Stuck at 1.016, added Roeselare, still stuck

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Seawolf

Seawolf

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As the title states, I'm stuck.

Flanders Red Ale brewed 10 days ago: I pitched Safale US-05, and brought my OG from 63 down to 16. I pitched some Roeselare 4 days ago, and my SG hasn't really changed. I figured that, because most of the fermentation had taken place, a starter wouldn't be necessary. Is that right? It's sitting at about 69F, and seems to have stopped fermenting altogether. I check the gravity everyday, and it's been the same everyday.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Zach
 
Yeah, the saccharomyces is likely done. The other critters in the Roeselare blend should be able to eat more of the sugar there, but this takes a while. It can take quite a while and is possible you will not see much airlock activity.

Put is somewhere kind of warm, cover it and check it again in a couple months. But I would not check the gravity too often, you need to be careful about the oxygen in this or you will end up with a big vinegar character.
 
4 days? You're expecting the bugs to do their thing in 4 days? Try 6-12 months! Roeselare is not some miracle yeast, it's a blend of ale yeast and bacteria, and they behave much differently. Yes, it will drop your OG by eating all the sugars that the beer yeast (saccharomyces) could not, but they operate at a much slower pace than sacch. Think of them as the Ents of the fermentation world.

Listen to Beerrific. Cover it up and forget about it. Your regular ale (which is all it is right now) will not be a "Flanders Red" until 6-12 months from now, so you'd better get used to being patient. Check it in a few weeks and you should have a pellicle that looks a little something like this:

infected1.jpg


Cheers!
 
Did you add nutrient? I know a lot of people don't add it but I swear by it. It will enable your yeast to plow thru the thickest of worts.
 
ericd said:
Did you add nutrient? I know a lot of people don't add it but I swear by it. It will enable your yeast to plow thru the thickest of worts.
Click to expand...

You don' necessarily want the yeast to "plow" through this. The bugs need food and time.
 
ericd said:
Did you add nutrient? I know a lot of people don't add it but I swear by it. It will enable your yeast to plow thru the thickest of worts.
Click to expand...

He's making a sour beer. Yeast nutrient is superfluous here. The bacterial culture that he added acts very differently than beer yeast.
 
Beerrific said:
You don' necessarily want the yeast to "plow" through this. The bugs need food and time.
Click to expand...

Well the nutrient would be the food right (besides the wort)? What's the difference between fast and slow fermentation?
 
ericd said:
Well the nutrient would be the food right (besides the wort)? What's the difference between fast and slow fermentation?
Click to expand...

No, nutrient is not the same as food (sugar). The bacteria don't need yeast nutrient. They need sugars, of which there are plenty in a 1.016 beer.

It's not just a matter of speed, it's a matter of how they operate. Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces just take much longer and need less oxygen than Saccharomyces.
 
First people are right that you won't see much of a gravity drop. They are also right about time. Stash it somewhere and check it around December.

I don't do lambics myself, but the guys who do, are always talking about years, not days.

This limited release (available until June 30th, 2008)blend of lambic cultures is ideal for producing Belgian ales with a very dry profile. Includes lactic acid bacteria for a complex, earthy profile and distinct pie cherry sourness. Long aging (18 months) will produce the full flavor profile and acidity. Attenuation: 80%, alcohol tolerance: 11%, flocculation variable, ideal temperature range: 65-85 degrees F.
Click to expand...
 
You might get the bugs to bring that down 10 points but just like Evan said, it's going to take more like 4 MONTHS, not days. I hope you didn't think this was going to be a quick ale like the rest.

My flanders is still in a barrel. It was racked in sometime in January so it took 6 months to even start souring.
 
Evan! said:
4 days? You're expecting the bugs to do their thing in 4 days? Try 6-12 months! Roeselare is not some miracle yeast, it's a blend of ale yeast and bacteria, and they behave much differently. Yes, it will drop your OG by eating all the sugars that the beer yeast (saccharomyces) could not, but they operate at a much slower pace than sacch. Think of them as the Ents of the fermentation world.

Listen to Beerrific. Cover it up and forget about it. Your regular ale (which is all it is right now) will not be a "Flanders Red" until 6-12 months from now, so you'd better get used to being patient. Check it in a few weeks and you should have a pellicle that looks a little something like this:

infected1.jpg


Cheers!
Click to expand...

I didn't think for a minute that this would be done any quicker than 8 months. I was just making sure the US-05 did it's job, and if it didn't, will the gravity drop over the upcoming months due to the Roeselare?

Sorry for lack of clarification! I should have been more specific.
 
Chriso said:
Yep. My Sour Russian Imperial Stout has been in the bucket for 5 months now. Pellicle is still raging strong.
Click to expand...

How long does it take for the Pellicle to start forming? When I recieved my Roeselare via UPS, it was wrapped with two ice packs that were melted, and felt pretty warm and swollen. What sort of temperature tolerance does Brett have? Is it like most bacteria that dies around 165F?
 

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