stuck fermentation?

It has been exactly 4 weeks since I brewed an AHS double chocolate stout kit and I have had it 2 weeks in primary and 1 week in secondary. The thing is the airlock had completely stopped bubbling around almost 2 weeks when it was in primary and thus I moved it into secondary; however, I took a gravity reading and I noticed the gravity was at 1.027. Ever since I transfered it, it has been slowly, very slowly, been bubbling. I was hoping I could be able to finally bottle it, but I end up taking another gravity reading and it is at about 1.025!!! in two weeks, it only dropped .002 points; I can't believe it. What should I do? Just leave it there like for a month and hope it completely drops? (recipe calls for it being 1.012) If it continues like this I'm going to have to bottle my amber ale straight from the primary to bottles (it's been 2 weeks inside a plastic fermenter).

what was your recipe and OG? If it was a big beer it can take awhile to finish up, especially since you racked it before it was done fermenting. You removed it from the yeast cake and reduced the number of yeasties around to finish gobbling up those sugars. Don't worry! you didn't ruin it, it will just take longer to finish.

Also if it comes down to it, there is nothing wrong with bottling straight from the primary as long as you know it is done fermenting. You can also leave your amber ale in that primary for 3 or 4 weeks without a worry.

Thanks for the reply! My recipe was:

2 lb. Amber Extract (LME)
5 lb. Dark Extract (LME)
3/4 lb. chocolate, 1/2 lb 2-row, 1/4 lb. crystal 40L, 1/8 lb. Black Patent, 1/8 lb. Roasted barley.
1/2 lb. Malto Dextrin
1 oz. Galena (60 min)
1 oz. Unsweetened Cocoa (last 5 min)

the recipe states an original gravity of 1.056, but I got a reading of 1.053. I currently have a gravity of 1.025 and the recipe calls for it being 1.012

bluedragoon85 said:

Thanks for the reply! My recipe was:

2 lb. Amber Extract (LME)
5 lb. Dark Extract (LME)
3/4 lb. chocolate, 1/2 lb 2-row, 1/4 lb. crystal 40L, 1/8 lb. Black Patent, 1/8 lb. Roasted barley.
1/2 lb. Malto Dextrin
1 oz. Galena (60 min)
1 oz. Unsweetened Cocoa (last 5 min)

the recipe states an original gravity of 1.056, but I got a reading of 1.053. I currently have a gravity of 1.025 and the recipe calls for it being 1.012

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What is the temp where the fermenter is sitting? Maybe if you warmned it up a few degrees it'd finish out.

What is the temp where the fermenter is sitting? Maybe if you warmned it up a few degrees it'd finish out.

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The surrounding area has been at a temperature of 62-70 degrees.

bluedragoon85 said:

The surrounding area has been at a temperature of 62-70 degrees.

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hmmm...Taking a stab here, have you checked the calibration of your hydro? Put it in tap water at whatever the temp it is calibrated at (60 or 68, usually) and make sure it reads 1.000

Maybe the paper inside slipped or something???

also, what yeast did you use? Not all yeasts are created equal.

hmmm...Taking a stab here, have you checked the calibration of your hydro? Put it in tap water at whatever the temp it is calibrated at (60 or 68, usually) and make sure it reads 1.000

Maybe the paper inside slipped or something???

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I gave it a try, and it read almost dead on. Like 0.999. The paper seems to be where it should be

also, what yeast did you use? Not all yeasts are created equal.

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The yeast I used was Muntons dry ale yeast.

Do you recall which Muntons? There is one Muntons that is kind of notable for not being very attenuative. Maybe that's the issue here.

Do you recall which Muntons? There is one Muntons that is kind of notable for not being very attenuative. Maybe that's the issue here.

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It's one that I picked as the dry yeast option from the AHS extract kit. It is Muntons Ale Dry Yeast.