Brew Only 3/4 Fermented.

[Stuart Harben]

I put down a Coopers Lager brew in a Brigalow kit. It stopped bubbling 3 days ago but the hydrometer reading tells me it's only 3/4's done. Can anyone advise me what to do here?

 

[francismcphail]

Could be a few things...

What temp did you ferment at? How long has the kit been down for? Did you check the use by date on the can & yeast?
I can't see where you're from but if in Melbourne, or Adelaide it could be a bad dose of hot weather killing the yeast.

Francis.

I put down a Coopers Lager brew in a Brigalow kit. It stopped bubbling 3 days ago but the hydrometer reading tells me it's only 3/4's done. Can anyone advise me what to do here?

 

[ford-ute]

It sound like a stuck fermenter to me but we would really need more info (like what id the SG and what is it expected to be) the other option is maybe it got hot and killed all the yeast

but if it is a stuck fermenter it just means that the yeast has fallen out of the beer and is sitting in the bottom if you stir up the sedament i can unstick a brew and get it going again

 

[Steve]

hydrometer reading tells me it's only 3/4's done.

Whats the reading?

 

[Pollux]

I think it's a case of the OP is looking at the hydro which has a "start" and "finish" section highlighted....

From memory (I am not gettin up right now to check ) the "finish" section is in the range of 1.000 to 1.006


Depending on what he added, this would change the anticipated FG.

 

[Stuart Harben]

It sound like a stuck fermenter to me but we would really need more info (like what id the SG and what is it expected to be) the other option is maybe it got hot and killed all the yeast

but if it is a stuck fermenter it just means that the yeast has fallen out of the beer and is sitting in the bottom if you stir up the sedament i can unstick a brew and get it going again

Thanks. SG is 1010-1012, should be 1000-1005. There seems to be undisolved Dextrose on the bottom. Is it okay to remove the lid at this stage of fermentation in order to stir it?
PS I'm in Perth.

 

[buttersd70]

Thanks. SG is 1010-1012, should be 1000-1005. There seems to be undisolved Dextrose on the bottom. Is it okay to remove the lid at this stage of fermentation in order to stir it?
PS I'm in Perth.

That will be yeast on the bottom....and 1000-1005? Kinda doubt it. FG depends on the ingredients, volume, the attenuation of the yeast, and the yeast viability. If it was a tin + 1kg of dextrose, I would expect 1.005-1.008 (give or take). If it had any form of brew booster, brew enhancer, etc etc, 1008-1012 is more likely, depending on what the adjunct mix was.

What exactly was in the brew? 1 tin coopers lager, but what else? and to what volume? Kit yeast, or something else?

 

[Phoney]

I had a similar situation recently.

The reading seemed to be stuck on 1.020 between 10 - 14 days into fermenting. Temperature was between 16-18C

I started panicking thinking the yeast might have died etc, but I left it for another week and it dropped to 1.005 Phew! So 21 day ferment + another 3 for finings.

 

[Stuart Harben]

That will be yeast on the bottom....and 1000-1005? Kinda doubt it. FG depends on the ingredients, volume, the attenuation of the yeast, and the yeast viability. If it was a tin + 1kg of dextrose, I would expect 1.005-1.008 (give or take). If it had any form of brew booster, brew enhancer, etc etc, 1008-1012 is more likely, depending on what the adjunct mix was.

What exactly was in the brew? 1 tin coopers lager, but what else? and to what volume? Kit yeast, or something else?

1 tin coopers lager, kit yeast, 1kg Dextrose & brew enhancer to 22L water. Should I bottle now with reading of 1010?

 

[buttersd70]

1kg dextrose and a brew enhancer? I'd say it's likely done...but just to be absolutely sure, leave it for 24hrs, and take another reading. Then another 24hrs, and another reading. If the next 2 hydro readings are the same as the current one, put a fork in it. It's done.

 

[Stuart Harben]

1kg dextrose and a brew enhancer? I'd say it's likely done...but just to be absolutely sure, leave it for 24hrs, and take another reading. Then another 24hrs, and another reading. If the next 2 hydro readings are the same as the current one, put a fork in it. It's done.

Thanks mate!

 

[ford-ute]

if you have use brew enhance it has corn syrup malt and other ingredients that will not ferment out and will leave you with a higher FG. I would say that 1.010 is going to be fine to bottle.

but for your question before if you do get a stuck fermentation in future you dont need to remove the lid to stir it up just rock the fermenter alittle and that should get it going