Stalled Ferment

[Maple]

Here's the situation, made an Irish Red a few weeks back using 1084, and achieved ~74% attenuation. happy enough with that, I brewed a RIS to which I added to the yeast cake, figuring it'll need a fair amount of the yeasties to chew through an OG of 1.104. so here we are 2 weeks down the track, and the gravity hasn't budged from 1.050 in over 5 days despite warming it up to 22 (from 18) and racking after that.

Was thinking of adding another round of 1084, but not sure that the tolerance this yeast can take. Alternatively, perhaps some US05? I was hoping for a target FG of ~1.037. Open to advise...

Maple

 

[sinkas]

MAke a 500ml starter of the yeast asnd when at high krausen pitch it
USo5 will probably get it down to 1017, so might not be a good idea.

 

[devo]

I've found that racking to another fermenter can help kick start things again.

 

[Maple]

Devo,
Tried that, increased the temp, no dice, Racked it over to another fermentor, no dice... I think I'll pitch another starter of the 1084 and see if that goes anywhere, failing that, it's off to the US05, If that doesn't move it, the bugs will get a guernsey.

 

[newguy]

Boil up 5 tsp of yeast nutrient (some shops call this yeast energiser - it's a tan powder) and 1 or 2 tsp of diammonium phosphate. DAP is a white crystalline substance that looks like sugar or salt, but it forms loose clumps easily. Boil the works in about a cup of water in the microwave - keep it boiling for at least a minute and add it while it's still hot. Don't replace the airlock immediately as there will be a vacuum in the fermenter from the hot vapour. Swirl the fermenter gently twice a day for the next week, and it will attenuate more.

It's never too late to add yeast nutrient. And no, it doesn't contribute off flavours.

 

[David Sinclair]

This is interesting because i'm having the same problem with 1084 its stalled at 1.018 and i,ve got some us05 slurry i can add but how much?

I could put the irish red in the fermenter that just had a batch of APA (US05) in it. But would that be to much? and how would it affect the flavour of the irish red?

Maple let me know how you experiment went.

Cheers Dave.

 

[Screwtop]

If you're going to repitch, the yeast your adding should be at high krausen, think your old yeasties might be buggered from alcohol abuse Maple, don't know how well a new colony would survive. Tried an email to Wyeast? Ask their advice re this strain and your gravities and attenuation so far.

Screwy