davewaldo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 14/9/08
- Messages
- 421
- Reaction score
- 3
Hi everyone,
A couple of weeks ago a brewed an English Brown Ale, and my problem is that its still fermenting PAINFULLY slowly.
Here is the recipe:
23L Batch
OG: 1.041
Fermentables
Ale - Maris Otter - TF Floor Malted 2.650 kg (67.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
Crystal Malt Pale - Bairds 0.250 kg (6.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
Crystal Malt Dark - Bairds 0.250 kg (6.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
Carapils Malt - Weyermann 0.200 kg (5.1 %) In Mash/Steeped
Choc Chit - JW 0.110 kg (2.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Roasted Barley Unmalted - Bairds 0.010 kg (0.3 %) In Mash/Steeped
Sugar - Invert Sugar (Golden) Syrup 0.450 kg (11.5 %) End Of Boil
Hops
UK Target (9.4 % alpha) 16 g Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
UK Golding (4.8 % alpha) 8 g Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
Other Ingredients
Yeast: Wyeast 1099-Whitbread Ale
Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (69) w/Mash-Out
---------------------------
So everything started well. I aerated well into the fermenter using one of these Siphon Sprayers then I pitched a good starter at around 20 degrees. It kicked off well and went strong for 2-3 days.
Then it stopped at 1.020, so I roused the yeast by giving the fermenter a good shake and I added some nutrients and raised the temp to 22. This got it going again but REALLY slowly. I'm getting bubbling through airlock at medium pace but hydro samples show that the gravitly is only dropping 1 point every two days or so.
Two days ago it finally seemed to have stopped at 1.015 which isn't too bad, I was hoping for a bit lower.
But now its kicked up again and seems to be trickling on slowly still.
So my questions are:
1. Is this anything to worry about? The beer still tastes good and it doesn't seem infected.
2. How can I avoid this in the future? I figure a nice quick/steady ferment would be healthier.
3. Also what do people think my final gravity should be? I found this recipe on the net (tweaked slightly) and most people could get it down to 1.009 even with the high amount of cara-malts, the higher mash temp and the lower attenuating yeast.
4. Not really a question, but I assume I'm just going to have to wait for it to finish in its own time?
So really the only things I think I could do better would be to aerate better and to pitch a bigger starter. I pitched about 1.5L made from a smack pack.
Any suggestions.
A couple of weeks ago a brewed an English Brown Ale, and my problem is that its still fermenting PAINFULLY slowly.
Here is the recipe:
23L Batch
OG: 1.041
Fermentables
Ale - Maris Otter - TF Floor Malted 2.650 kg (67.6 %) In Mash/Steeped
Crystal Malt Pale - Bairds 0.250 kg (6.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
Crystal Malt Dark - Bairds 0.250 kg (6.4 %) In Mash/Steeped
Carapils Malt - Weyermann 0.200 kg (5.1 %) In Mash/Steeped
Choc Chit - JW 0.110 kg (2.8 %) In Mash/Steeped
Roasted Barley Unmalted - Bairds 0.010 kg (0.3 %) In Mash/Steeped
Sugar - Invert Sugar (Golden) Syrup 0.450 kg (11.5 %) End Of Boil
Hops
UK Target (9.4 % alpha) 16 g Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
UK Golding (4.8 % alpha) 8 g Loose Pellet Hops used 15 Min From End
Other Ingredients
Yeast: Wyeast 1099-Whitbread Ale
Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Full Mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (69) w/Mash-Out
---------------------------
So everything started well. I aerated well into the fermenter using one of these Siphon Sprayers then I pitched a good starter at around 20 degrees. It kicked off well and went strong for 2-3 days.
Then it stopped at 1.020, so I roused the yeast by giving the fermenter a good shake and I added some nutrients and raised the temp to 22. This got it going again but REALLY slowly. I'm getting bubbling through airlock at medium pace but hydro samples show that the gravitly is only dropping 1 point every two days or so.
Two days ago it finally seemed to have stopped at 1.015 which isn't too bad, I was hoping for a bit lower.
But now its kicked up again and seems to be trickling on slowly still.
So my questions are:
1. Is this anything to worry about? The beer still tastes good and it doesn't seem infected.
2. How can I avoid this in the future? I figure a nice quick/steady ferment would be healthier.
3. Also what do people think my final gravity should be? I found this recipe on the net (tweaked slightly) and most people could get it down to 1.009 even with the high amount of cara-malts, the higher mash temp and the lower attenuating yeast.
4. Not really a question, but I assume I'm just going to have to wait for it to finish in its own time?
So really the only things I think I could do better would be to aerate better and to pitch a bigger starter. I pitched about 1.5L made from a smack pack.
Any suggestions.