1728 Stuck @ 1.030 after a few weeks

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lectersmeal

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Hello,
I brewed a Scottish ale on 3/23, and my fermentation is stuck at 1.030 (OG: 1.064). It's been fermenting with ambient temperature around 65-70. The mash temperature was 152. Admittedly, I didn't make a starter... :-\

I've never had a stuck fermentation before. What are my options for finishing it up, other than warming up the beer and/or swirling it around? Can I pitch more yeast? (if so, how much and what kind? 1728 again?)

[I should note that the beer tastes fantastic, but I'd like the FG to be lower.]

Thanks for any help.
 
I would pitch more yeast, the same kind. If you didn't make a starter, you never had enough yeast to begin with. Since you are already at 1.030 you won't need a starter to finish it, just pitch the yeast and let it sit for another 2-3 weeks. You don't have to worry about it sitting on the cake as long as it will be, in 5 gallon batches you don't have to worry about autolysis. In fact I would let it sit for a month after pitching the new yeast, just to let the yeast try and grab as much off flavors as possible. I have let my beer sit in the primary for up to 3 months before, and have heard of people leaving it for 1 year and it being fine (i dont recommend a full year, but it was fine.)
 
If you're going to pitch fresh yeast, you do need to make a starter and you should pitch at high krausen to be extra safe.

If you don't make an active starter, the (still dormant) yeast cells from the smack pack will likely choke between the alcohol present, lack of nutrients and lack of easy sugars to propagate.
1.064 is not that high, wonder what stalled it. Sudden temperature drop perhaps?
 
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