Stuck Fermentation?

[WoodAle]

I've got about a dozen extract brews under my belt and brewed my second AG batch last weekend. I'm worried I may have a stuck fermentatoin and any information on my situation would be helpful.
Here's the skinny: Brewed a porter on sunday but racked to my fermenter a little warm (around 80F.) I waited until it cooled to about 72F to pitch my yeast (WLP013). Here's where I ran into troube. It was about 3 in the morning when I went to pitch and the yeast exploded everwhere. I might have got 1/5 of the vial in my carboy. Still no biggie. I covered and waited till the brewshop opened on Sunday, picked up some more London Ale Yeast and pitch once it warmed up to room temp. By Sunday night there was some blow-off activity and by Monday morning it was bubbling vigorously. When I got home Monday night, all visable activity had stopped and there was no krausen or evidence that there was any on the carboy. Today the beer seems to be settling and still no activity.

It should be noted that the temperature has dropped from around 76F during active fermentation Monday morning to 68F Tuesday night and that I am using a carboy cap with a blowoff tube attached. I usually us an airlock, but my last batch blew it off and I was trying to be safe.

Phew, time for a brew.

 

[Gear101]

What are you OG and FG numbers or even current gravity?

 

[two_one_seven]

Put the airlock back on and see whats going on there. It's sometimes hard to see smaller activity with the blow off tube on. So you can't see any movement in the wort? Is it separating into a trub layer?

You might get a second kick with the extra yeast going in and it can take longer than you might expect.

 

[WoodAle]

OG was 1.052 with a predicted final of 1.013. I do not have a reading on the current gravity. I cannot see any movement in the wort and it appears to be seperating into a trub layer.

Right now, my plan is to leave it for tonight and tomorrow take a SG reading and put on an airlock.

 

[two_one_seven]

Yeah give it an shot to take off. If it hasn't not sure you can to a whole lot to save it anyway.

 

[JLem]

Without a gravity reading, there's no way to know what is going on. Give it time and then check the gravity. If you are really worried about it and don't want to wait, check the gravity to reassure you that fermentation is underway.

 

[WoodAle]

Switched to airlock today, but haven't gave it enough time to really tell if it's going. I'm guessing it is not because I took a SG reading and it was at about 1.048.

I do have a pale ale in another carboy that I was planning on kegging this weekend. If my SG hasn't changed by then, does racking the porter on top of the yeast cake sound like a good idea?

Pale Porter. Frankenbeer anyone?

 

[phuff7129]

I would say that there are a couple of issues here. First it has not been enough time. You are only 3.5 days into the ferment. Second you definitely have underpitched for a beer of this gravity. Mr Malty recommends 2 vials if no starter was used. You have approximately 1.2 vials in it.

My recommendation would be to check it once it has been fermenting for 7-10 days, then check your gravity. Check it everyday for 3 days to see if it is steady. If it is steady and high then it is probably stuck and you may want to pitch more yeast.

I just ran into this problem with a brew. It was stuck at 1.026 for 2 weeks so i pitched more yeast and it still took another 2 weeks to get it to 1.018. Sometimes fermentations just have a mind of their own.