SeamusMac

Recipes 

Here's an update:

I've transfered the batch of Graff to a 11.5L secondary, something I bought to suit my new tendency towards half batches. Anyways, after 2.5 weeks since I pitched for the second time my SG is now at 1.020 in a room at 65*F. It smells great and although I haven't tasted it I bet it's superb. The gravity reading wasn't what I expected and so I've left my hydrometer in the carboy so I can observe any changes in SG over the next week or so. If the SG doesn't continue to fall I'll start looking into way to re-start a stuck fermentation.

I'm not very pleased with the cider I bought from the local farm market. I'm convinced it must have small amounts of preservatives in it even though it was labeled as "no preservatives" and non-pasteurized. Re-pitching a full packet of Nottingham ale yeast into a 10L batch of Graff with a starting gravity of only 1.056 should not have been required...

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SeamusMac

Recipes 

In secondary. I'm not sure if I like leaving it with so much head space...

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Brandon O

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I think you'll be just fine.

Brandon O

Recipes 

you can always warm it up to about 70f and swirl it around.

That would probably help get it going again.

SeamusMac

Recipes 

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll do that before trying any of the more extreme means of restarting a stuck fermentation, ie re-aerating.

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Primary: Brewingcentres Pale Ale
Primary: Brewcraft - Cheap 'n' Shiddy Bavarian Wheat

Kegged: Brewcraft - Cheap 'n' Shiddy Bavarian Wheat
Kegged: Brewcraft - Enhanced Dutch Lager
On Tap: Brewcraft - Irish Stout

SeamusMac

Recipes 

After 8 hours at 70*-72* and a little bit of agitation via brewing spoon I placed it back in my 65* fermentation room and took off on vacation for 5 days. Unfortunately there was no change in the SG of my Graff upon returning home.

It tastes pretty good as is, and I considered just clearing it like a wine and bottling it still... Although I'm pretty damn stubborn when it comes to things like this and I'd sooner risk infection before giving up on my desired FG. So I racked my Nottingham Ale Yeast IPA into a carboy for a prolonged secondary and racked the Graff on top of the yeast cake, which is supposedly a sure fire way to re-start a stuck fermentation.

Although my IPA has practically stalled now that it has reached 1.044 (from 1.075) after 9 days; consequentially I'm not very pleased with Nottingham Ale yeast... It must be me.

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Primary: Edwort's Apfelwein
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Kegged: Brewcraft - Enhanced Dutch Lager
On Tap: Brewcraft - Irish Stout

Brandon O

Recipes 

Wierd man, Nottingham goes nuts everytime for me. It's what notty is known for, I don't even rehydrate the stuff.

SeamusMac

Recipes 

I've been suspicious from the start that perhaps the cider I bought had some sort of preservative in it, even though it wasn't labeled as such... That could be the reason why I've been having such poor luck with Notty ale yeast as I used the same yeast cake to ferment my big IPA.

I'm going to be home on Friday night so I'll check the SG on my Graff then and update the thread.

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Primary: Edwort's Apfelwein
Primary: Brewingcentres Pale Ale
Primary: Brewcraft - Cheap 'n' Shiddy Bavarian Wheat

Kegged: Brewcraft - Cheap 'n' Shiddy Bavarian Wheat
Kegged: Brewcraft - Enhanced Dutch Lager
On Tap: Brewcraft - Irish Stout

SeamusMac

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SG on Friday July 10th is 1.016 and airlock activity is very slow, but steady! I'm glad to have this show back on the road...

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Primary: Edwort's Apfelwein
Primary: Brewingcentres Pale Ale
Primary: Brewcraft - Cheap 'n' Shiddy Bavarian Wheat

Kegged: Brewcraft - Cheap 'n' Shiddy Bavarian Wheat
Kegged: Brewcraft - Enhanced Dutch Lager
On Tap: Brewcraft - Irish Stout

rico567

Recipes 

Yes, I'm trying my first batch of Graff, and Nottingham isn't taking off like it does with a batch of beer. It's been over 30 hrs. since I pitched (and this is a whole 11g packet into a 2.5 gal. batch), and I have NO action. Oh, well, I'll probably wait until the weekend -about 72 hours- before I think about repitching. Don't have any more Nottingham, but I have a packet of Red Star Champagne Yeast that will probably do.

I followed all the recipe directions to the letter (except, obviously, for cutting everything but the yeast in half). I'm using Mott's AJ from Sam's Club, which say it contains only apple juice and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which latter is a preservative, but isn't supposed to bother yeast.

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“Malt does more than Milton can / To justify God’s ways to man”

-A. E. Housman (1859–1936). A Shropshire Lad , 1896.