Yeast transplant = Good/Bad idea???

[Random Badger]

I've got one beer that has been in the fermenter for a few weeks and seems to have a stuck fermentation, and another beer kit that I started on Thursday evening that is right now vigorously bubbling away.

I have the strong urge to skim a cupful from the top of the new beer and mix it into the older beer to see if that gets the fermentation going again.

Is this a good/bad/criminally stupid idea?

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I wouldn't because.....
You could contaminate the good beer by dipping a cup or glass into it.
I doubt you'd get much yeast from the top.

Just give the other one a stir or a bit more heat.

Or add another packet of yeast. Easy for me to say as I always have a few spare though.

 

[Dicko]

Hi badger
Have you taken a gravity reading of the stuck ferment?

Cheers Dicko

 

[Random Badger]

Hi badger
Have you taken a gravity reading of the stuck ferment?

Cheers Dicko

It's about 1020. Fermentation activity seemed to have stopped after two weeks. I turned up the heat and gave it a stir and the airlock started bubbling for three days then activity pretty much stopped again. Took another reading and it hasn't moved much. It's odd because the original gravity was lower than expected at about 1040/42 (considering I slightly short brewed it and added extra fermentables) and the final gravity is high meaning it's only about 3% alcohol when I was expecting 4.5%.

 

[Dicko]

Hi badger
As pirate pete said you could always add another yeast but I'd make it up as a starter so you can be sure it's active before adding it to the brew. Or, and I know it sounds daft but, you could add around another 100g of sugar in syrup form which also seems to kick it back into life.

Cheers Dicko