Consistently getting Stuck Fermentation/High Final Gravity

[kelper]

What was the OG?
What is the SG now?
How well is the temp regulated?
What temp was yeast pitched at?
What is the max and mininmum temp since pitching - roughly?

 

[El Ceetee]

What was the OG?
What is the SG now?
How well is the temp regulated?
What temp was yeast pitched at?
What is the max and mininmum temp since pitching - roughly?

OG was 1.050
SG now is 1.022
The temperature has been sitting at 22 for the most part and dropped to about 20 one night and got to highest 24.
The yeast was pitched at 23.

 

[kelper]

That should have worked. As you say, the SG is too high and not dropping. I would try adding some new yeast, sprinkled very gently on top. Good luck! It won't sufer if you have no yeast and have to order some, just keep it covered.

 

[El Ceetee]

That should have worked. As you say, the SG is too high and not dropping. I would try adding some new yeast, sprinkled very gently on top. Good luck! It won't sufer if you have no yeast and have to order some, just keep it covered.

Is it just ***** yeast you reckon then?
I haven’t got any to add. Need a stockpile. I’m spewin cause I had my beers on a good rotation. I’ll nearly be finished the barrel of IPA by the time this was ready to drink.

 

[dad_of_jon]

how can rehydrating require a temperature as high as 30 to 35 when most kits suggest to add the yeast when the wort is 25 or less? Just curious.

MJ recommend 30-35 to re-hydrate at and you should be within 10 degrees of wort temp when ptiching to avoid shock. After the 15 mins or so of leaving the wort to re-hydrate the temperature is pretty close to pitching temp (unless your house is uber warm) anyways

 

[dad_of_jon]

its also useful to have a spare packet of gervin yeast from wilcos in the fridge for these situations.

 

[terrym]

@El Ceetee
A few ideas for stuck fermentations
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...s-for-dealing-with-stuck-fermentations.74910/

 

[trummy]

Have you tried giving it a stir? I had a kit stop at 1012 - tasted ok so not thinking primed and bottled it and then had liquid bombs to contend with! I reasoned that just disturbing it had kicked into life.

 

[Drunkula]

Just looking through my notes and the first 9 kits I did, 7 of them stuck at 1.020. I read at the time that kits can not have enough FAN (free amino nitrogen) and have trouble brewing.

I tried all the solutions - warming, swirling, rousing, nutrients, once made a 4 litre starter from dry malt extract and added it and even that didn't work. The only thing that ever worked for me was a horrifying aeration with the Long Spoon of Justice which is of course far from ideal.

Geordie/Tom Caxton come with s-33 yeast which doesn't attenuate as much as other yeasts. From the splits I did it would finish about 5 points above Nottingham give or take. Say 1.010 for Notty, 1.016 for s-33.

If you use s-33 with something like Cooper's Brew Enhancer 1 which is 50% maltodextrin that ending at 1.020 might actually mean it's done. A lot of my early beers had that because I got a loads of them for 55p.

Later in the notes from the first time I got grain and made up 2.5kg mash and added it to a Geordie Scottish : "18th May 32 hours after pitch 1020 and it's bubbling like crazy and rolling. I've never seen fermentation like it."

That was brewed with the s-33, finished at 1.014 and I really liked. "7 weeks before I got to try it and it's pretty good. Visually gold, a hoppy taste when cold and a malty taste when warmed that leaves and almost jammy taste in your mouth like you've been eating sugary jam doughnuts. It's almost as good as the AG#1."

I also had no end of problems with s-04 sticking with the kits. I don't think I've used it since going all grain.

 

[El Ceetee]

Have you tried giving it a stir? I had a kit stop at 1012 - tasted ok so not thinking primed and bottled it and then had liquid bombs to contend with! I reasoned that just disturbing it had kicked into life.

I gave it a stir yeah. Ill try again tonight, bit more vigorously.
Just read @terrym 's post and think I might try add some sugar too, hopefully kick start it. I'm going to Wilkos tomorrow anyways for some C02 bulbs and might pick some yeast up. Don't know the quality of it but I'm keen to try and I don't want the brew sitting for ages in the FV.

 

[Sandimas]

I'm wondering if it's too warm? You shouldn't need heaters this time of year, if anything most of our houses are too hot and you'll need to try to cool it down. I usually aim for 18-21C, I've struggled to keep temps down in recent weeks and I usually stop brewing this time of year because the house is just too hot.

 

[terrym]

Looking through my notes I did 68 kits about half of which were Coopers one cans and I mostly used kit yeasts. Three finished higher than they should, a Wherry at 1.014 in the days of only one 6g pack, and two Wilko kits (made by Muntons)at 1.015/1.016 .
All the others finished about where expected.

I gave it a stir yeah. Ill try again tonight, bit more vigorously.
I'm going to Wilkos tomorrow anyways for some C02 bulbs and might pick some yeast up. Don't know the quality of it but I'm keen to try and I don't want the brew sitting for ages in the FV.

Wlko yeast is a good yeast as far as I'm concerned and others on here use it as well. Its rumoured to be a Nottingham type ale yeast,

 

[El Ceetee]

Wilkos yeast added. Will see what happens from here.

 

[El Ceetee]

So there’s still no change in the FV or gravity after 4 days. The new yeast gave me a little bit of airlock action, but not consistent. I know you can’t always go off that but took a reading today and it’s still at 1.022. I even added yeast nutrients to try and help it. Am I flogging a dead horse here? I might add some sugar this arvo but just wanted to ask if this is worth it if the new yeast hasn’t started up yet.

 

[terrym]

So there’s still no change in the FV or gravity after 4 days. The new yeast gave me a little bit of airlock action, but not consistent. I know you can’t always go off that but took a reading today and it’s still at 1.022. I even added yeast nutrients to try and help it. Am I flogging a dead horse here? I might add some sugar this arvo but just wanted to ask if this is worth it if the new yeast hasn’t started up yet.

You have really got nothing to lose by trying some more sugar. And then give it a good rousing.

 

[Galena]

I have a stuck fermentation, its been stuck at 1.020 for about 10 days, I tried swirling, increasing temperature, added some nutrient and nothing was working on the advice on another thread I added some sugar solution, I only had 65g so thats what went in. My next step if that didn't work was going to be another yeast and I happened to have a starter from a very very low cell count I had put buy and made a starter from that and decided to chuck it in anyway.
This afternoon it is showing a little airlock activity so fingers crossed. Thanks to @terrym for the pointer

 

[Jim Brewster]

I pitch dry yeast straight into the FV and haven't had any problems so far. I would maybe try pitching straight into the fv and see if that makes a difference. If you're only rehydrating it and not creating a starter then you're not increasing the cell count anyway so no harm in pitching dry imo.

 

[El Ceetee]

I have a stuck fermentation, its been stuck at 1.020 for about 10 days, I tried swirling, increasing temperature, added some nutrient and nothing was working on the advice on another thread I added some sugar solution, I only had 65g so thats what went in.

How did you go with yours?
I added 100g of sugar on Sunday arvo. Had a little bit of action in the airlock. Now it’s slowed down so I took I reading. 1.020. It was reading 1.022 on Sunday. Doesn’t taste as yeasty but still not right.
I’m not sure what else to do

 

[Galena]

How did you go with yours?
I added 100g of sugar on Sunday arvo. Had a little bit of action in the airlock. Now it’s slowed down so I took I reading. 1.020. It was reading 1.022 on Sunday. Doesn’t taste as yeasty but still not right.
I’m not sure what else to do

It seems to be about there now, I added a little yeast from a weak starter I had going and roused it etc. It was suggested to me to try adding a rehydrated pack of Safale US-05 to try and dry it out a bit, that could be worth a try

 

[LED_ZEP]

I'm not a beer brewer so just a suggestion, if it's stuck and nothing to lose, pop some EC1118 wine yeast in. It will ferment anything at a big temp range down to dry and if that doesn't work something is killing the yeast.