Stuck Fermentation question

[matth]

Having read the stuck fermentation how to i have a couple of questions.

My tom Caxton yorkshire bitter kit isn't budging from 1018, and i'm petrified of battling it and ending up with glass embeded in all manner of places.

I know i have done some daft things, as when i brew i don't like to mess around with things too much once they are fermenting, so i wait until the airlock stops bubbling completely and rack off to a secondary fv, without taking any hydrometer readings until at least a week in the secondary.

So with this tom caxton kit that is exactly what i have done sg was 1050 with 1kg beer kit enhancer rather than sugar added and brewed a bit short of full volume, i have split the kit after primary and racked it to 2 fvs so i can dry hop with different hops, but after 1 week in the secondary the hydrometer was still at 1018 so i stirred up all the remaining **** in the hope that would kick tart it, 3 days in nothing, stirred again, still nothing.

Perhaps i left behind too much of the yeast when i racked.

As i have dry hopped this what do those in the know think i should do, should i re pitch yeast? do i need to take out the dry hops as they have been in there for 2 weeks now (i only planned for them to be in there 1 week), this would involve scooping out with a sieve (again fearful of infection).

I have some S05 (only 6grams) not sure if this would split between the 2 buckets (about 10 litres in each).

I am also away with work from tomorrow morning so won't be able to keep an eye on it. As i have completed my first extract, hopefully this will be my first and last kit.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

 

[matth]

If i bottle it now @1018 is it likely to explode?

 

[matth]

Anyone?

I only ask as i have heard of yeasts such as S-04 finishing highly at 1020, but i have no idea what sort of yeast is in the caxton kits, and even where they should finish. It tastes ok from the trial jar, and would probably be fine once conditioned, but if i bottle at 1018 is it likely to start up fermentation again on the priming sugar and end up being a batch of bottle bombs?

Any help much appreciated.

 

[robsan77]

I would pitch some more yeast. get some s04.

 

[matth]

Ok, Cheers, Would you pitch on top of the dry hops floating around or remove them?
Won't be able to get to hbs till next tuesday, so i hope tit'll be ok.

 

[shocker]

I would sieve those hops out just for the sake of giving you a clear view and ease of handling . If I dry hop I tie them up in a bit of muslin to save having to fish around for them......might be worth giving that a try next time

 

[matth]

I realise that now, this kit was my first beer, and then a week later i tried an extract brew - which is still merrily bubbling away, i will hopefully dry hop that next week.

Will adding yeast after a dry hop kill any additional aroma from the hops?

 

[StubbsPKS]

If it's been at 1018 for a few days and you've tried stirring and warming it up, it's pretty safe to say it's done fermenting.

 

[shocker]

Looking at my old notes I see that I once restarted a stuck stout (try saying that after a couple) from 1020 ish by repitching with some nutrient and warmth but being a stout it didnt have far to go so I dont know why I bothered....notes dont say .It could be that you should resign yourself to having a nice barrel of mild to drink and just finish it off without further ado .

 

[matth]

Just on the train back home from working away, i didn't re-pitch yeast, as i only had half a sachet of S05, which i would have to split again to put in to the 2 buckets, so probably not an option.

I am not too bothered about it only working out at 4.5%ish i was just worried about it blowing bottles up. I have no great expectations of it as it is a kit, and only cost me £7.
My reason for doing it was that i knew i would be mad busy on the run up to christmas so just to fill up some bottles.

Also i really need to free up these 2 FVs for something more interesting extract brew wise.

So if i have got this right (i can be pretty thick, so please excuse the idiot) if i prime the bottles and bottle it as it stands (1020) it should be ok, condition fine, and not cost me an eye or worse?

Many thanks for your patience with me.

 

[philip5660]

As far as your bottles blowing up goes - As long as the yeast has been given the chance to ferment everything it can, and the only thing that ferments in the bottle is the priming sugar then you should be fine.
it's only if the primary fermentation wasn't finished that you be in trouble.
1020 is a bit high and I'd be inclined to pitch some S-04 just in case

 

[matth]

Got to wok, and my s-04 has arrived, so i'll just repitch.
Thanks