Lagering To Overcome Stuck Co2?

[Newbee(r)]

I have an american pale ale that has refused to budge below 1.018 for 2 weeks. Have done all the sensible things advised on this site in other threads, gentle shakes of the fermenter to suspend the yeast, warmer room, repitched, prayed to relevant deities, rejected said deities etc.

Visual inspection gives clear indication - locked Co2.

So. I have no real option at 3 weeks but to bottle - in P.E.T for safety of course. What I am thinking is, will lagering it for a month put the yeast to sleep sufficiently to reduce the overall impact of overcarbonation, or will it get active as soon as it is put in room temp again?

J

 

[Supra-Jim]

Hi Newbee®

Can you please post up your recipe for this beer? And what was your anticipated FG?

Cheers SJ

 

[Newbee(r)]

Hi Newbee

Can you please post up your recipe for this beer? And what was your anticipated FG?

Cheers SJ

Sorry, yes, should have done that upfront. Haven't recalibrated the recipe but efficiency was a bit better than expected at 1.056

BIAB #2 (American Pale Ale)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.052 (P): 12.9
Final Gravity (FG): 1.013 (P): 3.3
Alcohol (ABV): 5.11 %
Colour (SRM): 9.3 (EBC): 18.3
Bitterness (IBU): 43.4 (Average)
Final volume: 21L

95% Maris Otter Malt
5% Crystal 80

1.3 g/L Amarillo (8.6% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L Amarillo (8.6% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
0.7 g/L Nelson Sauvin (11.5% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 66C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20C with Safale US-05

 

[Newbee(r)]

Sorry, yes, should have done that upfront. Haven't recalibrated the recipe but efficiency was a bit better than expected at 1.056

BIAB #2 (American Pale Ale)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.052 (P): 12.9
Final Gravity (FG): 1.013 (P): 3.3
Alcohol (ABV): 5.11 %
Colour (SRM): 9.3 (EBC): 18.3
Bitterness (IBU): 43.4 (Average)
Final volume: 21L

95% Maris Otter Malt
5% Crystal 80

1.3 g/L Amarillo (8.6% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.9 g/L Amarillo (8.6% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
0.7 g/L Nelson Sauvin (11.5% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 66C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20C with Safale US-05

Smells and tastes great so no sign of infection.

 

[thylacine]

"... I have no real option at 3 weeks but to bottle - in P.E.T for safety of course. What I am thinking is, will lagering it for a month put the yeast to sleep sufficiently to reduce the overall impact of overcarbonation, or will it get active as soon as it is put in room temp again?..."

You are close to my current procedure. ie. bottle in Pet; let carbonate in house - takes 6-7 days (even after a week of chilling the fermenter at 2C) and determined by periodic squeezing of the bottles until they are quite firm; placing into my storage fridge at 5C. This temperature puts yeast to sleep, lager & ale. The yeast is not dead.

Cheers

 

[Newbee(r)]

"... I have no real option at 3 weeks but to bottle - in P.E.T for safety of course. What I am thinking is, will lagering it for a month put the yeast to sleep sufficiently to reduce the overall impact of overcarbonation, or will it get active as soon as it is put in room temp again?..."

You are close to my current procedure. ie. bottle in Pet; let carbonate in house - takes 6-7 days (even after a week of chilling the fermenter at 2C) and determined by periodic squeezing of the bottles until they are quite firm; placing into my storage fridge at 5C. This temperature puts yeast to sleep, lager & ale. The yeast is not dead.

Cheers

Thanks for that

 

[RobH]

I did a search but couldn't quickly find any references to "locked Co2" .... what is that?

 

[melbrine]

I have an american pale ale that has refused to budge below 1.018 for 2 weeks. Have done all the sensible things advised on this site in other threads, gentle shakes of the fermenter to suspend the yeast, warmer room, repitched, prayed to relevant deities, rejected said deities etc.

Visual inspection gives clear indication - locked Co2.

So. I have no real option at 3 weeks but to bottle - in P.E.T for safety of course. What I am thinking is, will lagering it for a month put the yeast to sleep sufficiently to reduce the overall impact of overcarbonation, or will it get active as soon as it is put in room temp again?

J

Have you checked your hydrometer? I had the same trouble with a helles bock that "stuck" at 1026 in spite of all you tried. Borrowed a hydrometer that read 19 - bottled and no problems. I now have 3 hydrometers (threw out the first one) and they all give different readings with a 6 point range between highest and lowest.

 

[Newbee(r)]

Have you checked your hydrometer? I had the same trouble with a helles bock that "stuck" at 1026 in spite of all you tried. Borrowed a hydrometer that read 19 - bottled and no problems. I now have 3 hydrometers (threw out the first one) and they all give different readings with a 6 point range between highest and lowest.

A six point range difference?!! Crikey. Any recommendations for a better quality one?

I think the one I have is not too far off the mark, just the standard that came with my originial kit. I've bottled now and as expected they went firm within 24hrs, so its now the release pressure process. Luckily they are great flavour now, so if needs must I will just have to work my way through them... but it would be better if it was less cloudy and didn't recirculate some of the yeast with the Co2 pressure when you crack one...

 

[Newbee(r)]

I did a search but couldn't quickly find any references to "locked Co2" .... what is that?

As I understand it (probably poorly) the Co2 can become 'stuck' or 'locked' in suspension if the yeast doesn't do its job properly.

I should have racked to a secondary and left it for another couple of weeks in hindsight.

Oh well, lessons learned.