Slow Belgium Fermentation

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k2ainslie

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I believe my Belgium Ale fermentation has stalled, here are the specifics:

Brewed on 6/18, OG 1.084, Yeast: WLP 570 Belgium Golden Ale
Yeast Starter: 1 cup of dry malt extract with 1 pint of water 48 prior to brew day, batch size: 10 gal, pitch temp 75 degrees, as of 6/22 Gravity is: 1.048, as of 6/28 Gravity is 1.044 - What should I do? Here are the three solutions I am looking at:

1. Do nothing and wait
2. Pull yeast off of my conical and redo starter and repitch
3. Pitch a packet of dry safale us05 yeast.

Any thoughts?

:mug:
 
By my off handed gues, you are way underpitched... at above 80 og, wyeast atleast recomends 3 of their activator packs at 5 gallons (18mil cells/ml) plus you are at 10 gallons so 6 packs. A starter unless it was with a stirplate is probably only going to double your yeast - so you pitched about 2 packes when you should have done 6 (note rough math, also note white labs says about the same about their pitchable tubes and the amount you need).

So, options 2 and 3 look to be your best. I'd even add some oxygen when adding it in, at least make a starter and then just before pitching shake the crap out of that to add a bit more O2 back in. It is tempting to suggest adding some Champagine yeast - only problem with that is while it can get your gravity down (perhaps to low) it often doesn't like malt sugars but is looking for fruit sugars - so something of a crap shoot there.

If you want to lower your gravity, in a reasonable time, you really need to get more 'fresh' yeast in there (either with a draw and starter or with new dry ).
 
I figured I under pitched, just did not have time to do a multiple starter. What do you think the Safale US 05 would do to my flavor profile. The last time I did this recipe it ended at 1.020 and was incredible. I am afraid that the US 05 would drop the final gravity too low.
 
It does not look like it has completely stopped, and even if you did underpitch, the yeast would have reproduced up to the level it needed to eat wort anyhow. I would raise the temp a little if that is a possibility, and then take another reading in a few days.
 
I wouldn't worry about flavor profile as much as attenuation at this point. You probably have Belgian yeast esters, and S05 won't hurt. The concern is it might not want to be pitched into half finished beer.
 
You under-pitched, and that's why it is slow.

We don't know recipe details; you might have reached the end, but at 1.044 I've got to believe there is still more to get. My vote is take yeast of the bottom, make a starter and pitch when actively working.

Make sure you have your wort around 75 F or higher (Don't worry about esters at this stage.
 
merkinman said:
It does not look like it has completely stopped, and even if you did underpitch, the yeast would have reproduced up to the level it needed to eat wort anyhow. I would raise the temp a little if that is a possibility, and then take another reading in a few days.

This /\
 
So here is the recipe (by the way this is batch # 83 for me):

10 gal batch
24 lb american 2 row
3 lb Dark German Munich
2 lbs virginia wild flower honey
2 lbs raw cane sugar
1 1/2 briess crystal 60l
1 lb belgium special b
1 lb Carapil
1/4 lb gambrinus honey malt
1 oz belgium chocolate malt
1/2 Gambrinus honey malt
white labs p570
2 tablespoons of ph stabilizer in mash
1 teaspoon gypsum

105 min begin boil 14 gallons
60 min 1 oz magnum 13.1aa
60 min 1.5 oz northern brewer 9.8 aa
25 min 2 oz northern brewer 9.8 aa
25 min brewers best swet orange peel 1 oz
10 min 2 teaspoons irish moss

strike 170 degrees - mash 154, held 154-152 for 60 min

og: 1.084
start fermentation 79 degrees 06/18/2011
day one 75 degrees
strong fermentation for three days
then held 70 degrees, and 1.048 to 1.044 gravity for two weeks

7/03 pitched safale 005 dry american ale yeast and moved conical from basement to second floor

Lets see what happens, thanks for all the advise

FYI: I made a very similar recipe to this two years ago on a 5gal and it was spectacular!
 
7/10 three weeks into primary, gravity is now at 1.030, temp 75 degrees, in almost 80 batches of beer I have never had such a slow fermentation,
Any thoughts on what this will do the end beer (assuming I reach the target of 1.020)?
 
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