Stuck Gravity

[rehab]

So I have my first BIAB in the fermenter. Was done a week exactly this Friday just gone. It started off at 1.054 and it reached 1.040 (or the orange line) and I am meant to be waiting for it to hit 1.020 to start dry hopping however when I told people that after one week it had only dropped that much they suggested that I pitch some more yeast and rehydrate it this time as I don't normally go to that effort with yeast and it usually works. I have kept the yeast in the fridge until brew day and both sachets had good dates on them. Two days after the rehydration it still reads at 1.040 and I am wondering weather there are further measures I can take to speed up fermentation from this point. The day after I pitched the first batch of yeast temps went down to 16 deg C but apart from that it has been 22 deg C the whole way through. Also tested the hydrometer and it still reads fine.
Any help would be appreciated,
Cheers All,


Chris

 

[Truman42]

Read this great article from Manticle. Has helped me out in the past. Just follow the steps.

Stalled ferment

 

[d3vour3r]

yeast type? mash temp?

with rehydrating yeast it only needs 30 mins. i just put into sanitize glass measuring jug with around 150ml water. give it a quick stir and leave it for 30 mins till it starts to expand or whatever then pour that into fermenter. i use tap water at ambient temp.

sometimes a beer will stay at the same gravity for week (more or less) and still look active (krausen, bubbling arilock etc). then itll drop really quick over a few days. my bet is to remain patient, leave it for a week. then take another sample.

 

[rehab]

Read this great article from Manticle. Has helped me out in the past. Just follow the steps.

Stalled ferment

Sweet will try out a few of these steps.

 

[rehab]

yeast type? mash temp?

with rehydrating yeast it only needs 30 mins. i just put into sanitize glass measuring jug with around 150ml water. give it a quick stir and leave it for 30 mins till it starts to expand or whatever then pour that into fermenter. i use tap water at ambient temp.

sometimes a beer will stay at the same gravity for week (more or less) and still look active (krausen, bubbling arilock etc). then itll drop really quick over a few days. my bet is to remain patient, leave it for a week. then take another sample.

Yeast type was US05 both times. Mash temp was a bit unknown (thought I put it in at 68deg but fucked up with the thermometer and it came out at 72 deg C!!!!) Am I right in assuming this means it wont drop as low as expected?
I don't have any of the signs of active fermentation so far *even after the re pitch it hasn't suddenly taken off*. Will try some of Truman's tips from that link and see how I go.

Cheers

 

[manticle]

If you mashed at 72 then yes you will likely have trouble getting it to attenuate.

 

[rehab]

If you mashed at 72 then yes you will likely have trouble getting it to attenuate.

By accident I must say but the worst part is it must have started at even higher... I shudder to think... based on a 72deg Mash is there a calculator I can use to adjust the end result?

 

[rehab]

If you mashed at 72 then yes you will likely have trouble getting it to attenuate.

If I have pitched more yeast and it still wont drop, what then? Do I have to chuck it?

 

[manticle]

If you read that article, you'll see a reference to a fast ferment test. Give that a try to see where the beer should end up.

As for chucking it - depends on how it tastes. If it absolutely refuses to budge and you like brett beers, then that is an option. Age + brett.

 

[rehab]

If you read that article, you'll see a reference to a fast ferment test. Give that a try to see where the beer should end up.

As for chucking it - depends on how it tastes. If it absolutely refuses to budge and you like brett beers, then that is an option. Age + brett.

Hey mate. I didn't see you had replied to this. I read the article and followed it. It did drop down further in the stubbie but only as far as 1.030. I haven't really adjusted to the Belgian beers yet so maybe Brett will have to be missed this time round (not that I hope this mistake occurs again).
It is week 3 of fermenting on the original yeast and someone has suggested I could A) Create a yeast starter (#4 for me) and add a water sugar solution or B) I could boil up a Sugar Syrup and pitch it the next morning and rouse the three lots of yeast already in there.

I am thinking the second option is the one I may go with as it seems to involve less mucking around which I am all for.


Thanks for your help though but my fermenter wont follow what the stubbie is doing. Samples taste okay BTW.


Chris

 

[pyrosx]

I read the article and followed it. It did drop down further in the stubbie but only as far as 1.030.

Chuck it. Even if you manage to get the fermenter moving again, that test suggests it'll only get to 1.030. Beer with an FG of 1.030 won't be worth drinking.

Don't waste any more effort on this batch - chalk this one up to experience and spend the effort on a new batch.

 

[manticle]

Hey mate. I didn't see you had replied to this. I read the article and followed it. It did drop down further in the stubbie but only as far as 1.030. I haven't really adjusted to the Belgian beers yet so maybe Brett will have to be missed this time round (not that I hope this mistake occurs again).
It is week 3 of fermenting on the original yeast and someone has suggested I could A) Create a yeast starter (#4 for me) and add a water sugar solution or B) I could boil up a Sugar Syrup and pitch it the next morning and rouse the three lots of yeast already in there.

I am thinking the second option is the one I may go with as it seems to involve less mucking around which I am all for.


Thanks for your help though but my fermenter wont follow what the stubbie is doing. Samples taste okay BTW.


Chris

Lesson learned to not mash anywhere near 72 unless you mash somewehere in the 60s first (72 is a good rest temp after sacch rest for glycoproteins).

It's up to you where you want to go with this. Could try a new yeast starter as the article suggests (make sure it's active) but I don't like your chances.