underpitch or stuck ferment?

Seanwallner · 07-14-2011, 04:02 PM

I brewed a english IPA 12 days ago. It started at about 1.065. Checked it last night and its at about 1.035. It has fermented between 68-74. my sample was very cloudy and full of setiment, so I dont know how reliable my reading is. I used 1 pack of 1098. I usually let my beers go a moth in the primary but I may dry hop this one. Also the sample taste had a real bitter acidic finish, like it stings the back of yout throat. I was thinking yeast maybe, which made me think it might be stuck. Im thinking to rack to secondary to clean it out. Should i pitch more yeast or just let it do its thing. Really dont want to loose this one. Thanks. Cheers!!

ckollias · 07-14-2011, 04:27 PM

Looks like the attenuation for 1098 is 73-75% so your final gravity should be around 1.017. You can try racking to a secondary and a lot of time that stirs of the yeast and gets them eating again. In my experience I shake up my primary a little when I feel like the fermentation is stuck and that gets them going. I have also tried to add more yeast without great results.

Did you make a yeast starter? I have started making yeast starters for all my beers no matter what the starting gravity is - it gives you a more complete faster fermentation and then you normally don't have to worry about stuck fermentations.

Seanwallner · 07-14-2011, 04:41 PM

CKOLLIAS,No starter. I have been using smck packs with great result until now, just dont know if I underpitched a little. I need to start using starters for sure. Ill try racking tonight. thanks for the heads up. Also I forgot to add I added whole leaf hops at flame out, But didnt bag them(too much consumption on brew day). So alot of hop debris made it into the ferneter. I dont know if this makes any difference

cshamilton · 07-14-2011, 04:54 PM

I'd avoid racking if you are that far off your FG. I would say you did underpitch - anything above 1.06 should have a starter. Try looking at MrMalty to figure out how big.

For now, based on what you've told us, I'd say rock the fermenter a bit to resuspend yeast that may have settled out. Let it sit, maybe swirl/rock once a day. Check the gravity again in 4 or 5 days if you are still stuck, then repitch yeast (at this point you could rack to secondry, but I'd just leave it).

Catt22 · 07-14-2011, 05:25 PM

Not enough information to make a call. First off, is this an extract batch or all grain? If all grain, it could be a problem with your mash temperatures. IME, rousing the yeast or re-pitching is not very effective if at all in most instances. A starter is always a good idea, but it is also no guarantee that the beer will finish out and not using a starter does not typically doom your brew to a high FG.

Seanwallner · 07-14-2011, 05:50 PM

It was a allgrain with batch sparge. Mash temps were a little high and the mash was a little thin due to strike temp being way hot( still tuning my euqipment). had to add .5 gallon to get temp down. Was shooting for 52 ended up about 56 or 58. dont have my notes right in front of me. OG was low. should have been.075.

Catt22 · 07-14-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seanwallner

It was a allgrain with batch sparge. Mash temps were a little high and the mash was a little thin due to strike temp being way hot( still tuning my euqipment). had to add .5 gallon to get temp down. Was shooting for 52 ended up about 56 or 58. dont have my notes right in front of me. OG was low. should have been.075.

Sometimes the average grain bed temperatures can be considerably higher than what you think they are. The reason that I mentioned this is because I have been there and once I got a handle on my mash temps the problem vanished. I had been using a dial type bi-metal thermometer which went wacko on me for no apparent reason and from then on would not hold calibration. It was also very inconsistent. Since then, I've used single vials, smack packs and dry yeast on occasion without problems, but I do normally make a big starter.

dcp27 · 07-14-2011, 08:16 PM

if you're mash temps were that far off id consider throwing in some sugar to help dry it out and hopefully get the yeast working again or getting some amylase from the LHBS and adding it to your fermenter.

Seanwallner · 07-14-2011, 08:19 PM

Thanks for the input guys. Still milling it over..... Keep the input comming

**osagedr** · 07-15-2011, 12:51 AM

For now pitch a pack of Windsor to help it finish off (or another pack of 1098 if you wish).

For future brews refer to the pitching rate calculator at www.mrmalty.com and make sure you get enough yeast pitched.