Ritchies Simply Stout stuck fermentation and yeast type?

[Gazo76]

Hi all,
On my 5th home brew kit and finally hit a problem.
Started the Ritchies Simply Export Stout on 23rd adding 1kg Ritchies Extra Dark with an OG of 1040 (this seemed a little low to me).
It started bubbling away the following morning after just 12 hours and temp has been constant at 22degrees.
Yesterday, 26th the fermentation stopped dead after 48hrs of action and I've measured it at 1018 this morning, 27th.
This seems very quick and not really a gravity I want to bottle at - aiming for 1010ish I think.
I've given it a gentle stir this morning to see if I can wake up the yeast in there.
Either way, is it possible the fermentation has stuck and if I do re-start what yeast should I be looking for please?

 

[MrRook]

Assuming the extract had a bunch of dark grains in the formulation 1.018 may be as far as it's going to go.
How much water did the 1kg get mixed with?

 

[Gazo76]

Hi there.
I didn't really look in detail at the extract, just poured the syrup into the bucket.
I put the 1kg in after mixing the extract with 3l boiling water and stirred it for several minutes until happy it had dissolved. Stirred well again after filling to 23l.
I'll take another reading in the morning and providing it tastes ok I'll just bottle it and see how it turns out.

 

[dwhite60]

MrRook is right. You may have hit bottom. It might drop a couple more points but 1.010 probably isnt going to happen.

 

[Random Badger]

Very interested in this as I am making the same Ritchies Simply Export Stout kit and have encountered the same issues of the OG being lower than expected and the FG being higher than expected. Any news on your brew?

Maybe we should compare notes for a class action.

 

[Gazo76]

Very interested in this as I am making the same Ritchies Simply Export Stout kit and have encountered the same issues of the OG being lower than expected and the FG being higher than expected. Any news on your brew?

Maybe we should compare notes for a class action.

Hey there.
Mine is ready this week (13th), so I'll be tasting the first bottle next weekend to see how it's getting on.
I'll post an update as soon as I remember to.

 

[Random Badger]

Hey there.
Mine is ready this week (13th), so I'll be tasting the first bottle next weekend to see how it's getting on.
I'll post an update as soon as I remember to.

What was the final gravity when you bottled it? I managed to restart my fermentation with some fresh yeast and as of yesterday it had dropped from 1020 (where it was stuck) down to 1014.

 

[Gazo76]

What was the final gravity when you bottled it? I managed to restart my fermentation with some fresh yeast and as of yesterday it had dropped from 1020 (where it was stuck) down to 1014.

Ah brilliant, what yeast did you add to it, because I did look for options, but it was a mine field and had no idea what would work best if trying to restart.
Obviously decided to just bottle as it was anyway and it had dropped a bit more to 1016. Still off, but proof is in the pudding I guess.
Still baffled by that OG reading especially as I'd added 1kg of Ritchies Dark to it as well.
Where did you buy yours from - maybe we got from same batch - I purchased from Brew2Bottle.

 

[Random Badger]

Ah brilliant, what yeast did you add to it, because I did look for options, but it was a mine field and had no idea what would work best if trying to restart.
Obviously decided to just bottle as it was anyway and it had dropped a bit more to 1016. Still off, but proof is in the pudding I guess.
Still baffled by that OG reading especially as I'd added 1kg of Ritchies Dark to it as well.
Where did you buy yours from - maybe we got from same batch - I purchased from Brew2Bottle.

Same here - Brew2Bottle. I've wondered whether the yeast may have been off and/or whether Ritchies could have made a mistake such as labelling their Mild kit as Export Stout.

I started another kit Bulldog Brews Premium IPA and the fermentation was much more vigorous and for much longer. Checking my notes the Ritchies kit had greatly reduced activity within a couple of days whereas the Bulldog kit had continuous, vigorous airlock activity for about 5 days and is still bubbling. I took a scoop out of that and put it into the stout which appears to have got it going again.

 

[Gazo76]

Same here - Brew2Bottle. I've wondered whether the yeast may have been off and/or whether Ritchies could have made a mistake such as labelling their Mild kit as Export Stout.

I started another kit Bulldog Brews Premium IPA and the fermentation was much more vigorous and for much longer. Checking my notes the Ritchies kit had greatly reduced activity within a couple of days whereas the Bulldog kit had continuous, vigorous airlock activity for about 5 days and is still bubbling. I took a scoop out of that and put it into the stout which appears to have got it going again.

It's a funny one no doubt.
I did the Bulldogs Hammer of Thor before this and that was my most active and longest fermentation to date, although still only 10days to bottling.
Just finished bottling the Festival Dubbel, but don't have a seive or filter device, so worried about stray hops getting into the bottles.
Also started the Coopers Stout earlier and that's showing signs of bubbling just 4hours after adding the yeast. I properly dissolved 1kg Muntons Extra Dark and 500g brewing sugar separately in boiling water before adding to the mix this time, so hopefully flavour and process will be much smoother.

 

[Random Badger]

I just noticed that we both seem to have joined this forum on the same day. And made the same kit. Spooky!!!