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Author Topic: stuck fermentation  (Read 2419 times)

Offline aaspinall

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stuck fermentation
« on: April 14, 2012, 12:20:47 pm »
Without going into detail I managed to leave out 1 pound each of victory and chocolate malt when brewing my porter. Couldn’t figure out why I was 13 points below gravity, but added DME to hit my target gravity( 1.073). After realizing my mistake, I steeped the found grain for 30 minutes in 150 degree water. I boiled it down to just under 1 gallon, and added that to the fermenter (about a day and a half in to fermentation). I then got an explosive fermentation for the next day. After 10 days my gravity was 1.026. I wanted it at 1.018. Thinking my basement was too cold, I moved it upstairs to a warmer place (70-72 degrees). After 1 week my gravity is still 1.026. I feel if I bottle at that gravity, I’ll have problems with the beer. Any suggestions? Is this beer a loss?

Offline euge

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Re: stuck fermentation
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2012, 12:28:29 pm »
Give it a gentle stir to rouse the yeast and give it a few days. See what happens.

It may be done though. And it may not be such a bad thing ending 6 points above with that high of a SG. The porter could end up being a bit dry even at 1.018.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: stuck fermentation
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2012, 12:36:06 pm »
What kind of extract? You're at about 65% ADF, which wouldn't be unusual for an amber or dark DME.
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Offline svejk

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Re: stuck fermentation
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2012, 02:01:06 pm »
My guess is that you have probably reached terminal gravity, but if you want to be absolutely sure, you could pull a sample and put a packet of Nottingham (or yeast from another batch) in it.  If the gravity doesn't change in that sample, you can be sure that there is nothing besides Beano that can take the gravity down any further in the main batch.

Offline erockrph

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Re: stuck fermentation
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2012, 06:19:33 pm »
What yeast did you use?

I'm thinking you must be at your FG. I'd rouse the yeast just to be sure, but I bet you're there. I'm guessing that whatever you got from steeping Victory and Chocolate Malt for 30 minutes probably wasn't exactly highly fermentable sugar, especially if you went and boiled it down afterwards. Plus this is a pretty high gravity brew, so if you're near 70% attenuation I'd say you're probably done.

If you really needed a lower FG (i.e., you tasted it and it was way too sweet), you could always try making a starter of WLP099 and pitch that. Depending on the fermentability of the remaining sugars it may get you down a little further. Or you could dilute with water to get you closer to where you would have been had you started at the 1.073 you were shooting for.
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