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Author Topic: Stuck old ale?  (Read 1566 times)

Offline farmbrewer

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Stuck old ale?
« on: June 05, 2011, 01:50:14 pm »
I'm trying a partial-mash old ale started on April 29. 
OG= 1.092
Pitched two packs (500 ml) of Wyeast Old Ale Blend 9097. Tthe blend contains some brettanomyces.   It was in the basement at 65-degrees for the first two weeks and there was good activity.  I racked to secondary on 5/13 and moved it upstairs to about 75-degrees.  The gravity has not budged from 1.030 since I moved it to secondary.  I anticipated the brett taking a longer time to work, but would have thought I should see something after three weeks in secondary.  Anyone worked with this yeast blend or something like it?  Definitely open to ideas.

Offline stlaleman

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Re: Stuck old ale?
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2011, 02:53:04 pm »
I've brewed with it twice now, both times underpitched (one smack pack per 5 gallon 1080ish wort) and had no issues whatsoever. In fact I took a first with one batch, batch two is still aging.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2011, 03:24:44 pm by stlaleman »

Offline hoser

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Re: Stuck old ale?
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2011, 03:56:10 pm »
Brett works very slowly.  Be patient. According to Vinnie at Russian River. A 100% Brett fermentation will ferment to 1.020 in about 10 days.  It will take a beer 8 weeks for the beer to drop to 1.010.  So I would expect it to take months, not weeks for the beer to reach terminal gravity.

Offline chezteth

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Re: Stuck old ale?
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2011, 09:37:00 pm »
My last old ale that I made started at 1.080.  I also used the Wyeast Old Ale Blend.  I racked it to secondary after 2 month then let it sit another 2 months.  It dropped to 1.013 when I finally decided to bottle it.  I don't remember. What the S.G. was after a couple of weeks in the primary.  It may have been 1.020???  I did ferment warmer than you though.  My ferment temp was 68 deg.F.  I'm not sure if that would make a difference.  I usually make a starter but since I did not write it down I'm not sure if I did this time or not.  I guess all - in - all I would let it sit longer.  As others have said... "Brett takes a long time to work"

Happy Brewing,
Brandon

Offline tom

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Re: Stuck old ale?
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2011, 03:03:26 pm »
what is the final gravity supposed to be?
1.030 might be about right for a 1.092 old ale
Brew on