Fermentation stalled after 1 week?

[Chickpeanut]

Hi everyone. I'm new to home brewing and looking for some simple advice. I have a couple of questions if anyone can help me I'd be most greatful.

1. Coopers IPA has been in the fv for exactly 1 week. Temp in the room with the fv has been down to 17 degrees sometimes as I'm not home a lot. Is this fundamentally too low?

2. Fermentation seems to have almost stopped, so I took a hydrometer reading (I know this is way too early to get any useful readings) and it was roughly 1.014. This sample smelled and tasted bland, but otherwise no problems. Should I add more yeast to get it going again?

Please forgive my naivety, I appreciate any advice my fellow forum members can give me.


Tom

 

[Sandimas]

Exactly the same has happened to my Coopers Stout, which incidentally is my 27th brew. Done it twice before and it's gone down to 1010, but this one stuck at 1014. Strangely enough, the only other stuck brew I've had was around this time last year. I do think it's the time of year and lower house temperatures.

Give it a stir, try to get the temp up a bit, but if nothing has happened in 2 or 3 days just bottle/keg it, it'll be fine, just not quite as strong as you were expecting.

 

[Rwilts]

Don't add more yeast. Give it a light stir with sterile spoon and get the temp up by wrapping in a blanket. Give it another week and check again.

By the way my fav kit of the year :thumb:

 

[Vossy1]

Hi Tom,

1. Coopers IPA has been in the fv for exactly 1 week. Temp in the room with the fv has been down to 17 degrees sometimes as I'm not home a lot. Is this fundamentally too low?

Not really, best between 18-20 but that's close enough.

Fermentation seems to have almost stopped, so I took a hydrometer reading (I know this is way too early to get any useful readings) and it was roughly 1.014. This sample smelled and tasted bland, but otherwise no problems. Should I add more yeast to get it going again?

It's never too early to take a hydro reading, they help you understand what's going on and as long as you take the sample without introducing any 'risk' then there's no problem

Please forgive my naivety, I appreciate any advice my fellow forum members can give me.

Never :shock: :lol: we all started at some point, there no such thing as a daft question :thumb:

 

[jonnymorris]

Sounds like it's finished. Leave it another week to allow the yeast to clear up after itself and bottle.

Welcome to the forum and to brewing.

 

[Chickpeanut]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll do as you all say. I'm still looking forward to it, it's all a learning curve for me.

Tom

 

[Mattdog]

Hi All, I'm new to brewing and new to the forum. I'm on my second brew and looking for some advice.

I'm starting with the basic coopers kits and using the Irish stout kit with 1kg of brew enhancer2, I initially started the brew quite high at 27oc and pitched at that, it dropped over several days to stabilise at 21oc, it's now been 2 weeks but seems to have stalled at a FG of 1017, all activity seems to have stopped.

Should I give it a stir and try a warmer place or bottle it and hope for the best? All looks and smells good and have heard the coopers kits go off like a rocket particularly if at that high temp to start.

also, looking to do an ipa next, so any advice for a novice?

Thanks, Matt