So, I've made an extract + speciality grains based stout (6 lbs of light DME, 0.5 lb of dark malt, 0.5 lb of chocolate malt, 9.6 oz of crystal malt, 0.5 lb of roasted barley - also threw in 500g of maltodextrin powder at the end of the boil). Everything seemed to go fine. OG measured at around 1.052. Pitched the yeast at 4pm on Saturday. At about 8pm, as I was departing for the pub, it was bubbling away nicely. I thought this was rather quick to get going, but wasn't too worried. When I got home at around 1am, the brew was frothing through the airlock and there was wort all over the top of the fermenter and the floor. I quickly installed a blow-off tube, running into a litre jug with about 100mls of sanitising solution in it. This seemed to do the trick and the sanitising solution in the jug was bubbling away like crazy.
This all seemed a bit much for only nine hours post-pitch. However, when I got up the next morning: nothing. No frothing. No bubbling. Krausen had diminished to almost nothing. I removed the blow of tube, stuck an airlock back in and gave the fermenter a shake. A few hours later I checked how things were going. Watched for three minutes and nothing bubbled through the airlock at all. I checked the seal by squeezing the bucket, and got some nice bubbles, so everything was airtight.
"No worries," I thought "I'll give it another shake and check it again in the evening."
So I did. Still nothing. No bubbling, no krausen.
This time I decided to take a hydrometer reading: 1.030. Some fermentation had definitely occurred, but it was way off what I thought the FG would be. I left it overnight and have just checked again now (Monday evening, 52 hours after pitching and 24 hours after the last hydrometer reading) and it's still sitting at 1.030.
So, that's my story of worry and woe, it only remains for me to ask a small question: what now?
This all seemed a bit much for only nine hours post-pitch. However, when I got up the next morning: nothing. No frothing. No bubbling. Krausen had diminished to almost nothing. I removed the blow of tube, stuck an airlock back in and gave the fermenter a shake. A few hours later I checked how things were going. Watched for three minutes and nothing bubbled through the airlock at all. I checked the seal by squeezing the bucket, and got some nice bubbles, so everything was airtight.
"No worries," I thought "I'll give it another shake and check it again in the evening."
So I did. Still nothing. No bubbling, no krausen.
This time I decided to take a hydrometer reading: 1.030. Some fermentation had definitely occurred, but it was way off what I thought the FG would be. I left it overnight and have just checked again now (Monday evening, 52 hours after pitching and 24 hours after the last hydrometer reading) and it's still sitting at 1.030.
So, that's my story of worry and woe, it only remains for me to ask a small question: what now?
, you may have a few un fermentables in there but 1030 is too high , if after you've tried to stir it etc as link says (in piddles post) i would try adding more yeast , to quick can sometimes lead to the yeast slow or stop working , and too much co2 can make the yeast sleepy . But i would guess you just need more fresh yeast
