Sorghum extract - stuck fermentation

[user 31093]

Hi all,

I started this gluten free brew 10 days ago and it's been at 1.018 for 2 days... Cheeky gluten free beer. I have a full volume higher gravity brew with same yeast same conditions and it's already finished while this one is stuck.

1.5kg Sorghum Syrup
100g dextrose
Final volume: 12L

OG 1.042
Expected FG 1.008 @ 80% AA
Current SG 1.018 = 52% AA

Used just over half packet of US05@ 18 degrees


I tried giving the thing a bit of a pivot left to right to stir up the bottom, that was 2 days ago and the gravity hasn't budged. It was definitely well oxygenated.

Have I got myself a midstrength GF beer or can someone suggest a trick to get this bugger fermenting again?

Cheers!

 

[GalBrew]

'Dry' enzyme from Brewcraft. I had the same problem with the sorghum extract but it stalled much higher (1.025ish). Dropped it into the fermenter, finished at 1.003

 

[user 31093]

Hmmm...... They repack a of their ingredients, the pack doesn't say contains wheat but wonder if that's accurate. The copper tun one contains wheat.

 

[user 31093]

Looks like it might be OK - cheers mate. How did yours turn out? Mine's a bit hard to gauge at the moment still a bit sweet.

 

[GalBrew]

Believe it or not, it still has a sweet note on the front palate, but a dry finish. Still turned it from an undrinkably sweet beer to a drinkable but just ok beer.

 

[HBHB]

Gluten free syrup tends to be lacking a lot of the nutrients for a vigorous fermentation, thus a teaspoon of DAP added to the boil 5 minutes before flame out tends to help with attenuation issues.

We use it in all of our recipes for that reason. Most of the recipes tend to finish a little more on the dry side, down around 1.005-1.010

Might be worth while to add in a little (100g) more dextrose and some DAP boiled for 5 minutes to try to kick it along.

Martin

 

[user 31093]

Gluten free syrup tends to be lacking a lot of the nutrients for a vigorous fermentation, thus a teaspoon of DAP added to the boil 5 minutes before flame out tends to help with attenuation issues.

We use it in all of our recipes for that reason. Most of the recipes tend to finish a little more on the dry side, down around 1.005-1.010

Might be worth while to add in a little (100g) more dextrose and some DAP boiled for 5 minutes to try to kick it along.

Martin

Cool - would you reckon no need to add the enzyme if I do this or do the both? Would 50g DAP do the trick seeing as I've only got 12L?

Cheers

 

[GalBrew]

I did use wyeast nutrient in my aforementioned stuck ferment.

 

[user 31093]

I did use wyeast nutrient in my aforementioned stuck ferment.

Ah ok. As long as it's 100% gluten free it will be fine.

Cheers guys

 

[user 31093]

Cool - would you reckon no need to add the enzyme if I do this or do the both? Would 50g DAP do the trick seeing as I've only got 12L?

Cheers

I had the dumb when I wrote this, thought I read 100g of the DAP. Thought that was a bit much, heh.

 

[user 31093]

Right.

So I go to brewcraft, no surprise that the dry enzyme contains wheat therefore contains gluten. I got the DAP.

I get home and take a SG reading and it's now 1.014.

So after 3 days of a reading of 1.018, then the next day it's 1.014. :blink:

Going to add the DAP and dex anyway and see how that impacts things.


:icon_offtopic: Guy from brewcraft told me that it won't ferment out properly because it's a small volume. *facepalm*

 

[HBHB]

Sorry Damoninja, I missed this thread for your question.

I'd reckon a heaped teaspoon of DAP as Nutrient is quite sufficient, along with a vigorous stir for aeration. Have used the Wyeast nutrient to good effect and I would avoid the dry enzyme altogether. The sorghum syrup finishes pretty dry anyway.

Overloading with 50g of DAP won't be necessary nor recommended.

Cheers,
Martin

 

[user 31093]

Sorry Damoninja, I missed this thread for your question.

I'd reckon a heaped teaspoon of DAP as Nutrient is quite sufficient, along with a vigorous stir for aeration. Have used the Wyeast nutrient to good effect and I would avoid the dry enzyme altogether. The sorghum syrup finishes pretty dry anyway.

Overloading with 50g of DAP won't be necessary nor recommended.

Cheers,
Martin

Thanks mate - I ended up using a level teaspoon despite the pack instructions, suggested 1tsp per 20L. I was also out of dex so I was naughty and used 50g of sucrose, I figure this tiny bit isn't gonna make a difference, I prime with it and don't get any bad flavours.

Within about an hour of adding it was blooping again but slowed right down within 24 hours, I don't think the sorghum fully fermented out I reckon the yeast just ate the sucrose and then gave up again.

I didn't aerate on account of my beer being mostly fermented h34r:
The enzyme wasn't gluten free so wasn't even an option, I don't like my beers dry anyway.

I ended up getting 2 days at 1.010 over my predicted 1.008, I'm happy with this landing at just over 4 percent. My prediction of 1.008 was with slightly higher attenuation that I'm used to getting out of US-05, I usually get around 80-81% with this time it was more like 75%.

It's tasting good though, the rubbish sweet twang had disappeared and the hops work nice with it. It was pretty cloudy and I didn't bother crashing it, I have a feeling the yeast will contribute nicely to the flavour in this one.

Bottled it last night, will be 13 days in the bottles on Christmas so should be well ready. -_-