What To Do?

[New2thebrew]

Two weeks ago I put down a stout, using the following;

1 tin Morgans Stout
1 tin Morgans Caramalt
500gm dark dried malt extract
200gm dark beer booster

The tins & DME were added to the fermenter with 4Lts boiled water, the dark beer booster was mixed with 1Lt hot water (water had been boiled & allowed to cool a bit before adding booster), and added the mix at the same time. The guy at my local HBS told me it would improve the body of the stout, it smelt a bit like oats.

Topped up the fermenter to 23 lts, pitched tin yeast at the appropriate temp, however, like an absolute rookie, I forgot to take a hydro reading beforehand (still kicking myself). Tin directions stated 5 days fermentation at 25c, however given the additional ingredients I figured it would take quite a bit longer.

It has been 2 weeks, have taken hydro reading this morning, and is 1.018. This seems a little high (was aiming for 1.014 before bottling based on Ianhs spreadsheet), however there appears to be no activity in the fermenter.

Seeking some guidance as to whether to just leave it another week, or do I need to do something to kick off fermentation again to bring down the gravity?

On a side note, I tasted my first brew last night. It's a Coopers Lager that has been conditioning for the last 4 weeks. I was quite impressed, as was my mate who isn't generally a fan of home brew. It has given me a bit of a confidence boost, and encouraged me to keep improving.

Thanks all

 

[manticle]

Leave it anyway as the yeast should clean up byproducts given the chance. At a rough glance though I wouldn't be surprised if it's done and if it's not then 1014-1016 would be as far as I'd expect.

Have you tried the usual stalled ferment rousing tricks?

 

[zabond]

take 3 hyd readings over at least 3 days if the reading stays constant it should be right to bottle,also if you ferm around 18*[ale types] your beers will be a lot better

 

[New2thebrew]

Leave it anyway as the yeast should clean up byproducts given the chance. At a rough glance though I wouldn't be surprised if it's done and if it's not then 1014-1016 would be as far as I'd expect.

Have you tried the usual stalled ferment rousing tricks?

I took the lid off and gave it a good stir yesterday morning, I have also previously swirled the fermenter with the lid still on.

Is there anything else I could try?

 

[enoch1973]

From the amount of fermentables I would have thought that 1018 would be about right.
Then again... if the spreadsheet says so mine are always a few off...
I would take a reading tomorrow and the next day and see if it's the same each day.
If it's the same I would bottle it.
I don't know about stirring the brew after two weeks... I would think that would be bad...
Someone else will be able to comment on that.

 

[manticle]

Provided you don't splash and the spoon was sanitised you should be OK.

@New2thebrew - various other things you can try but I don't know if it's worth it. These things include racking to a new fermenter and/or adding new yeast but in this case you are so close to FG that I would just wait and see for a few more days.

In the meantime, draw a hydrometer samples worth and place it in a stubby. Doesn't have to be sanitised although clean is good. Put a rubber band and glad wrap around the opening, bring it inside where it's warm and shake the crap out of it. After three days (shaking every time you think of it) pour it back into the hydrometer tube and take a reading. If it's significantly lower than your brew then your brew has a way to go.

On no account put the sample back into your beer.

 

[DUANNE]

Provided you don't splash and the spoon was sanitised you should be OK.

@New2thebrew - various other things you can try but I don't know if it's worth it. These things include racking to a new fermenter and/or adding new yeast but in this case you are so close to FG that I would just wait and see for a few more days.

In the meantime, draw a hydrometer samples worth and place it in a stubby. Doesn't have to be sanitised although clean is good. Put a rubber band and glad wrap around the opening, bring it inside where it's warm and shake the crap out of it. After three days (shaking every time you think of it) pour it back into the hydrometer tube and take a reading. If it's significantly lower than your brew then your brew has a way to go.

On no account put the sample back into your beer.

hey manticle i dont mean to nit pick but wouldnt you want the stubbie to be sanitised? i would of thought if there was any other bugs in there then the fg you get may be due to them not the actual primary yeast strain.