Stuck Fermentation?

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jklotz

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I'm doing an IPA. Recipe calls for slightly higher gravity - 7.2% ABV. It'd been in primary for about 14 days. I moved it into secondary 3 days ago and it appears to have no activity whatsoever. I checked it with the hydro and it read 1.022, recipe calls for 1.017. Checked it again today, seems to be stuck at 1.022. I am just now trying star san, and there was what seemed to be a lot of foam in the carboy when I racked to secondary - is it possible the star san killed the yeast? Temp is right around 70 deg.
 
I'm doing an IPA. Recipe calls for slightly higher gravity - 7.2% ABV. It'd been in primary for about 14 days. I moved it into secondary 3 days ago and it appears to have no activity whatsoever. I checked it with the hydro and it read 1.022, recipe calls for 1.017. Checked it again today, seems to be stuck at 1.022. I am just now trying star san, and there was what seemed to be a lot of foam in the carboy when I racked to secondary - is it possible the star san killed the yeast? Temp is right around 70 deg.

No...Starsan actually becomes yeast food...it Helps the yeast.

What yeast did you use? A couple strains tend to stick right around where you are at.

But why did you rack to secondary BEFORE it was finished fermenting? You should never move your beer til you reach your target gravity....You took it off the yeast cake, so THAT'S probably why it got stuck....

Try swirling it gently to rouse what yeast you have left, and try to find someplace a little warmer than where it is, or wrap it in a blanket to get it a little warmer, and check it in a week or so...
 
Thanks, that helps. The yeast was a white labs wlp001, pitched straight out of the bottle at 70 degrees. Didn't use a starter. I moved it to secondary after 14 days, as it was stuck before I moved it and I guess I figured that getting some more oxygen in the mix might help to get it started again. When I transfered it, despite being "gentle", I still have about 3/4" of trub at the bottom of the 2ndary, so I have to assume I have some yeast in there, no?

I suppose I'll wait a few days or maybe a week and take another reading? At what point should I consider doing something?
 
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