Stuck Fermentation? How to tell?

[tomwhit19]

I'm sure this question has been asked and answered a hundred times but I havent been able to find anything on here about it, still trying to figure out the site setup and search options I guess. Anyway I'm on my 3rd brew and has currently been in primary fermentation for a week today and something i noticed with all 3 so far is that once fermentation begins it bubbles pretty strongly for 3-4 days and normally by day 4 it starts slowing down some and by day 6 its about 1 bubble every 10 seconds or so and by day 7 its even more spread out between bubbles.

Just wondering:
1) is a sign of "stuck or stalled fermentation" or if its pretty much run its course?
2) how do you tell if fermentation has stalled?

thanks for any input and sorry if this is a repeated thread

 

[kristiismean]

okay, this will be hammered into you (like it was for me, and almost everyone on here).

1. Bubbles are not an indication of fermentation
a. Yes it's nice to hear the bubbles, it gives you a nice warm comfy feeling you did everything right, but it means nothing

 

[flars]

Sounds like a normal fermentation progression. After the active fermentation is over in 4 to 7 days the yeast are just finishing up very slowly. Taking SG readings with a hydrometer is the only way to know if a fermentation is stuck. Take your first SG reading about day 10. Take a second reading a few days later.

If the readings are the same but abnormally high the fermentation may be stuck or it may be a trait of the yeast used to finish at a high SG. Windsor Ale yeast is one that usually finishes higher than most other ale yeasts.

 

[tomwhit19]

okay, this will be hammered into you (like it was for me, and almost everyone on here).

1. Bubbles are not an indication of fermentation
a. Yes it's nice to hear the bubbles, it gives you a nice warm comfy feeling you did everything right, but it means nothing

fair enough, got it, thanks, any additional input?

Sounds like a normal fermentation progression. After the active fermentation is over in 4 to 7 days the yeast are just finishing up very slowly. Taking SG readings with a hydrometer is the only way to know if a fermentation is stuck. Take your first SG reading about day 10. Take a second reading a few days later.

If the readings are the same but abnormally high the fermentation may be stuck or it may be a trait of the yeast used to finish at a high SG. Windsor Ale yeast is one that usually finishes higher than most other ale yeasts.

thanks, this helps me feel better, that was going to be my next question was if i should take a sg reading and when so thanks for the input

 

[jcaggiano]

Sounds like a normal fermentation progression. After the active fermentation is over in 4 to 7 days the yeast are just finishing up very slowly. Taking SG readings with a hydrometer is the only way to know if a fermentation is stuck. Take your first SG reading about day 10. Take a second reading a few days later.

If the readings are the same but abnormally high the fermentation may be stuck or it may be a trait of the yeast used to finish at a high SG. Windsor Ale yeast is one that usually finishes higher than most other ale yeasts.

When you do your hydrometer readings, make sure you do at least 2 with about 3 days spacing. I recently did a brown that I swore was stuck (1.022 after 2 weeks in primary). I went back and took another reading a few days later (trying to decide if I was pitching again to get it moving) and the gravity dropped to 1.018. I just left it alone for 5 or 6 weeks and it turned out great (finished at 1.012). Sometimes you will just have a slow finish.

 

[shortyz]

every yeast peforms differently.. what yeast is it?

 

[kristiismean]

was just about to ask that shortyz...

a hydrometer will tell you if it's stuck or not. When you think you do have a stuck fermentation, yeast, temperature and time will be needed.

 

[tomwhit19]

every yeast peforms differently.. what yeast is it?

Wyeast3724 Belgian saison

 

[tomwhit19]

was just about to ask that shortyz...

a hydrometer will tell you if it's stuck or not. When you think you do have a stuck fermentation, yeast, temperature and time will be needed.

took my first SG reading today and it came out at 1.013, the OG on brew day was 1.050 and the estimated FG is 1.009-1.007

i will take another reading in a few days and see where its at, thanks for all the input everyone

 

[kh54s10]

Taste is also a consideration. If you are not at your predicted FG and it tastes too sweet, it is probably not done.

If it tastes OK then it is probably finished.

I let all my beers go for 14 days before taking a gravity reading. They are probably all done by day 5 to 10 but an extra couple to make sure and to allow any clean up the yeast might do.

Also if you figure 1.009 as your FG and you have 1.013 you are only off 4 points. That is in my range of tolerance.

Yeast cannot read hydrometers, they just eat sugars until they consume all that they can.

If it is too sweet you might be able to restart fermentation by swirling the yeast off the bottom, gently. And/or by raising the temperature of the wort slightly.

In the rare case you might need to get results by adding new yeast.

 

[tomwhit19]

Taste is also a consideration. If you are not at your predicted FG and it tastes too sweet, it is probably not done.

If it tastes OK then it is probably finished.

I let all my beers go for 14 days before taking a gravity reading. They are probably all done by day 5 to 10 but an extra couple to make sure and to allow any clean up the yeast might do.

Also if you figure 1.009 as your FG and you have 1.013 you are only off 4 points. That is in my range of tolerance.

Yeast cannot read hydrometers, they just eat sugars until they consume all that they can.

If it is too sweet you might be able to restart fermentation by swirling the yeast off the bottom, gently. And/or by raising the temperature of the wort slightly.

In the rare case you might need to get results by adding new yeast.

definitely gonna taste it, just letting it chill a bit first, it has a really good aroma so i hope the taste is just as good