Stuck W/Wherry

[mancer62]

After nearly 3 weeks in primary my W/W has still only come down to 1016 from an initial 1040....
I have so far tried stirring the brew including all the stuff at the bottom with no or very little effect.
Yesterday I put a cover over it and sat it next ti my kitchen radiator (which I will do again today if recommended on here).
If it doesnt go down I would like to know simplest way of lowering the gravity.
For example.
1. Can I make up a solution of cooled boiled water and an amount of sugar then mix in?
2. Harvest all the trub from the bottom of my completed Wilkos IPA put in a jar and add to it.
If yes do I use all of the trub? Do I stir the trub before adding to the FV? Once added do I just pour in or do I stir in? Gently or vigorously?
Cheers

 

[terrym]

After nearly 3 weeks in primary my W/W has still only come down to 1016 from an initial 1040....
I have so far tried stirring the brew including all the stuff at the bottom with no or very little effect.
Yesterday I put a cover over it and sat it next ti my kitchen radiator (which I will do again today if recommended on here).
If it doesnt go down I would like to know simplest way of lowering the gravity.
For example.
1. Can I make up a solution of cooled boiled water and an amount of sugar then mix in?
2. Harvest all the trub from the bottom of my completed Wilkos IPA put in a jar and add to it.
If yes do I use all of the trub? Do I stir the trub before adding to the FV? Once added do I just pour in or do I stir in? Gently or vigorously?
Cheers

You have had some of your questions already answered and there are numerous related comments in the Wherry thread and two recent threads about stuck fermentations, some of which specifically cover Wherry.
However....
At 1.016 you could try trub from another brew to see if it restarts. I would sanitise a spoon or ladle and transfer the trub over to your Wherry immediately after you have removed the beer from the other brew. Give the Wherry a gentle stir. Job done
If that doesn't work or you decide not to bother, at 1.016 you could go ahead and bottle, provided you are completely satisfied it has finished. It might just be a bit on the sweet side. Use PET for one bottle to monitor how it carbs up in case the yeast does decide to have another go.
I can't understand why you want to artificially lower the SG without further fermentation. Adding sugar will do the opposite i.e. elevate the SG. And if you do want to lower the SG without fermentation you could add water but this will dilute your beer. However vodka which will definitely lower the SG and increase the strength of your beer and should not affect the beer flavour too much.

 

[Godsdog]

Had a 1054 OG for 23 litres on my Sundew R/A which I found quite surprising.day 4 & 6 appears to be stuck at 1020 ish so yesterday pitched a satchet of the CML real ale yeast,24 hours on still no sign of activity from the airlock

 

[terrym]

Had a 1054 OG for 23 litres on my Sundew R/A which I found quite surprising.day 4 & 6 appears to be stuck at 1020 ish so yesterday pitched a satchet of the CML real ale yeast,24 hours on still no sign of activity from the airlock

Your OG does look way out assuming you only used the kit cans, so no wonder you were surprised. The BF calculator predicts 1.038 for 3kg LME. My one and only Sundew (half price Tesco 'closing down' sale) also stuck with a replacement Harris yeast -long story - and I tried to restart with GV12 but it died at 1.018 at which point I packaged it. It's the highest FG I have ever finished at.

 

[mancer62]

I have wrapped in a towel and put it right next to kitchen radiator... there are now signs of activity in the airlock (thank goodness) I will let this go on for few days then test with hydrometer. I cannot damage the beer with the FV being so close to the radiator can I?

 

[britton]

You know I might write to Woodfordes my self and complain about their small yeast size just so I don’t have to read another stuck Wherry thread! For gods sake, SEARCH!

 

[mancer62]

Britton chill what's the problem. No one asked you specifically for your help or opinion. You decided that yourself.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

You know I might write to Woodfordes my self and complain about their small yeast size just so I don’t have to read another stuck Wherry thread! For gods sake, SEARCH!

I take it you read the title so understood what the thread was going to be about so why read it and then post in that manner, we encourage members to use the search but do not insist members use it and we do not berate them for not doing so, if you haven't read the forum rules maybe its time you did.

1. Please post in a mature, sensible and respectful manner.

12. Do not tell members to "Google it" or "Try Searching", If a question has been answered before answer it again or provide a link.

14. Please use the search tool before posting a question.

 

[Slid]

You know I might write to Woodfordes my self and complain about their small yeast size just so I don’t have to read another stuck Wherry thread! For gods sake, SEARCH!

No need! Here is link to the area where they tell you it's your problem, not theirs.

http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/?s=stuck+ferment

On here Muntons will tell you that their brewing professionals have never had a stuck ferment, even with their inadequate yeast, under their laboratory conditions.

I researched this issue a couple of years back and use US 05 now, re-using the trub in 250ml Lemonade Bottles. Just so much easier, even if you do kits / pimped kits / partial mashes or all grain. Do not use a 6g packet of yeast that may have hung around at store temps for too long for a 25L brew.

Objectively Nottingham is good yeast that makes good beer and the Muntons yeast is said to be this strain. The problems come with too few viable calls, as a result of bad storage conditions, a low mass of dried yeast in the first instance, and a lot of newbies using the Wherry kit early in their brewing journey.

 

[britton]

Ok I may have been over zealous in my post possibly fuelled by home brew. May I suggest a sticky on “what to do if your Wherry sticks’?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Believe me we could post that and new members would still ask in another forum it's just the way forums are especially with new members who are not used to using them, maybe members who do not want to answer could avoid any thread with the words Wherry and stuck in the title. :wink:


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[britton]

Point taken but the way I look at the forum is via new posts and to say it comes up rather a lot would be an understatement. But I shall avoid from now on as you say.

 

[terrym]

maybe members who do not want to answer could avoid any thread with the words Wherry and stuck in the title. :wink:.

Well you can put me down for that one then, at least for the time being :thumb:
There have been several threads about this in recent weeks, on top of the Wherry thread itself which now tops 800 posts where this crops up regularly, yet there are still people who keep asking the same questions even when there are relevant posts showing in 'Newest Threads' page right.
Perhaps it's how our society is evolving. People want to be spoon fed stuff, let others do the thinking for them, because they haven't got the initiative or wherewithall to look beyond what's immediately in front of them since its never been required of them, or worse, simply because they can't be naffed.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Good news, this thread could be the last stuck wherry thread - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=74911

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