Stuck Yeast! Help with Scottish beer...

[mdawson9]

Hey guys - brewed a scottish 80 shilling last friday (jan 9). Recipe below but the OG was 1.053 (right on the money). Checked the gravity yesterday after 7 days and its 1.030. Crap! Needs to finish 1.016 or less. Tasted good and surprisingly, it wasn't overly sweet. Regardless I have a problem! should I pitch more yeast here??? I used Windsor Dry Yeast. Any other options on how to fix?
thanks for your help!

9 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L
8.0 oz Honey Malt
8.0 oz Munich Malt
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L
3.0 oz Chocolate Malt (400.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0

 

[RM-MN]

Relax a little. You're trying to rush the yeast and they don't respond to being rushed. At 7 days you beer isn't done yet or you took the reading with a refractometer without using the correction tables. I typically leave my beers in the primary fermenter for 3 or more weeks so the yeast has time to finish the job.

 

[mdawson9]

Appreciate the response. I used a hydrometer that's accurate and at 7 days Windsor is usually done. I usually leave for three weeks too but no significant fermentation is done after the first week at this OG. Key word is significant. It's at 1.030. That's a LONG way to go to hit 1.016 after the first week. Not sure if your experience is otherwise with stuck fermentations but I don't think this is normal and want to get out in front of this if possible.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Maybe try raising the ferment temperature a few degrees (but still within the range of the yeast)?

 

[pdxal]

What was the mash temp? What is the current fermentation temp? Windsor can flocculate early, you might try warming and rousing the yeast off the bottom by swirling the fermentor.

 

[mdawson9]

Mash temp was 158 F and I fermented in the mid-60's. I swirled the fermenter last night. But am wondering if I need to pitch more yeast.

 

[RM-MN]

Mash temp was 158 F and I fermented in the mid-60's. I swirled the fermenter last night. But am wondering if I need to pitch more yeast.

I'd suggest that since you have the yeast suspended again by swirling, you warm the beer up to the mid 70's to encourage the yeast. I don't think pitching more of the same yeast will help.

 

[pdxal]

+1 to that.
If the beer hasn't budged or has stopped dropping in a week it is probably done. I'd give it 2 weeks just to be safe.
BTW, 158 mash temp is going to leave a higher FG. Calculated FG is just that, an estimate. If it tastes good and is finished enjoy it regardless the gravity.