Stalled Fermentation At 1018

[milligan]

Hello all, Sorry my first post is a question but as a newbie brewer I have nothing contribute yet. I ama little concerned as my first brew (Coopers Heritage Lager + Coopers light malt + dry yeast pitched into a half baked attempt at a starter (more of a rehydration job) + tap water). Pitched yeast around 26c - 28c. Fermentation started quickly enough and the wort has been sitting in my garage in temp around 28c down to 24c at night. Starting gravity was 1037 and is now 1018 after 5 days. Yesterday the gravity was 1020 so it is still happening, but slowly (so I guess it isnt stalled really). My concern is that at 5 days and only dropping 2 gravtities (what are they called????) I cant see it getting to 1007 (or so) in the next few days.

If it does stop in the high teens do I just bottle or do I fertilize the garden?

Im wanting to put down a coopers mexican cerveza (Ive read the forums so I know what most of you think) and experiment with some lime, lemon and chillis in a few of the bottles (not all together, though).

Thanks guys...now Im back to the search function. Cheers

EDIT: Just found something similar here already by using different search terms. Would still appreciate any replies based on these specifics, though.

 

[rclemmett]

How much light malt? Was it dry or liquid? What is "dry yeast"? Why does it need to get to 1007?

 

[brendo]

firstly welcome to the addiction. Secondly - doot worry brews tend to slow down a bit once the foam drops in as you have said it is still dropping gravity points so let it keep going - i regularly in about 2 weeks. As long as it is still dropping all is cool. Lastly - those temps are pretty high try getting the temps down with some ice bottles or shift to somewhere a bit more stable. High temps are good for causing hangover material. Good luck.

 

[cdbrown]

How much light malt? Was it dry or liquid? What is "dry yeast"? Why does it need to get to 1007?

Probably says something on the tin that this should be the FG.

Just let it go milligan and test it every day or so. Have a taste of it after you've measured the SG to see how it's tracking. I'm sure it's fine, maybe there wasn't enough viable yeast when it was pitched so it took a while for it to take off.

When you have the FG the same for a few days, leave it for another couple and then bottle.

 

[milligan]

Thanks for the speedy replies.

The 1007 came from a number in the little instruction book under the cap of the malt (although it was a range). I do understand that by using malt the FG will be higher though (is that right).

It was 1kg of light malt liquid (or whatever the standard can is - Im sure it was 1kg).

The dry yeast was the little satchel that came with the can (it was actually a replacement as the can was past the use by date). I think it was "brewmaster" or something similar. Just your basic K mart satchel of brewers yeast.

I will try a few things to get the temp down (although it is probably too late now, yes?) I don't need to accentuate any hangovers. Ill drink red wine for that

I will just relax and let it go as you guys have suggested. I have been tasting it to get a feel for the process and it taste fine, no off tastes or smells. Its actually not too bad. I just dont want to lose it.

I read elswhere here that I could rock the fermentor and stir it with a clean spoon to see if it gets it going again. Would this be worth a shot?

Thanks again.

 

[rclemmett]

If I were you I'd just try and get the temp down to the low twenties. I wouldn't bother with any shaking or stirring, as the yeast sounds like it is still going. I think the coopers liquid malts only come in 1.5kg tins, so depending on the yeast, I'd expect an FG of 1010-1014. Kits tend to darken with age, so depending on how out of date it was it might be a little darker than expected.

It's a good idea to let it sit for a while in the fermenter. I leave all my beers for a minimum of two weeks.

Just cool it down and sit back and relax. Oh, and have a beer. :icon_cheers:

 

[Barge]

I read elswhere here that I could rock the fermentor and stir it with a clean spoon to see if it gets it going again. Would this be worth a shot?

That's definately worth a go. I just had to rouse some Nottingham yeast in my stout because it settled out (flocculated) before the job was done.

Your other options are to pitch more yeast straight in, or make a starter (maybe 1-1.5L) and chuck that in when the starter is fermenting its tits off (reaching high krausen).

Give it time though, it'll still be drinkable even if it ends up in the mid-teens

Oh, and in future, definately use more yeast. The sachets that come with the kits are designed to ferment out a kit + a kilo of sugar. The kilo of malt extract makes it harder for the yeasties so you need to pich more. And aim for around 20C.

All the best!

 

[Barge]

If I were you I'd just try and get the temp down to the low twenties. I wouldn't bother with any shaking or stirring, as the yeast sounds like it is still going.

I'm not so sure this is a good idea as the yeast are happily fermenting in the current conditions. Cooling them down, even within viable temp range, may shock them and stop them all together. Maybe someone more enlightened may be able to help here.

 

[rclemmett]

Yeast shock happens with sudden changes in temperature. Hence the use of shock. To change the temperature of 23L of liquid rapidly would require a massive change, which you're not going to get from some ice cubes and a blanket, or even a fridge for that matter. The shock will happen when you pitch your yeast, as it is a small mass being thrown into a far larger mass of different temperature.

I have found in my experience that low fermentation temps lead to better tasting beer, depending on the style of course.

 

[Fermented]

Give it a few more days.

It's almost identical to my first one, including the temperature spike. OG=142, FG=1010 at seven days. I let it sit a couple more but didn't re-test prior to bottling. Came out tasting rather OK and put me off buying megaswill forever.

Don't pop the lid and stir. It's a chance for infection. If you're really keen you can give it a circular rock to kick the yeast up again, but it's probably not necessary.

Like a lot of things in life, this is one of those hobbies that sometimes you need to just let it happen, and for the most part, happen it will.

Lotsa luck!

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[milligan]

Thanks again guys. It appear the range of action is from nothing to rocking to stirring. I will try all of these over the next few days. I will leave it and check the gravity over the next few days. If it definitely stalls I will rock it. If that doesn't budge it I will give it a stir. I want to do everything to minimise any chance of an infection so I will leave it to last. So that way I will follow all advice to different levels and will be much more the wiser for the different actions performed.

Regardless I will report back the results of these actions and the final result for the benefit of others in my position.

Thank you all again.

 

[milligan]

Just went through the bin and wanted to confirm the malt extract was 1.5 kgs as Rob2 said.

 

[clarkey7]

Just went through the bin and wanted to confirm the malt extract was 1.5 kgs as Rob2 said.

Milligan,

I'd say that beer may be a tad sweet (unless the original coopers kit is really bitter) with an extra 1.5kg of liquid malt and no extra hops to balance it.

Anyway - you'll figure out how you like your beers...that the fun part. Good luck with it all.

Once again..welcome to the forum and addictive hobby.

PB :icon_chickcheers:

 

[flattop]

yup, a couple of points...
Has the krausen head collapsed and all you see is beer through the lid? If so it's slowing down.
It's common for the brew to slow down, most guys let them go for 14 days before bottling, my suggestion would be to gently agitate the fermenter, do not splash, kind of swill it around gently, this will rouse the yeast and sugars from the bottom.
Next point, do NOT open the lid and stir if you can avoid it, 95% chance it wont do any harm and stir the yeast up and 5% will be something is not sterile and you will end up with a yeast infection and go completely lambic .
I wouldn't expect dynamite activity from here on, but i would swill it, give it about 3-5 days more then drop in some finings to clear it up and this will help the yeast fall to the bottom.
Don't worry about starters too much starters are good but rehydrating is fine.

 

[milligan]

OK. 1.018, maybe 1.017, for the 2nd day straight. I couldn't help myself and gently swirled the fermenter around to agitate the yeast. The temp on the brew is about 21c at the moment (not by my doing - just mother nature).

The krausen head (I'll have to look that up - I'm assuming that's the frothy stuff on top) has definitely collapsed completely.

I'll now have to be patient and let it sit for another few days. Im just gonna have to buy another fermenter. I cant handle this waiting business. Thanks again.

 

[Fermented]

The numbers (OG, current SG) don't quote add up for me.

Everything that I have done which is similar to you starts >1040 and ends around 1010, nominally between four and seven days for the first of the stable final readings (i.e. one or two days before bottling).

Can you please check your hydrometer?

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[brendo]

Im just gonna have to buy another fermenter.

+1 for buying a second fermenter - brew twice as much twice as often :icon_cheers:

+1 for also checking your hydrometer - fill your test jar with water at 20 degrees and take a reading as per normal - should read at around 1.000.

i still reckon you just need to give it a bit more time... sometimes it just needs it and it certainly won't hurt the end product.

Cheers,

Brendo

 

[buttersd70]

the OG makes sense if volume is 25L....and for many fermenters, the 23L mark is actually 25L when it's measured.....but the FG is really high. The rule of thumb is that if FG is stable over 3 readings one day apart, then its finished....but in some cases (ie stalled ferment), thats just not right. It really only applies if the FG is at least within a reasonable range of whats expected, given the ingredients.

In this case, I would be expecting somewhere in the region of 1010, like fermented said.....theres too much difference between 1010 and 1018 for me to be comfortable that it's actually finished. I would be treating it as a stalled ferment, rather than one thats just finished slightly higher than expected.

step 1 is to swirl the yeast back into suspension, which you've done....give it a few days, check it again. If it still hasn't dropped....
step 2 is to rack it to another fermenter or a cube....the extra agitation caused by this should (hopefully) kick it off again. Wait a few das again, and check the grav...if it still hasn't dropped,
step 3 is to scratch your head, trust in Aegor, and bottle it...in plastic, not glass, and keep a very close eye on it, venting the bottles if necessary to prevent bombs.

But definately check your hydrometer with either distilled water (preferable) or cooled boiled water at 20C exactly.

Note...missing letters due to dodgy keyboard batteries. :lol:

 

[Jase71]

+1 for buying a second fermenter - brew twice as much twice as often :icon_cheers:

As a single fermenter owner, I'm starting to think that three pails is probably more practical, if one wants to do a secondary fermentation on the first, a new primary after that's racked and resting, and a third one for bulk priming your original one. Rinse, repeat.

 

[Pollux]

I have two fermenters, one cube and also recently discovered one of my buckets had a tap thread that accommodates the style taps I use on the fermenters/cube....

Also got some smaller buckets, will mount taps to the bucket, and airlocks to the lid and make mini batches of AG within the next few weeks.