Stuck ferment or ???

I am having a lot of trouble with a batch of my Anadama Amber. This is the fifth batch and the first to give trouble. I bewed on 9-11-07 and my only variation of recipe was instead of steeping 2 lbs of flaked wheat I only used 1 lb plus 1 lb of wheat DME. I used White Labs WLP008 started in 1/2 gallon of wort with lots of action seen prior to pitching. There were lots of bubbles in the airlock the first week and a half. The OG was 1.064 which is just slightly higher than the norm for this recipe. I racked to secondary on 9-23-07 but probably shouldn't have. The krausen had not fallen and the SG was only down to just over 1.040. With this little fermentation I added a packet of US-56 dry yeast hoping to jump start the ferment. It is in secondary for the week and there is a nice brown head in the carboy but no action of the airlock. The smell is not the most pleasant but not anything I would classify as indicating spoilage.

Is this something that just happens from time to time? Will it finally ferment out? Temps in the room are good as the Brown Rye bitter and Cyser right beside this carboy are doing fine. The Brown Rye also used the same LME from the same bulk container and was brewed the same day.

I welcome any thoughts or suggestions.


Doug

It happens. I have a Brown that was stuck for a week that finally finished. I'm a little puzzled by the recipe steeping flaked wheat. All this will do is put unconverted starch into the batch.

David_42

The recipe is :
6 lb LME

2 lbs flaked wheat and 1 lb flaked maize steeped @155 f for 40 min

2 cups of molasses

1 oz liberty at start of boil
1 oz crystal 5 min before end

This is batch 5 as it is the family and friends favorite. The recipe came from an LHBS near me. Also a favorite there.

Thanks for the reassurance that it will finish. I was just looking for a cause or reason. As you say, sometimes it just happens?

Doug

with 3lbs of unfermentable sugars added....do you have to chew that beer?

Not at all. This beer has a very normal mouth feel. It is a malty beer but no way near a stout in feel.