First Batch - Irish Stout

This is my first batch, used extracts from LHBS, an Ironmaster Irish Stout. OG was 1.044 and today (10 days in primary) I tested it at 1.020. Everything I can find says it should be around 1.011 max. I'm going to test it again in a few days and see if it's stable. It did cool down a bit during fermentation to around 60-62 degrees.

Do I need to do something to get the yeast back eating? I did taste the sample, and it tastes pretty good for warm flat beer.

Not freaking out or anything, planning to leave it in the Primary for another week and a half. I have to say though, my first batch isn't even finished, and I'm addicted!

Thanks guys, sorry for the noobish question.

GvnMcCld said:

Do I need to do something to get the yeast back eating? I did taste the sample, and it tastes pretty good for warm flat beer.

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Not yet. You've only taken one reading, so you don't know that fermentation has stopped. I'm pretty sure it hasn't. Take another reading in a few days. I bet it's lower.

Leave it alone.... Step back from the fermenter.......... Don't mess with it.

Beer takes 2 weeks minimum to finish.

Keep it cool. Yeast love that and so does the beer.

You could try giving the primary a good swirl after about a week of no advancement. Gently swirl the fermenter and see if some of the yeast will break back up and do their thing. Bringing up the temp to 67-70 won't do any harm either.

Cool, thanks guys. I plan to let it sit there at least another week and a half. The temperature around here has been warmer, so it's up to around 64 now, guess we'll see where it goes!

After 4 days have passed, I took another hydrometer reading today, still at 1.020. I'm still planning on leaving it in there for another week (3 weeks total in primary) then bottling.

I tasted the hydrometer sample and it's not sweet by any means. I should be fine bottling in a week, correct? Or is there something else I should do to it in the meantime?

Thanks

I forgot to mention about a week ago I gave it a good swirling, didn't seem to make a difference. It's now sitting at around 63-64 degrees.

Any help?

There are about a gazillion threads on here where fermentations have gotten stuck at 1.020. It's a very common problem, and one that I've experienced myself (on an Irish stout, no less).

Two possible culprits come to mind:

1) You used extract, which means you have no control over how much of your wort is fermentable. It may be that those last 20 points are unfermentable or very difficult to ferment. That's up to the maker of the extract, and I've heard they vary quite a bit in this respect. If this is the problem, there is no solution at this point. Just enjoy your probably delicious stout that's a little sweeter than the style.

2) Your yeast pooped out. Maybe you underpitched and/or didn't aerate the wort enough to build up a sufficient yeast population, but in such a low gravity beer, I doubt even a low yeast population would cause it to stall out at 1.020. High alcohol content can also cause the yeast to stop working, but that is not a factor in your low gravity stout. Theoretically, if you don't have enough yeast population, you could drop a pack of dry Nottingham in there to try to finish it up.

Regarding #2, what yeast did you use? I used dry Nottingham in my stout and it didn't finish despite having a large number of yeast cells and being a strain with high attenuation and alcohol tolerance.

Unless you're submitting this for judging, I'd just let it be and bottle/keg it after your allotted time (I like at least 4 weeks) no matter if it doesn't reach the intended gravity. It's still going to be a tasty beer. I snuck an early taste of my stout even though it's not done force carbing, and it's delicious!

I had a stout that I made recently I thought it got stuck at 1.020 around the 3rd week in the primary. My OG was 1.060 I left it in the primary for a full 28 days and from OG 1.060 it got down to FG 1.018. I only brew extract right now but this beer wouldn't get any lower than that. Gave me an attenuation of almost 69%, which is at the very bottom of the scale for WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast that I used with a healthy 1L starter. However, it is the damn best beer I have made by far. I did warm it and swirl it that 3rd week each day for about 3 days. Right now your Aparrent Attenuation (AA) is 53.6% which I am sure is much lower than what is usual for the yeast you used. You could always try a little yeast nutrient in there if your gravity doesn't change to see if you can get fermentation restarted.

I am still pretty new to this, but I have not really had a stuck fermentation after 6 batches. I just brewed a Dubbel with an OG 1.078 and a 1.5L satrter (with a gravity of 1.078 I should have pitched a 3L starter, I overshot my OG by .008 points). Having said that, I had fermentation after about 6 hours.

FWIW, your attenuation would be 74.4% if you went from OG 1.044 to FG1.011. Which sounds much more normal of an attenuation range. What yeast are you using?

Unfortunately, I don't know what yeast it was, it came in a kit (Ironmaster Irish Stout) can't seem to find anywhere what type it was. It was in an unmarked packet and I didn't see anything in the little book that said what it was. The LHBS told me to use it, so I did, being new.

Good to know it's happened a lot to other people, next time I'll brew something with a little more control. Lots more reading to go!

Thanks guys, sorry for repeating questions.

Well...try yeast nutrient, keep it around 70 and swirl it, worst case scenario pitch more yeast.