Gravity too high after 1 week in primary? (First brew)

My OG was 1.054. The stick-on thermometer was in the high 60s throughout the first few days, with bubbling through the airlock. There's some inches of where krausen probably were on the side. The thermometer is 64/66 now. Bubbling has ceased. Gravity is at 1.032 now. Seems a bit high... should I do anything?

It's an extract brew of a milk stout (following Northern Brewer's recipe) - I used dry Nottingham yeast.

I'd warm it up a bit. As the yeast start slowing down, they also stop warming themselves up. Just move to a slightly warmer area of the house, maybe around 70.

Also, it would be helpful to know exactly how much time has gone by since fermentation started.

i second Homercidal. gently swirl the bucket back and forth to rouse the yeast and try to hold temps around 70 for several days to a week. that should wake the yeast up and get 'em working on those last sugars in the wort.

Homercidal said:

I'd warm it up a bit. As the yeast start slowing down, they also stop warming themselves up. Just move to a slightly warmer area of the house, maybe around 70.

Also, it would be helpful to know exactly how much time has gone by since fermentation started.

Click to expand...

i'd say it'd be about 6 days and 5 hours reading-to-reading.

Sounds about right. I still think moving it to a warmer location will be fine. If this is an extract beer, it might be close the dreaded 1.020 mark. If AG, then there is still a little ways to go. Another week won't hurt.

Just check it in a week. Even if you see airlock activity, that doesn't necessarily mean there is more fermentation. It could just be the CO2 coming out of solution, which it will do when the density changes from temperatur change. Or it could be the beer and CO2 themselves expanding. Either way you WILL get some bubbling, and only the hydrometer will tell you if it's gone down further.

Also, make sure you shake all of the CO2 out of your sample before taking a measurements. Gaseous beer can lift a hydrometer up a small bit.

yeah, it's extract.

I've seen way too many threads on extract batches that seem to stall out at 1.020. I think the same procedure would apply to get it down as far as it will go. I think it's a by-product of the extract company's mashing or processing that makes it somewhat less fermentable.

Nothing to worry about. You'll still have beer, and it sounds like a good healthy ferment.

Homercidal said:

I've seen way too many threads on extract batches that seem to stall out at 1.020. I think the same procedure would apply to get it down as far as it will go. I think it's a by-product of the extract company's mashing or processing that makes it somewhat less fermentable.

Nothing to worry about. You'll still have beer, and it sounds like a good healthy ferment.

Click to expand...

that's totally true. lots of extract beers will attenuate to 1.02, give or take a couple points. i've always attributed it to the mash temps and specialty grains the makers of extract use. FWIW, i've only noticed the stall when using LME, i've never had issue getting DME to attenuate to the target FG.

i'd be less worried if it was down at 1.02.. as it stands now i don't think i have 3.2 beer!

I'm stuck at 1.024 with my stout. Day 12. Was told the same or repitch some yeast.

BigAl420 said:

I'm stuck at 1.024 with my stout. Day 12. Was told the same or repitch some yeast.

Click to expand...

try rousing the yeast and warming it up for a few days. as you read earlier in the thread, if it's an extract brew, it may be close to done or done. definitely try warmer temps and rousing before repitching.

Fermenting at 65 deg as well. I really have no way of keep the temp constant above 65. Using a heating pad raises and drops it a lot as there is no thermostat control on the one I have

can you move it to a warmer part of the house? even a few degrees would be helpful. try putting it in the warmest part of your place and wrapping it up in a blanket. moving the fermenter should do the job of rousing the yeast, just be careful not to let the beer slosh around too much.

Here is my ingredient list.

I think it is in the warmest part unfortunately. I have it in front of a window then wrapped loosely in a light jacket. I kicked on the heating pad underneath but I simply can't monitor it 24/7 and it shuts off automatically with no restart.

those darker extracts tend to not attenuate as well as the lighter ones, in my experience. just keep it as warm as you can, maybe move it away from the window if it's drafty. if getting it a bit warmer kicks the yeast back up, it should produce some of it's own warmth from the activity. also, sometimes just a little more time helps drop those last few gravity point. IME, with a recipe like you posted, 1.02 or so will be your FG. so just try keeping it as close to 70 as you can for a week or so and you may drop those 4 points. sometimes those last few points can take days to drop.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

those darker extracts tend to not attenuate as well as the lighter ones, in my experience. just keep it as warm as you can, maybe move it away from the window if it's drafty. if getting it a bit warmer kicks the yeast back up, it should produce some of it's own warmth from the activity. also, sometimes just a little more time helps drop those last few gravity point. IME, with a recipe like you posted, 1.02 or so will be your FG. so just try keeping it as close to 70 as you can for a week or so and you may drop those 4 points. sometimes those last few points can take days to drop.

Click to expand...

I have to say, I've been doing extract batches for over a year now and I've never had one stop at 1.020 or above. They've all hit their mark. The highest one being 1.014. I have done DME and LME batches. I don't understand why some seem to have a problem getting them below 1.020.

my heat is always pretty low (61-63). i'll move it close to the heater and turn it up a bunch i suppose.

AR-Josh said:

I have to say, I've been doing extract batches for over a year now and I've never had one stop at 1.020 or above. They've all hit their mark. The highest one being 1.014. I have done DME and LME batches. I don't understand why some seem to have a problem getting them below 1.020.

Click to expand...

it's not with all extract beers, just some. some brands and types of LME seem to peeter out in the high teens, low 20's. usually, i have no problem getting extract to ferment out, especially when doing PM. but i have had all extract brews with LME (especially the darker kind) finish at 1.018 or above. it just happens. like i said before, it's probably due to the mash temps and specialty grains used in making extract. the maillard reactions that happens as extract ages also plays into this. that's why when i use extract i go for DME if i can, and only use fresh LME from retailers with a high rate of turnover.

BTW. I'm currently having this issue with an AG batch of irish stout. I doubt it is an extract issue. I think it is an issue with something we did between pitching and now. I am just clueless as to what. Mine is stuck at 1.022. I have moved mine to a bathroom that gets warm and it's at 70 now. Hopefully it will do something this week.

NordeastBrewer77 said:

it's not with all extract beers, just some. some brands and types of LME seem to peeter out in the high teens, low 20's. usually, i have no problem getting extract to ferment out, especially when doing PM. but i have had all extract brews with LME (especially the darker kind) finish at 1.018 or above. it just happens. like i said before, it's probably due to the mash temps and specialty grains used in making extract. the maillard reactions that happens as extract ages also plays into this. that's why when i use extract i go for DME if i can, and only use fresh LME from retailers with a high rate of turnover.

Click to expand...

OK. I've only ever done kits or used high turn over LME myself. I did one dark extract batch (a porter) and it finished at 1.010. Most of my batches used specialty grains to get the color darker and then used a pale extract as the base.

AR-Josh said:

Most of my batches used specialty grains to get the color darker and then used a pale extract as the base.

Click to expand...

that's exactly what i do in extract batches. that and adding LME at flameout really helps with getting the brew to attenuate well. also, fresh LME is a really good idea. Jamil talks about that in the beginning of BCS. i've also never had any issues with high FGs when using LME from the bigger stores, it always seems quite fresh. conversely, i've gotten a 4 pound can of a major brand pale LME from a smaller store that's closer to my house, and it was very dark (i'm familiar with the brand, it was too dark compared to other cans), and the beer only attenuated to 1.018 (it was an extract w/grains IPA) and had a bite to it that many would call the 'twang'.

my brew was 6 lbs of amber LME.

Switched out jacket with a blanket, kicked heating pad on and temp is rising. Not sure if I can keep temp staple but will try. If all else fails should I pitch new.yeast or just bottle and go.with it?

BigAl420 said:

Switched out jacket with a blanket, kicked heating pad on and temp is rising. Not sure if I can keep temp staple but will try. If all else fails should I pitch new.yeast or just bottle and go.with it?

Click to expand...

The problem is that if the yeast quit working because it got too cold, then there is still sugar that could be consumed in your wort. You risk bottle bombs bottling before all sugar is eaten. I'm giving mine another week before I do anything other than heat it up and swirl/stir the wort.

I swirled as well...so just sit tight? Is there any damage if temperature fluxs between 65 and 70?

Nah you should be OK. You don't have that much more to go. The temps were right when the yeast were doing most of their work. I wouldn't let it go above 70 while it's fermenting but if it bubbles on it's own for a day you can probably let it drop back to 65 and be fine. I'm just speculating though as this is my first time with the gravity sticking. I am experienced with off flavors though. When it starts up again you'll be fine.

I can't see the ingredients (darn phone) but is there any lactose in there?

ChillWill said:

I can't see the ingredients (darn phone) but is there any lactose in there?

Click to expand...

SPECIALTY GRAIN [steeped]
-- 0.5 lbs English Chocolate Malt
-- 0.5 lbs Dingemans Debittered Black
FERMENTABLES
-- 6 lbs Amber malt syrup, use half as late addition (15 min)
-- 1 lbs Lactose
HOPS & FLAVORINGS
-- 1 oz Willamette (60 min)
YEAST
-- Dry Nottingham

6lbs dry liquid malt
1lb dark dry malt.
.50#roasted barley
.50# crystal 77 malt
1oz northern brewer1oz Willamette hopsyeast - safale s-04/English ale

Got it up to 70.....not sure that I can keep it there but will do my best.probably drop overnight. I swear if I see a bubble I will fall over!

BigAl420 said:

Got it up to 70.....not sure that I can keep it there but will do my best.probably drop overnight. I swear if I see a bubble I will fall over!

Click to expand...

i cranked my heat up and wrapped it in two blankets and it's STILL 65. ugh.

Mines actually holding at 69-70 after heating it up to 70 with a heating pad and with a blanket wrap! Only bubbles when a swirl it .....

2 days at 70 degrees. Reading still the same 1.024

BigAl420 said:

2 days at 70 degrees. Reading still the same 1.024

Click to expand...

same 1.032 here. :-/

I'll probably take a reading tomorrow.

Repitching tonight

It is a milk stout so it will not finish low. It is not the extract that is causing it, it is the lactose. Lactose will not ferment out.It depends on how much lactose was used but it probably will finish pretty high. I did one that had a full pound of lactose and it finished at 1.025. Even with a 1/2 pound it probably will not finish below 1.020.

Give it some time and maybe raise the temp but it may be close to being done, depending on the amount of lactose.

My ingredient list is posted earlier in thread if u wanna check it out. Raised temp to 70 for the last few days...still no change

Just took another sample...1.022 again. That's a bit high for a dry irish stout I think. I'm probably going to try making a starter and pitching it in at peak ferment.