Stuck Fermentation - Question

[lmd]

I brewed an English Brown Ale over the Weekend and pitched WLP 005 British Ale Yeast. Fermentation started out strong on Sunday as a layer of Krausen started to form. I checked yesyerday and the Krausen disappeared and the bubbling stopped.

This is my 10th homebrew and the first time this has happened. I am not sure what is going on. Do I need to pitch another vile of yeast.

Its fermenting at 69 degrees.

 

[Pie_Man]

What are the gravities?

It's often difficult to add additional yeast and aerate the yeast without oxygenating the beer. If there's still oxygen in solution, you may be able to get away with it. I would check your gravity first though.

 

[lmd]

Gravity was 1040 before I pitched

 

[runningweird]

it's done.

is it fermenting in a room that has an ambient temperature of 69 degrees? or is its internal temperature 69 degrees?

if you are fermenting in a room at 69 degrees the temperature of your fermenting beer is likely to be close to 80 degrees - yeast is exothermic - it creates heat while it goes through it's lifecycle. beer fermenting in a hot environment finishes much faster than one in a cooler environment because the yeast aren't inhibited by being cold. 10 degrees tends to be the norm, so if your room is at 50 degrees the beer will be at 60. I ferment my ales in a freezer with a temp sensor in it, I set it for about 53 during primary fermentation - so my ales ferment at 62ish.

your beer is likely done, look into a swamp cooler for your next batch, temperature consistency is important for flavor profiles and getting a really nice beer.

good luck, Ian

 

[lmd]

Ok - I will just let it sit for a few more days and take another gravity reading.

 

[Pie_Man]

The only way you know for sure that's stuck is to check the gravity over a period of 2-3 days. If it's stable, the fermentation is complete.

Did you make a starter? If so, what size?