Not Fermenting

[wood88]

Hey Guys,

Did my second All Grain BIAB No Chill and my beer is not fermenting at all.

I transfered from the cube into a fermenter and pitched the yeast at around 20 deg

OG of 1.044 @ 23 deg.

I left it for 10 days and tested it - 1030

Thought the yeast might of been dead or something, pitched another bag.

left it for another 5 days still 1030.

Any ideas of how I might get this beer to start fermenting?

Was in a fermenting fridge set at 20deg +- 2deg, Yeast was Safale US-05
Cheers

 

[rehab]

What temp did you mash at? A couple of times I mashed way too high (thermometer issues) and there was no chance it was going to ferment for me.

 

[NewtownClown]

Using a refractometer for your readings?
If so, the alcohol is giving a false reading and a mathematical formula needs to be applied to get the correct SG; there are online refractometer calculators to assist

 

[damoninja]

Did you oxygenate the wort when transferring?

 

[fcmcg]

Can we have some more info regarding your mash temps , times , recipe..grains etc...
The more information , the better...helps us , to help you !
Btw...if its been sitting at 1.030 for 10 days @ 20 odd degrees...i think she is done...sorry

 

[Tex083]

That is strange, what does your hydrometer/refract read in tap water?

Did you oxygenate? Yeast nutrient? Two things that will prevent stalled ferments. My old man always said if you get a stuck ferment open it up and give it a stir WITH YOUR HAND. He did it a few times with success but I have never tried it.

Mash temp may also have some impact, also a large amount of crystal malt won't ferment, it's too big for yeast to eat.

 

[fcmcg]

My old man always said if you get a stuck ferment open it up and give it a stir WITH YOUR HAND. He did it a few times with success but I have never tried it.

Possibly not a good thing to do...unless you want an infected as well as stalled brew.If you want to see if you can get it to move , give the fermenter a gentle swirl.If you must open the fermenter , use a sanisted and clean spoon , ffs.

 

[wood88]

Mashed at around 68-70 deg, did readings with a hydrometer which reads just slightly below 1.000 in water. Did oxygenated when transferring from cube to fermenter by letting the wort fall about half a meter into the fermenter.

Will give my recipe and steps when I get home.
Cheers

 

[damoninja]

open it up and give it a stir WITH YOUR HAND. He did it a few times with success but I have never tried it.

Before doing this, I always make sure I rub my hands in some old food scraps.

 

[Alex.Tas]

or scratch my bare arse. I love ecoli in my beer.

 

[indica86]

Mashed at around 68-70 deg

Possibly over then?

 

[damoninja]

or scratch my bare arse. I love ecoli in my beer.

Mmmmm anusy :icon_drool2:

 

[fcmcg]

Mashed at around 68-70 deg, did readings with a hydrometer which reads just slightly below 1.000 in water. Did oxygenated when transferring from cube to fermenter by letting the wort fall about half a meter into the fermenter.

Will give my recipe and steps when I get home.
Cheers

Okay..so i reckon here is part of your problem...if you mashed in at 68-70...maybe your actual mash temp was maybe 63 ??
A hydrometer is good...did you temp correct ? Did you know most hydrometers only read true at 20 degrees ? You need to do some calc's for correction...its here that a refractometer is better....
Do you have a good thermometer ?
Can you also supply pot size , grain amt...
Cheers
Ferg

 

[Spiesy]

Okay..so i reckon here is part of your problem...if you mashed in at 68-70...maybe your actual mash temp was maybe 63 ??
A hydrometer is good...did you temp correct ? Did you know most hydrometers only read true at 20 degrees ? You need to do some calc's for correction...its here that a refractometer is better....
Do you have a good thermometer ?
Can you also supply pot size , grain amt...
Cheers
Ferg

He says mashed, not mashed in.

 

[wood88]

5.2kg of Pale Malt 2
0.7kg Cara-pils

34L of water at 73deg.
Temp fell down to 68deg when mashing (60min)

Boiled for 60min.
20g Centennial 60min
20g Cascade 30min
.5 whirlfloc tablet. 15min

Boiled headspace then left for 20min to settle.
Transfered to cube and let cool down over night.
Moved cube to fridge and let cool down to 20deg.

Transfered cube to fermenter letting it splash in from about 0.5m.
Sprinkled yeast on top, closed fridge and let it ferment....

OG 1.044 @23deg

All the next hydrometer readings were taken at 20deg.

 

[rehab]

Mantical posted this in another thread but this could be worth a geese too: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/47445-ahb-articles-my-beer-is-1022-can-i-bottle-it/

 

[manticle]

700g of dextrinous malt mashed in a region that favours alpha amylase which breaks starches down into dextrins.

Follow the tips in that link but there is a fair chance your brew is done.

Why are you adding that much carapils and then mashing that high?

 

[manticle]

What yeast?

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Yeast was Safale US-05
Cheers

Maybe your hydrometer is not reading right.

What does water at 20deg read?

Is there/was there a krausen?

 

[Dan Pratt]

6kg of malt and only 1044 gravity....that to me says it didn't mash right, even at 68c.