Stuck at 1.070???

[annasdadhockey]

Brewed a belgian tripel last week, OG 1.100. Fermentation kicked off well enough that I needed a blowoff tube. aa few days later it settled down, and by yesterday, it seemingly stopped. I figured I'd take a reading to see where it was at. The hydrometer read 1.070. Same thing today. Obviously it was ridiculously sweet. Why would this happen?
I used a washed slurry (about 400ml) of Wyeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II. Grain bill was 16# pilsner malt, 1# carapils, 1/2# Biscuit. Mashed at 147 for 75 minutes. Room temperature is about 67-68F. Any ideas?

 

[Sulli]

How old was your yeast?

 

[sketerbuck]

How well did you aerate?

 

[Sulli]

How deep is your love?

 

[sudsmcgee]

How Long is a chinaman?

 

[Mcsuck]

Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature, Asian-American please.

 

[sudsmcgee]

It was a joke. And Indians are Asian, but not Chinese........

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature, Asian-American please.

I prefer Disabled Vehicular Operator.



Can you repitch a new vial of that yeast? Maybe bring it into a warmer area and shake your carboy a little?

 

[Mcsuck]

It was a joke. And Indians are Asian, but not Chinese........

Yep that was a quote from the Big Lebowski, so also a joke.

 

[sudsmcgee]

I'm going to start calling my white South African friend African-American and see how he likes it.

 

[sudsmcgee]

Yep that was a quote from the Big Lebowski, so also a joke.

Duh.....

I'm off my game. I haven't drank today.

 

[kh54s10]

I'm going to start calling my white South African friend African-American and see how he likes it.

But is he an American or a South African?

If he is a US citizen and he went back to South Africa would his friends there call him a American-South African?

Boy, that is hard to put into words after a couple of homebrews! I had to read it and then put it in the right order.

 

[Kate00]

This thread is full of win

 

[annasdadhockey]

Wow did we get off topic.
The yeast was a washed batch from around Halloween. I made a starter and pitched it at high krauesen. I don't know why it would just stop. I suppose I could try to pitch some new yeast, but judging by the blowoff, I'd say this yeast was pretty viable. Maybe it was a suicide pact?

 

[Sulli]

How well did you aerate?

^

 

[sudsmcgee]

68 degrees seems too cold for Belgian yeast. Try and get it closer to 76-78.

 

[annasdadhockey]

How well did you aerate?

Didn't use oxygen, just aeration fron racking to the fermenter and some shaking.

68 degrees seems too cold for Belgian yeast. Try and get it closer to 76-78.

Wyeast website says 65-75F is good, so i guess it is a little on the cool side

 

[sudsmcgee]

I really think you need to aerate better with a Belgian that big, but I could be wrong.

 

[annasdadhockey]

you might be right. Why would it just stop though? Fermentation took off within 18 hours

 

[sudsmcgee]

My current 1.072 Belgian stopped at 1.020. I had to warm it up and agitate it, but it's now down to 1.005.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

Im having the same problem. Did you see my stuck at 1.026 post?

I think Im going to try and add some yeast energizer. My lbhs (NB) has it.

 

[annasdadhockey]

Im having the same problem. Did you see my stuck at 1.026 post?

I think Im going to try and add some yeast energizer. My lbhs (NB) has it.

I wish I was stuck at 1.026.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

Im at 3.4 ABV for an American Amber Ale. Id like at least 1% more, prefer 2%.

Almost brewed a NA by mistake.

 

[Sulli]

Didn't use oxygen, just aeration from racking to the fermenter and some shaking.

This is why your yeast pooped out on you. Yeast use oxygen for sterol synthesis, they use the sterols to keep the cell walls pliant, which is important to cell growth and overall cell health. This becomes even more important with high gravity beers, as the yeast need to be especially resilient in order to overcome the negative effects of the rising levels of alcohol produced during the ferment.

 

[annasdadhockey]

This becomes especially important with high gravity beers, as the yeast need to be especially resilient in order to overcome the negative effects of the rising levels of alcohol produced during the ferment.

Unfortunately, my beer only made it to around 4% ABV

 

[BrewKnurd]

Proper oxygenation becomes more and more important as you repitch yeast. I'm guessing your troops didn't have enough O2 for sterol synthesis.

 

[Sulli]

I'd say the underpitching combined with the insufficient oxygenation, made for a crappy generation of yeast, and they just couldn't handle the job.

 

[annasdadhockey]

This is why your yeast pooped out on you. Yeast use oxygen for sterol synthesis, they use the sterols to keep the cell walls pliant, which is important to cell growth and overall cell health. This becomes even more important with high gravity beers, as the yeast need to be especially resilient in order to overcome the negative effects of the rising levels of alcohol produced during the ferment.

Proper oxygenation becomes more and more important as you repitch yeast. I'm guessing your troops didn't have enough O2 for sterol synthesis.

Any thought on what I should do from here?

 

[BrewKnurd]

Any thought on what I should do from here?

I would make a big ol' starter with lots of oxygen from a fresh pitch of yeast and pitch that.

 

[Sulli]

I would make a big ol' starter with lots of oxygen from a fresh pitch of yeast and pitch that.

^this... 2 liters on a stir plate might do the trick, but try to pitch it at the height of activity; i.e. [high krausen]

edit: do not re-aerate your beer though. Just pitch the fermenting starter.

 

[MuchoGusto]

Here's something from White Labs on high gravity beers that might give you some insight.

White Labs

Something else from White Labs FAQ section........ "I had a question regarding the High Gravity yeast (WLP099 Super High Gravity Yeast). I used WLP001 California Ale Yeast for the initial fermentation of a 1.120 wort, and it pooped out at 1.032. I wanted to use the high gravity yeast to finish it off. Would the best route be to make a starter and aerate and pitch just like a new beer or will oxidation be a problem?

Make a starter and aerate the starter, not the beer. That will take care of the oxidation problem and still give the yeast a good start."