Help! Sg Not Getting Any Lower

[krayzie]

hey guys im using teh "Corona" style kit that i got from Big W using brew enhancer 2 with it

its been about 1 1/2 weeks since i 1st fermented it...

and the SG is 1018 wtf is going on?

my last batch which was the tooheys batch i got with the kit was at 1016-1018 after 2 weeks - so i just bottled it
wtf is going on

why does it it take so long?i thought it was supposed to take 4-7 days to get to 1006?

my temps are 18-20 night -day

HELP

thanks guys

 

[Adamt]

Have you calibrated your hydrometer and thermometer? Does the beer taste sweet?

 

[white.grant]

Yes as Adamt said, check you hyrdometer. You can do this in water and it should read 1000.

 

[krayzie]

just checked it its pretty much on 1000

tonight the brew is still at 1018

 

[paul_h]

If a brew gets stuck at a much higher SG than it should, you either have infection or a stuck fermantation.
If the beer looks good, smells good etc, it's more likely stuck. Getting stuck is caused by slack, old tired yeast, or yeast at too cold a temperature.
That's the main reason why home brewers buy a separate commercial yeast that's been looked after, rather than the poor abused yeasts that come on the top of the can.
Tired yeasts will start fermenting, but only the simple sugars, not the maltose, that's why they appear to work, but then crap out at around 1020.
Yeast not in their proper temp range with just go dormant too.

Coopers yeast are probably deliberatly selected to work at higher temps, so they are probably quiet at 18C. Agitate the fermenter, find some way to warm it up. I even had to do this with SO-4 yeast as it didnt like 16-18C even though it should. Another guy had the same problem and nothing helped it except for a new pack of yeast as he just had tired yeast that was probably mistreated while being transported or on the shelf, and odd of that happening to the yeast that comes with a can is pretty high, so I buy $4 packets of yeast from the local homebrew store to help guarantee good yeast.

 

[itguy1953]

just checked it its pretty much on 1000

tonight the brew is still at 1018

I have just finished fermenting a Coopers Mexican Cerveza (Corona clone) and I added Coopers BE2. The FG was 1012.

I used Saflager S23 yeast, which works at low temp. Temps overnight in Melbourne at now as low as 6degC, and daytime max is 20degC. The brew temp fluctuates from just under 10degC to 16degC.

Maybe try and get some S23 yeast from your local HBS.

I make up a starter with S23 in a 2l coke bottle, and then add most of the starter. The remainder I use to make another starter, so I get heaps of uses from the initial s23.

Barry

 

[Interloper]

I buy $4 packets of yeast from the local homebrew store to help guarantee good yeast.

Yep, got to agree with this being good advice. The Nottingham Danstar is a ripper for lower temps over winter and it drops out fo the brew leaving it nice and clean. My last few brews with this I have:
1 - harvested the yeast into 3 bottles from the trub afterwards (all 3 kicked off no problems)
2 - pitched straight onto a yeast cake of Nottingham+Coopers Export Irish Stout (started fermenting in a matter of hours)

So for $8 worth of yeast I have done 6 brews.

 

[Pennywise]

Hello all, I have had this problem with one of my recent brews and it made me decide that i'm moving onto liquid yeasts, simply because it works out a hell of a lot cheaper if it happens again. You don't want your yeast to cost as much as the brew after all.

I haven't used liquid yeast before but i've heard alot of good things about it, the only problem is, there's so many to choose from :super:

 

[krayzie]

so i guess its too late to add that s23 yeast now??
since its still in the process?
and opening the lid might cause infection?
is s23 only for lager?


i too am using Coopers Mexican Cerveza

i have shaken the fermenter up and it started bubbling a little but this morning it has stopped

the brew smells fine (when i took a sample)... not exactly like corona but it looks that yellow colour.


thanks for all the advise
if i get home today and its still at 1018 @ 20C should i bottle?

thanks for all your help

btw is the ideal temp 18-21c?

 

[Pennywise]

I thought you were usning the kit yeast, sorry. For any lager yeast the ideal temp is 12deg, you will probly get some esters from fermenting that high with lager yeast, if it's still alive. How it will affect it I can't say because i brew Ales 99% of the time. Try and get it down to 12 - 15 max or maybe just pitch the kit yeast and see what happens. Oh, if you want to pitch another yeast bei it S-23 or the kit one it shouldn't be too late but try not to have the fermenter lid open for too long. You should be right.

 

[krayzie]

sorry, i have already put the yeast in

 

[Interloper]

1018 is pretty high... All the rules say if it is stable then it's finished, but if you have a racking cube (any 20litre container with a tap will fit close to 25litres) I would be tempted to rack it and give it 4-7 days in secondary to see if that drops a few points.

 

[krayzie]

hmmmm..... and if i dont have a rack?

 

[Interloper]

hmmmm..... and if i dont have a rack?

It might be fine to wait it out a bit. But Bunnings or K-Mart have plastic water containers for under $20. Grab some tube for under $5 to fit over the tap of the fermenter into the cube and just open up the tap and take it straight into the cube.

It's very easy and great to rest your beers in secondary like this. I am a big fan of pulling it off the yeast and racking it for a bit.

I have seen others here post that after racking they have managed to reduce the SG a few points. Search "Rack" on the forums for more info...
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...&hl=racking

 

[BoilerBoy]

Krayzie,

Before you rack, I often find that with some yeasts they tend to want to floc out way before proper attenuation and need regular agitation to reach FG.

Now I wouldn't say its typical behaviour of the yeast your using, but as a last resort if your confident with your sanitation methods open the fermenter and with a sanitised spoon stir the beer gently to get the yeast back into suspension, replace lid and wait a couple more days.

I have done this on countless occasions and never suffered any ill effects,

Cheers
BB

 

[andrewg1978]

hmmmm..... and if i dont have a rack?

I keg the beer and essentially this does the same thing, not to mention the benifit of having great beer on tap at home. Does cost a bit initiatally but well worth it in the long run.

 

[paul_h]

Buy another pack of yeast, there's no harm opening the lid and pouring more in.
I wouldn't bottle it at 1020, it should get down to at least 1013.

 

[Pennywise]

Krayzie,

Before you rack, I often find that with some yeasts they tend to want to floc out way before proper attenuation and need regular agitation to reach FG.

Now I wouldn't say its typical behaviour of the yeast your using, but as a last resort if your confident with your sanitation methods open the fermenter and with a sanitised spoon stir the beer gently to get the yeast back into suspension, replace lid and wait a couple more days.

I have done this on countless occasions and never suffered any ill effects,

Cheers
BB

If you are confident enough and have done it before without getting an infection, then I see no reason not to give it a go. Personally I would rack it, at least that way you are getting most of the yeast out of the wort and letting what is left to settle again to the bottom. I think that would give you less chance of bottle bombs :icon_cheers:

 

[krayzie]

ok guys i have come home and its still at 1018 even after shaking the fermenter up abit last night.. the air lock isnt bubbling at all..
what to do?

this is the 3rd day? is my temp too low?

 

[paul_h]

sorry, i have already put the yeast in

How many packs of yeast have you put in, and what types were they?