Another newbie needs advice before bottling

[Triker750]

Hello group, new member here, my name is Bob and i have my first two brews going at the moment.
I have a problem though and would like advice please.

First kit is a Woodfordes Headcracker, and it has stuck at fg 1.024,( ) left it for a week and it would not come down. Racked it from the FV into a secondary and have left it for a week, still no change, FG 1.024. Temperature at all times was constant at 20. Didnt realise i should have taken the OG at the start of this first brew so have no idea where it started.

Do i try to restart it with some S04 which i have, Or, do i bottle it as is, AND if i do bottle it should i use my carbonation drops or not, will i be making bombs????
Hope someone can help here
Thanks,
Bob

 

[corby_brewer]

Me personly would try to re-start it. I would not even think about putting it into a bottle at .024.

 

[kestlemill]

That's very high. Sounds like your fermentation might have got stuck.

-What does the kit say the final gravity should be? If much lower than your reading will add to likelihood of stuck fermentation.
-Is there an inch or two of yeast/sludge at the bottom of the bucket? If not, would add to likelihood of being stuck.
-Does it smell of beer?
-Also you could even try tasting a bit and seeing if still sugary. Use a sterile spoon of course! If not then of course fermentation has got stuck!

If you decide it is stuck then just sprinkle on a new sachet and perhaps give a bit of a stir (this is what I'd do although it's never happened to me)

Good luck!

 

[Triker750]

I thought it was stuck, Woodfordes say to look for 1.020 or below, After a week at 1.024 i racked it into a secondary, one week later and still 1.024.
There was sludge at the bottom of the FV when racked.
It smells of beer, does not taste sweet, tastes bitter.

Thing that gets me is;
If i had not bought a hydrometer i would have just waited till fermentation appeared to stop and as per the instructions bottled it with carbonation drops.
Wife would have loved clearing up the mess when they started to pop.

Thanks for the answers, and if im getting it right.
Some kits have a yeast not up to the job and should be replaced with a better quality one to stop this 1.020 stick.

The Wherry which i have in the FV at the moment as a second brew is very active, three days in. lets hope it does better than the first attempt. OG 1.048

Thanks for the help so far, having spent a bit of time reading past posts i can see this is a very helpful fourm and a wealth of knowlege for us newbies.
Cheers and Beers, Bob :

 

[ohbeary]

T750, you should have no problems with Wherry, darn good ale, your "Headcracker" is a light barley wine, it may just need oxygen, give it a good whisking to get some air in and all will be well, I used to work in a pub that brewed it's own beer in dirty great vats open to the air in an ancient barn built by monks a long time ago, filthy stuff due to lack of line cleaning and staff indifference but I have had it from the vat and it was wonderful, also made a good starter for my "Blue Anchor Bread"...... nuff said :whistle:

 

[kestlemill]

it might have feremented then, if it only needs to go below 1.02.

1.024 isn't too far off!

 

[aneray]

Lovely stuff that Spingo isn't it Obeary.

I haven't had a pint of that for a while. Must pop over and have one or a few. :drunk: