I have been brewing some great beer for about 3 years. Progressed from extract to all-grain about 1.5 years ago. We used a standard round cooler with SS braid. We do 10g brews and beers were great. All worts are getting 100% o2 and a yest starter off a stir plate. Starter size is determined by beer smith software.
My brewing partner and I decided to upgrade the rack. We replaced the cooler with a converted keg tun with a false bottom. This was heated with a burner. We also started recirculating the mash with a chugger pump. Here is where the problem starts.
Three worts are brewed for St Patric's day. All three are recipes from NB. All three beers suffer a stuck ferment. The culprit was assumed to be a cold fermenter. We purchased a dual stage controller on a chest freezer, fermentation temp is now a perfect 66.
Next we added a new SS RIMS tube controlled by a PID. Also added a chillzilla, with output thermometer. Got a digital PH meter as well.
The next beer also will not drop under 1.024 when it should be about 1.010. I can get into the recipes, but for brevity they are all recipes from NB that should finish much lower.
Frustrated we looked at our thermometers and found them to be about 4 degrees off. We assumed this was our problem and that our mash temp was too high (shooting for 152) Next brew 152 spot on for 60min, checked against a glass lab thermometer. Again beer refuses to drop under 1.022.
After reading an article about adding more enzymes we decided to try it. 1 lb of 2 row mashed at 140 for 10 min. Added liquid to beer. WOW a whole new krausen gravity drops (proof that the yeast is present and ready.)
Mash temp good 152
Water to grist good at 1.33qt/lb
PH Good
O2 Good
Yeast starter size good
Ferment temp Good
Only thing I could think of was a compacted mash from two high a flow rate. Next brew is the Number 8 from NB. All things kept the same flow reduced. OG 1.73 its been in the primary for two weeks now reading 1.035 with a calibrated refractometer.
I feel like crying in my beer please tell me what the hell is happening.
My brewing partner and I decided to upgrade the rack. We replaced the cooler with a converted keg tun with a false bottom. This was heated with a burner. We also started recirculating the mash with a chugger pump. Here is where the problem starts.
Three worts are brewed for St Patric's day. All three are recipes from NB. All three beers suffer a stuck ferment. The culprit was assumed to be a cold fermenter. We purchased a dual stage controller on a chest freezer, fermentation temp is now a perfect 66.
Next we added a new SS RIMS tube controlled by a PID. Also added a chillzilla, with output thermometer. Got a digital PH meter as well.
The next beer also will not drop under 1.024 when it should be about 1.010. I can get into the recipes, but for brevity they are all recipes from NB that should finish much lower.
Frustrated we looked at our thermometers and found them to be about 4 degrees off. We assumed this was our problem and that our mash temp was too high (shooting for 152) Next brew 152 spot on for 60min, checked against a glass lab thermometer. Again beer refuses to drop under 1.022.
After reading an article about adding more enzymes we decided to try it. 1 lb of 2 row mashed at 140 for 10 min. Added liquid to beer. WOW a whole new krausen gravity drops (proof that the yeast is present and ready.)
Mash temp good 152
Water to grist good at 1.33qt/lb
PH Good
O2 Good
Yeast starter size good
Ferment temp Good
Only thing I could think of was a compacted mash from two high a flow rate. Next brew is the Number 8 from NB. All things kept the same flow reduced. OG 1.73 its been in the primary for two weeks now reading 1.035 with a calibrated refractometer.
I feel like crying in my beer please tell me what the hell is happening.
