Premium Gold yeast." I mailed them and said I can't buy Muntons yeast in Japan and they said kit yeast would be OK, but now I'm not so sure.

So what do I do now?

1. Accept that 1018 is the final gravity and bottle? The sample I took before adding the second yeast still tasted sweet, so I don't think it is ready.

2. Gently stir to aireate the beer? I don't want to oxidize it, but then if the yeast needs oxygen, what can I do? This page (http://www.18000feet.com/how/kittips.htm) says: "Fresh, good quality yeast may also help get things going again. Safale 04 is a good choice of yeast for this purpose. It can be sprinkled on the wort, allowed to re-hydrate for 20 mins then briefly and gently stirred in however, better results may be achieved by starting the yeast off in wort first. " I didn't wait the 20 minutes or gently stir at that time. I really seems like I've missed the step of gently stirring, and this is what I need to do.

3. Buy a pack of yeast, rehydrate it, check it is working with sugar, then add that? I'm sure there's still too much sugar not yet turned to alcohol.

4. Add yeast nutrient?

At this stage I'm very demoralised. My first kit got down to 1006 but has a disappointing flavour. I was expecting a wheat kit with wheat malt to be fantastic, and it is turning out to be a disaster!

[Bizier]

Hello Homebrewjapan.

1st instruction:
Relax

1st question:
Have you checked the gravity since adding the second yeast? It might be fermenting and you don't know it.

It looks like what that person on your blog said was correct, if you have no exit on the bucket, I would also suggest drilling a hole and adding a "blow off tube". Watch it when you drill though, as plastic is very easy to crack.