Possible stuck fermentation.... again

[user 18576]

Hello all,
As I mentioned in a recent thread I am in the process of making some replica beer kits after much success with Festival beer kits and others.
These kits come with liquid malt extract for strength & body but also comes with malt grains and hop pellets to
be used as per instructions. Also a sachet of Harris yeast and a sachet of Harris pure brew..

When fermenting the first brew the fermentation just about stopped at approx 1016 on the hydrometer,
but the brew seemed clear near the top and there were no bubbles rising. Moved the barrel to the garage to rest prior to barrelling I thought this can't be right and moved it back to the heating pad in the house and within a few hours off it started fermenting down eventually finishing at 1007.
Started another kit of the same type again last week and it appears to have all but stopped again at 1016
So took the barrel for a walk around the house with much sloshing of the beer and placed it back on the heating pad and will wait to see what happens.
I keep the beer fermenting at a constant 24C.
When the wort first starts fermenting it foams up to the lid suggesting all's well at the start.
Never had this happen before what's going wrong, is Harris yeast any good?
A bit baffled and disappointed.

Paul

 

[kelper]

Can you name the kit? Might help.

 

[user 18576]

Yes, The first kit was 'Holden's Golden Glow'. replica range partial mash kit, and the other is
'St Austell Proper Job Style' replica range partial mash kit.
The instructions for making are exactly the same for both. just a few tweaks of the ingredients.
I have high hopes for them but just a bit miffed at the fermentation issues.

Paul

 

[kelper]

Oh, I've only done all LME kits so can't help. Is 24 the suggested fermentation temp?

 

[user 18576]

Well to be honest no.
The yeast sachet say's 15 - 20c and the instructions say 18- 20c.
But I thought that 20 - 25c was best for fermenting? so went with 24c.
I did read somewhere that if you have trouble with stuck fermentation up the temp a bit nearer to 25c, is this not
always the case and are you going to tell me to 'FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS'.
But I thought it was gospel that anything less than 20c fermentation will slow or stop.

Paul

 

[user 18576]

Anybody have an answer to my original question?

Paul

 

[Clint]

The last stages can really slow down and take days or weeks to finish with some brews. I've had brews take a month to hit fg. Rousing the wort as upping the temp can get it going again but no bubbles rising is not a sign it's finished. I'd drop the temp to start your next brew to around 19 and keep any rises incase it sticks again.

 

[user 18576]

Hi Clint,
Yes I decided to rouse the wort a little earlier.
Also, I will bear in mind what you mentioned about temps.

Paul.

 

[user 18576]

Well the beer has totally stopped fermenting, roused it yesterday.
Should I lower the temp to around 19-20c then stir in another packet of yeast,
with perhaps raising the temp in a few days or week if required
or should I just do nothing?
(Temp at present is at constant 24c)
Or I could raise it to 25+C.

Help!

Paul

 

[MmmBeer]

The Three Basic Rules of Home Brewing

1 Be patient.
2 Clean, clean, clean, sanitise.
3 Ignore the optimistic timescales quoted on kits - See 1

18 - 20°C is the ideal fermenting temp for most ales, higher temps can lead to production of unwanted flavour compounds called esters. Stuck fermentations are quite common, but can still result in a good beer. The usual trick to restart fermentation is to get the yeast cells back into suspension by shaking / stirring and raising the temp to ~ 21°C for a day or two. Some try pitching more yeast, but there is no guarantee of any improvement, there may be no more fermentable sugars left.

Scoop a little of your beer into a sanitised vessel and taste it, does it taste sweet? Are there any unwanted flavours? If not, leave for another week before bottling.

 

[terrym]

Read this ....
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...s-for-dealing-with-stuck-fermentations.74910/

 

[Rog.T.B.]

Terrym, good to see you back, I thought we had lost you.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Could it be a lack of oxygen at this stage? Hence rousing it improves matters. Only I've seen some (American) H'brewers using an airstone and giving the brew oxygen to start with!

 

[Mavroz]

All my brews ferment between 18 and 20 degrees tops. They are not kits but this shouldn't matter.

All my brews are in the FV for a minimum of 14 days, some 21 days until I take gravity readings over a couple of days to test for stability before bottling.

All the ingredients you have used just be ok if you have had initial fermentation and the gravity has dropped to 1016 although I don't think you have mentioned the starting gravity.

Stick to 14 days minimum before taking readings, if they are on the high side then leave for another 7 days or so and check again.

Keep an eye on the temperatures as you "may" introduce off tastes to the brews, especially if using Liquid extract or you may start stressing the yeast.

 

[An Ankoù]

Anybody have an answer to my original question?

Paul

No experience of Harris yeast, but you can't do better than follow terrym's advice above. There are a number (in my experience Yorkshire brewers' house yeasts) that need to be re-roused into the wort from time to time to get a complete fermentation. It sounds as if you're doing that by taking the barrel on a grand tour.

 

[Sadfield]

No experience of Harris yeast, but you can't do better than follow terrym's advice above. There are a number (in my experience Yorkshire brewers' house yeasts) that need to be re-roused into the wort from time to time to get a complete fermentation. It sounds as if your doing that by taking the barrel on a grand tour.

+1 to all of this.

I get the impression that this is quite a flocculent yeast and it's dropping out before completing fermentation at the OPs higher temperatures.

 

[user 18576]

Ok,
Thanks for all the replies and links to other threads, I have read all of them.
Firstly, it's now obvious that I have been fermenting my beers at too high a temp.
I've had a taste of the brew in question and don't think there is any off flavours in there, (hope not anyway).

What I have decided to do then is cool the FV down to 20c, dissolve 100g of brewers sugar in a little hot water, allow to cool,
then stir into the FV and pinch the yeast out of another kit I have and stir in. I have no yeast nutrient at the moment.
Then try and maintain at 18 - 20c.
That seems to be the general opinion.

I will need to buy another yeast sachet for the other kit (bitter), is it recommended to buy a Nottingham style yeast or just a
standard bitter & ale yeast? Will be going to my nearest homebrew outlet next week, That's Balliihoo near Cheddar, Somerset.

Paul.

 

[Mavroz]

Not sure about adding more dissolved sugar as you will push the gravity up and I think also push the abv (alcohol) much higher.

 

[user 18576]

Well as been suggested it raises the abv a bit more so more likely to restart fermenting with the new yeast, also if it's a bit
stronger I'll just have force it myself to drink it (hic).
Whilst I have now learnt the error of my ways regarding fermentation temp at what temp is it best to pitch the yeast at?
I mean no more than 20C or give the yeast a head start and pitch at say 22C and then let it cool down to 18 -20C.

What I know about beer making could fill page.
Trouble is what I don't know about beer making could fill a library.!!!!

Paul.

 

[Pavros]

Follow @terrym 's advice. He knows what he's doing and has returned from self-imposed exile to pass on his knowledge.

As for the yeast for the other kit, either Nottingham, S04, US05 or wilko's gervin ale yeast will do.