Checked gravity for the IPA and the results are:

After 10 days my IPA which should have started @1.057 but actually started at 1.050 is at 1.025 and I'm worried it might be stuck. (again I know revvy I know, "stopper activity is no indication of fermentation or lack of") (stopper has no activity in 9 days)

Just to recap: I blew the stopper 24 hours in and had foam/yeasty goodness all over the carboy and towels..anyway..

I will take another reading in 2 days but I'm inclined to believe it'll be the same. Assuming it is the same in 2 or 3 or 5 days...should I re-pitch? and at what point.

OK now on to the APfelwein:

after 22 days I have a gravity of 1.001. so I decided to keg w/ dextrose over 30 days in a corny for Christmas. Well, I discovered too late that the keg I was using had a slow leak so I swapped it out. I was spashing a bit here and there btw.

I did top off with co2 and purge twice before putting 15lbs in. Should I fear oxidation? or am I ok?


Thanks in advance

Let the brew go 3 weeks, then test your SG again. In general, when you have a stuck fermentation, there isn't much you can do to correct it. Repitching will not solve the problem, as there's something present (or lacking) that has retarded the growth of the yeast in the first place. This could be anything from temps to dissolved nitrogen levels to pitching cell counts.

I've read a great number of reports where guys had incomplete attenuation after 10 or so days, let it go a month and the yeast eventually caught up. I'd just leave it alone for a few weeks. Who knows, obsessively taking SG reading may have introduced a contaminate. My philosophy is, do what you have to do to make sure everything is right on your end, then leave it alone for 4 weeks. If it hasn't done what it's supposed to do in that time, it never will.

If it has been fermenting low (60's) you could let it warm up to mid 70's. I had a beer pick back up after warming up a little. I wouldn't go much warmer than that though.

its at 64 now... I'm going to move closer to the furnace...thats a clever idea

Make sure it doesn't get too warm, no more than about 70*F...all things considered, too cool is better than too warm.

Ive found that once fermentation is nearly complete it doesn't hurt to let it get a little warmer. Esters mostly get produced in the first few days of fermentation.

I'd also give the fermenter one gentle swirl to resuspend some yeast.

john from dc said:

Ive found that once fermentation is nearly complete it doesn't hurt to let it get a little warmer. Esters mostly get produced in the first few days of fermentation.

I'd also give the fermenter one gentle swirl to resuspend some yeast.

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+1 to both of those ideas. When fermentation's mostly done I find bumping up the temp a little can help ensure that a beer will dry out. And rather than re-pitch, I'd give the yeasties a stir with a sanitized spoon to kick their microbial asses back into gear. Hopefully those two things should get your IPA back on track.