Yet Another Stuck Fermentation query (and/or contaminated?)

[Victor Churchill]

Bit of a puzzle, this.

Started a Mangrove Jack's Austraian Classic Bitter on 31 May.
Brew mix as per instructions -
1.7 kg MJ malt
1.2 kg MJ Light Liquid malt extract

This might have been my first mistake - I had a brainstorm and decided to start straight off on the trub from the Hercules Saison I had just bottled the same day.
Kept the temperature at 22-24 as I was mixing away, then let it go down to 20, and it started glugging happily pretty much straight away.
OG 1040 pretty much as per the label.

According to pack should reach 1.006 ABV 4.4%) in 10 days.
After 10 days I took a sample through the bottom tap - 1020.
After 13 days, on 12 Jun, it was still saying 1020.

Took the Mangrove J yeast that came with the kit, started in warm water with some malt extract, transferred to secondary FV.
I had used the 80ppm bleach/vinegar/water mix read about in this forum recently to sanitise the secondary and equipment.
The yeast was already looking lively when I pitched it into the secondary FV.
Not seeing bubbles in the lock of the secondary but I can well believe that the lid's not 100% sealing.

Today, 9 days after transfer, I took a sample (from bottom tap) - still 1020, although the brew is bubbly in the sample jar.

Cracked the lid and the top looks ... worrying. Slightly thready/skinny bubbly surface. But no evil smell nor taste in the sample I drew.

Wondering whether to just leave it some more time, give it a stir, add something...? I'd be sad if it ends up going down the drain :-(

 

[terrym]

Sanitise a long spoon, and carefully stir your beer, without entraining any air into the beer. If you have a warmer place say 23*C rather than 20*C move it there. Then leave it alone for at least two days then take another reading.
And in the meantime read this
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...s-for-dealing-with-stuck-fermentations.74910/

 

[Anneon]

looks like bretts to me. stir and it will ferment out very dry and sour imo.

 

[Victor Churchill]

... bretts?
(update - just searched on here and discovered about brettanomyces. Would tha have been in the trub of the Hercule Saison?)
p.s. - not sure I fancy very dry & sour...

 

[Clint]

...you might.

 

[Victor Churchill]

(late update...)
... and you folks were right. It did ferment out a bit sour and a bit dry, but (to some tastes) quite drinkable.
I sent a couple of bottles to a mate who had said he had enjoyed sour beers in a craft beer bar and he said they were delicious but his other half did not go for them; I found them quite 'interesting', quaffable while 'funky', while my son thought they were cider-y and left his.
Still got a couple of 2L bottles in the garage. Tends to throw a bit of "top sediment" which can be a bit of putting so I tend to pour it through a kitchen paper filter into a jug.