Stuck fermentation

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bonescole

Active Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
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Location
Ardmore PA
Here is the recipe:
3.5 lbs. English Amber Malt info
2.5 lbs. Rye Malt info
.75 lbs. Dextrine Malt info
.25 lbs. Belgian Special B info
3 lbs. Dry Light Extract info
1 oz. Columbus (Whole, 15.00 %AA) boiled 60 min. info
1 oz. Willamette (Whole, 5.00 %AA) boiled 12 min. info
1 oz. Goldings (Whole, 5.00 %AA) boiled 12 min. info
Yeast : WYeast 1056 American Ale info
Mashed all the grain at 154 for 60 minutes then boiled about three gallons for an hour. Cooled to about 70 degrees and added yeast after shaking the bejeesus out of the wort and water to 5 gallons and had fermentation within less than 12 hours. This stuff really started chugging along and it actually sounded like a fish tank than an airlock for a while. The temp dipped down to about 61/60 degrees for 2 days around the third/fourth day and after that there was absolutely no activity. I let it sit for a total of 13 days in primary and racked to secondary Saturday. Took a reading and it seems like there is some issues with my eye...the hydrometer, or both. SG was 1.056 and the finishing gravity says 1.043, or higher. So I am guessing that this is stuck, or my cool temps just put the yeasties to sleep. Should I brew another beer and then rack this onto the yeast cake when it is done, or purchase yeast hulls and then another packet of yeast? The beer tastes good, but the readings are way off, so I am guessing that there is a lot of sugars left in there. My concern is that will I have any issues with letting the beer sit around for another week, or two while I get a new recipe put together and ferment it, or will it be ok? First stuck fermentation, so I am pretty much lost.

thanks!!

BC
 
It'll be fine just sitting there, I'd make another batch and rack on to the yeast cake. Either that or you could pick up some more yeast and some DME, make a starter and pitch while it's krauesening.
 
It'll be fine just sitting there, I'd make another batch and rack on to the yeast cake. Either that or you could pick up some more yeast and some DME, make a starter and pitch while it's krauesening.

Are there any measurements that I need to use on the repitching with new yeast/DME? Should I just pasturize about a half a cup and then drop more yeast in and let it get started then pitch?
 
If you really want to make sure it's not going to stay stuck I'd pitch on to a yeast cake, but to make a starter this is the procedure I follow.

Mix 3oz by weight of DME with 34oz of water, boil for 15-20mins and cool. Pitch the yeast in to a sanitized jug/jar and let it go to town. Once it starts to get a nice healthy krauesen on it pitch the whole thing in to your wort.
 
I think I will brew another batch. I was going to do a vanilla stout next, but now I am thinking that if I rack onto that cake the flavor mix is going to be awful. Any ideas on that? Thank you for the replies so far too. I appreicate it.
 
Depends on when you're adding the vanilla and what your recipe is. I'd recommend doing something a little lighter to reuse the yeast cake.
 
Yea good point. I guess it is back to recipe drawing board. possibly an altbier? What a PITA stuck fermentations turn out to be.
 
Yeah, I recently had a Barleywine get stuck. But I guess that's what you get when you make a 15% beer! A Yeast Cake got me out of that situation pretty quickly, it's now oaking/aging in a secondary right now. I'm going to pitch some champagne yeast for bottling.
 
15% is HUGE! That is going to need to age for a long time, but I bet it turns out damn fine. I will get brewing ASAP and update the ppost in a few weeks to let everyone know how I made out. Thanks for the help wyazz. Much appreciated!!
 
Yep, I figure I'll try the first one in December to see how it tastes.

No worries, this is what HBT is all about!
 
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