[Jaykayray]

Brewed a chocolate stout
9 lbs marris
1 lb roast malt
.5lb chocolate malt
.5lb Chrystal malt
5 oz bakers chocolate
Yeast starter us safale 05

It's been 6 weeks and fermentation is slow, still a little krausen on top. Don't know what to do, last gravity reading kept changing while I was measuring it.


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[ynotbrusum]

That is a long time for a fermentation to finish.  I would check it a couple times over a two day period and if no change is noted, then rack it off the lees to its final packaging (but if a change in gravity is noted, I would give it a little more time, if bottling, or just rack to keg, if kegging).  Other than sours, I never go 6 weeks in the primary anymore (but I have a Tilt to tell me when no gravity changes are registered).

Good luck with your Chocolate Stout.

[Megary]

Brewed a chocolate stout
9 lbs marris
1 lb roast malt
.5lb chocolate malt
.5lb Chrystal malt
5 oz bakers chocolate
Yeast starter us safale 05

It's been 6 weeks and fermentation is slow, still a little krausen on top. Don't know what to do, last gravity reading kept changing while I was measuring it.


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How are you measuring gravity?

[Jaykayray]

Hydrometer, this the first batch the gravity changed while I was watching it. It gained .03 ,then went up another .03.

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[ynotbrusum]

Was it de-gassing or was the temperature rising during the measurement of gravity?  That is a confusing event.  How long in total time did you wait on the reading of the sample?

[denny]

Hydrometer, this the first batch the gravity changed while I was watching it. It gained .03 ,then went up another .03.

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Sounds like CO2 bubbles stuck to the hydrometer

[Jaykayray]

The air lock was down, looked like it had stopped bubbling, left the hydrometer in for about 5 min after first reading. Even now there is some stuff still on top, but airlock isn't bubbling.

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[Megary]

Hydrometer, this the first batch the gravity changed while I was watching it. It gained .03 ,then went up another .03.

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That's not possible, even assuming you meant .003.  Are you measuring right in the primary fermentation vessel?  I would pull a sample and measure in a hydrometer cylinder.  After 6 weeks, you are done.

[Jaykayray]

.003, my mistake. It was in a cyclinder

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[ynotbrusum]

Give the hydrometer a good spin to get the CO2 out of solution and see if the reading settles a bit better.

[ttash]

If a hydrometer reading is that unstable try degassing the sample first. Just pour the sample between two vessels (plastic pitchers work great) 15 to 20 times and let the foam subside before decanting to your cylinder, then float your hydrometer. It should help, we do this with every hydrometer reading, every day at our commercial brewery. 🍺

[goose]

If a hydrometer reading is that unstable try degassing the sample first. Just pour the sample between two vessels (plastic pitchers work great) 15 to 20 times and let the foam subside before decanting to your cylinder, then float your hydrometer. It should help, we do this with every hydrometer reading, every day at our commercial brewery. 🍺

^^^ This
Also remember that it will take about 5 minutes for the hydrometer to stabilize in the sample.  I usually degas, put the sample in the test jar, add the hydrometer, and walk away for about 10 minutes or so.  I get more accurate readings this way.