yet another stuck ferm thread...

[urg8rb8]

My starting gravity was 1.072 (exactly what I was expecting). However, It seems like I'm stuck at 1.024 where I am expecting 1.012. I used BRY-97 yeast. I bumped the temp up to high-60s now hoping it will kick the yeast in a bit to finish off the last 12 points or so. This is a partial mash where 1.5# were from mash grains and the rest of the sugars came from 5# LME, 1# DME, and 2# corn sugar. I also added the LME and DME at flameout hoping to not caramelize the malt sugars.

Any suggestions?

 

[pdxal]

First question has to be: are you measuring gravity with a refractometer?
Also, how long has this been fermenting?

 

[urg8rb8]

First question has to be: are you measuring gravity with a refractometer?
Also, how long has this been fermenting?

Sorry I should have automatically answered those questions. It has been fermenting for a week now and I use a hydrometer.

 

[urg8rb8]

Sorry, double post.

 

[urg8rb8]

I took another gravity reading a few mins ago and its still at 1.024. I'd like for it to drop at least another 10 points. I have a packet of Nottingham. Do you think its worth throwing it into the beer to see if it brings it down more?

This is the first time I've done a partial mash. Do you think this could be a result of mashing the 1.5# of grains at too high of a temperature?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I tasted the wort and it tastes good, but maybe a bit on the sweet side.

 

[number40fan]

Two capsules of the Wal-Mart brand beano. Then give it another week or two.

 

[urg8rb8]

Two capsules of the Wal-Mart brand beano. Then give it another week or two.

I heard this could over-dry out the beer.

 

[Ravenshead]

Beano will definitely dry out your beer----all the way to 1.001 or so. Beano is an enzyme and as such it keeps breaking down complex sugars until it is denatured (usually by heat). I tried it once on a stuck ferment early in my brewing career and will never do it again.

What temperature did you mash at? A combination of a high (158+) mash temperature along with some varieties of LME can result in a large amount of complex sugars that can lead to a high FG.

 

[number40fan]

It didn't dry out my Tripel that was stuck. Brought her on down to 1.012.

 

[Ravenshead]

Mine was a tripel as well and went from 1.025 to 1.001 in a matter of days. The point is that Beano is an enzyme and can't be predictably controlled by limiting how much of it you use. If you had a good experience with it once, that's great but you were really just lucky.

 

[urg8rb8]

Beano will definitely dry out your beer----all the way to 1.001 or so. Beano is an enzyme and as such it keeps breaking down complex sugars until it is denatured (usually by heat). I tried it once on a stuck ferment early in my brewing career and will never do it again.

What temperature did you mash at? A combination of a high (158+) mash temperature along with some varieties of LME can result in a large amount of complex sugars that can lead to a high FG.

I mashed at 163F. This was the first time I ever mashed so I might not have known what I was doing... but I only mashed 1.5# of grains. Do you think over heating only 1.5# of grain will make much of a difference? I also added the LME and DME at flame out.

If this was a result of over heating the mash, is there anything I can do at this point?

 

[pdxal]

One week fermentation is a very short time. Wait.
What temp are you fermenting at? Too cold will slow down fermentation or stop it. Of course, too high will cause off flavors.

 

[urg8rb8]

One week fermentation is a very short time. Wait.
What temp are you fermenting at? Too cold will slow down fermentation or stop it. Of course, too high will cause off flavors.

I fermented at 65F and now I stepped it up to 70F.

 

[pdxal]

Those temps should be fine for that yeast. Give it more time then. Report back in 2 weeks before you panic and start trying to fix a beer that may not be broken.

 

[urg8rb8]

Those temps should be fine for that yeast. Give it more time then. Report back in 2 weeks before you panic and start trying to fix a beer that may not be broken.

Ok will do. I took a sanitized ladle and resuspended the yeast. I tasted the wort and I think it tastes and smells good. Maybe slightly on the sweet side and masking some of the hop bitterness. This was supposed to be a Double IPA with 54 IBUs. I was also planning to also throw some oak cubes soaked into the secondary.

 

[Ravenshead]

163 is pretty high and likely is a problem. You want to keep your mash temp in the 150's or even high 140's to help with fermentability. Add that to the likelihood that the LME may have been mashed high as well (it happens) and I can see why your ferment stalled. Sadly, there isn't much to do about it now I'm afraid. If it's a an Old ale or something similar you should bottle and age it though.

 

[Ravenshead]

Ah crap, I just saw you've only been fermenting for a week. Let it go another two weeks before you read my previous rantings.

 

[urg8rb8]

Ah crap, I just saw you've only been fermenting for a week. Let it go another two weeks before you read my previous rantings.

You think another two weeks will make a difference in terms of attenuation? Something tells me that the attenuation phase is over and the yeast are now cleaning up. I'll see what happens after two weeks!

 

[Ravenshead]

You must learn patience grasshopper.

While most beers should be done in a week or so sometimes it takes a while. That said, you did mash very high which will cause an increase in unfermentable sugars and thus a higher FG. The good news is your recipe doesn't have many sugars coming from the grain anyway

The bad news is the maltster that made your LME sometimes mashes high as well. Search around the site and you'll find multiple threads about extract beers stalling around 1.020.

Bottom Line: I don't know where your FG is going to wind up but I'd wait a while before I did anything. No matter what, I would not go for the Beano solution. If your final product is too sweet for your tastes, throw some Brett at it and experiment with the sour side brewing.

 

[urg8rb8]

You must learn patience grasshopper.

While most beers should be done in a week or so sometimes it takes a while. That said, you did mash very high which will cause an increase in unfermentable sugars and thus a higher FG. The good news is your recipe doesn't have many sugars coming from the grain anyway

The bad news is the maltster that made your LME sometimes mashes high as well. Search around the site and you'll find multiple threads about extract beers stalling around 1.020.

Bottom Line: I don't know where your FG is going to wind up but I'd wait a while before I did anything. No matter what, I would not go for the Beano solution. If your final product is too sweet for your tastes, throw some Brett at it and experiment with the sour side brewing.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be patient and report back in two weeks.

 

[urg8rb8]

Just giving an update: after being stuck for a few days, there is now some activity in the air lock again. I'm not going to measure the gravity until another week or so.

 

[urg8rb8]

Another update: no more changes to the gravity.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

keep the temp on the warmer side of the yeast range

 

[urg8rb8]

keep the temp on the warmer side of the yeast range

I have it at low 70s.

 

[Hoosierbrewer]

What kind of beer and what yeast?

 

[pdxal]

My starting gravity was 1.072 (exactly what I was expecting). However, It seems like I'm stuck at 1.024 where I am expecting 1.012. I used BRY-97 yeast. I bumped the temp up to high-60s now hoping it will kick the yeast in a bit to finish off the last 12 points or so. This is a partial mash where 1.5# were from mash grains and the rest of the sugars came from 5# LME, 1# DME, and 2# corn sugar. I also added the LME and DME at flameout hoping to not caramelize the malt sugars.

Any suggestions?

Ok will do. I took a sanitized ladle and resuspended the yeast. I tasted the wort and I think it tastes and smells good. Maybe slightly on the sweet side and masking some of the hop bitterness. This was supposed to be a Double IPA with 54 IBUs. I was also planning to also throw some oak cubes soaked into the secondary.

These were mentioned earlier in the thread.

 

[dmarc85]

My guess is a combo of high mash temps with your grain as well as your extract and you're pretty much stuck. I've had extract beers peter out on me at 1.020 before, all of which tasted over malty.

If you really want to get a dry product from this batch, keg it and then water it down with a gallon or so of bottled water. Generously dry hop it cold for 4 days or so before putting the co2 on it.

You will lose ABV as well as some color, but my guess is that you'll end up with a pretty decent tasting beer that will still get ya buzzed.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew