It's official . . . my beer is flawed

Brewing an Irish Dry Stout . . . fermentation is stalled out at 1.024 SG, target is 1.014 - 1.008. Any suggestions? It's been the same SG for at least 4 days.

recipe, please?

Walker said:

recipe, please?

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This is what I bought, nit I know that the hops and the yeast vary from this recipe, but I don't know to what extent:

Malt Extract: Pale 6 lbs.
or Dark 6lbs.
Grain Bill: Black Barley 4 oz
Roasted Barley 4 oz
Crystal 120L 4 oz
Crystal 10 4 oz (if using the Dark)
Hopping Schedule: #1 Challenger (7.4%) 1.5 oz 60 min
Starting Gravity: 1.044
Fermentation Temp: 65-75 degrees F
Yeast: Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale
or Wyeast 1028 London Ale
or Wyeast 1056 American Ale

do you happen to know anything specific about the brand of extract? they all have different amounts of fermentability, and some end up finishing heavier than others.

If this is still in the primary... have you roused the yeast to see if they are just sleeping?

-walker

In the 2ndary . . . I may have been too hasty to get it out of the primary. I'll see if I can find out what the malt was.

Give the secondary a couple of swirls to try to get the yeast active again.

What's the temp? If it's too low for the style the yeast may have gone to bed. Wake it up!

yeah, premature rack-ulation will pretty much hit the breaks on on the gravity. At least, this is my opinion. I rarely use a hydrometer, but I know I have racked a few batches too early.

-walker

Walker said:

yeah, premature rack-ulation will pretty much hit the breaks on on the gravity. At least, this is my opinion. I rarely use a hydrometer, but I know I have racked a few batches too early.

-walker

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Is such a case, is there any saving the beer? Is it worth bottling?

homebrewer_99 said:

Give the secondary a couple of swirls to try to get the yeast active again.

What's the temp? If it's too low for the style the yeast may have gone to bed. Wake it up!

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THe temp varies from 67 to 73 degrees.

You could try pitching more yeast, ie a pack or two of some dried yeast.

rhinostylee said:

Is such a case, is there any saving the beer? Is it worth bottling?

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Sure it is. It will have less alcohol (something I don't get too worried about) and will be maltier/sweeter, but it will still be beer and you will probably enjoy drinking it.

I wouldn't throw something away unless it tasted totally rancid and I was physically unable to swallow it.

If I ever get a vinegar batch, I'll probably even save a portion of THAT for cooking.

-walker

Walker said:

Sure it is. It will have less alcohol (something I don't get too worried about) and will be maltier/sweeter, but it will still be beer and you will probably enjoy drinking it.

I wouldn't throw something away unless it tasted totally rancid and I was physically unable to swallow it.

If I ever get a vinegar batch, I'll probably even save a portion of THAT for cooking.

-walker

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Cool, thanks. I think I may pick up some more yeast on the way home and give her a second chance to make me more drunk. Thanks again for the advice . . . very helpful!

keep in mind that TOO much yeast can lead to off flavors in the beer. (so I've read.)

I honestly care more about the taste of my beer and the color of my underwear than I do anout the alcohol content of my beer, so I just let it ferment, bottle it, and drink it.

I actually don't like being DRUNK. A nice light buzz is more than enough, and I don't get bent out of shape if I have a couple beers and feel no buzz. As long as they went down smooth and tasted good, I am a happy camper.

-walker

I'll go easy on the new yeast . . . maybe a half packet or whatever the guy at my homebrew store recommends. It would just break my heart for my first batch in 3 years to not make me drunk!!

what was your starting gravity prior to the onset of fermentation?

-walker

According to the recipe, it was supposed to be 1.044. But . . .

When I poured my wort into the primary, I never mixed it up to aerate it after I topped it off. My original SG was 1.033, but I think that is because the reading was taken from the top of the bucket, which I think had an unrepresentative sample since I never mixed it up (i.e. it was more watery). I know that’s too low for my beer.

4 days later, it was bubbling less than twice per minute, so I racked it into the secondary and got a SG reading of 1.024.

Two more readings . . . day 7 at 1.020 (must have read it wrong) and day 12 at 1.024.

The final SG for my brew is supposed to be 1.014 to 1.008.

rhinostylee said:

4 days later, it was bubbling less than twice per minute, so I racked it into the secondary and got a SG reading of 1.024.

Two more readings . . . day 7 at 1.020 (must have read it wrong) and day 12 at 1.024.

The final SG for my brew is supposed to be 1.014 to 1.008.

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Are you always taking readings at the same temperature? Also, if I'm reading correctly, you have had the same SG from Day 4 until Day 12 (1.024, assuming this is the correct reading). If that is accurate, I don't think it's going to drop much more.

edit: nm...forgot the context of the original thread! I would rouse it up a bit and see if it starts bubbling/sg dropping again.

this means that your beer currently contains something close to 3% ABV. If you have a six pack of them, I can promise that you will feel it.

I think the Irish Dry Stout style is supposed to be a little under 4%, so you might miss the mark by a bit, but it should still be a pretty good beer.

-walker

Thanks guys . . . I may just bottle it. I'll have 55 bottles to get drunk off of it, which should be plenty!

Pitch some Safale-04. If there is anything fermentable, this yeast will "do" it in 2-3 days. It's a very neutral yeast and doesn't add much to the flavor.

With the addition of a bit more dry yeast for 3-5 days your brew will be fine.

I'd be willing to try some for sure.

homebrewer_99 said:

With the addition of a bit more dry yeast for 3-5 days your brew will be fine.

I'd be willing to try some for sure.

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You know . . . the guy at my brewshop reccommended that I just bottle it as is and start on a fresh brew, which I think I'm going to do. I think, after talking with him, that the problem was fluctuations in temperature. Next time I'm going to keep my fermenters in a water bath.

But I do have some yeast . . . I'm torn! But I sanitized my bottles last night and they'll be ready to go when I get home from work . . .

I ended up pitching a new batch of yeast 5 days ago. It started bubbling up again and I was happy. Now the bubbling in minimal . . . hardly there. Took another SG reading . . . 1.020. WTF? I was hoping I'd be at the target of 1.014 but I just don't think it's going to happen.

I'm wickedly impatient . . . should I wait another week? I kind of just want to bottle it now. Can I bottle it and let whatever remaining fermentation is left happen in the bottle?

You've got a weekend coming, so in the bottles it goes.

Enjoy!

Walker said:

yeah, premature rack-ulation will pretty much hit the breaks on on the gravity. At least, this is my opinion. I rarely use a hydrometer, but I know I have racked a few batches too early.

-walker

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How does moving the beer from the primary to the secondary effect fermentation? I would think it wouldn't, some people dont even use a secondary? The only way it could is if some how you didnt bring over any yeast to the secondary. Isnt that near impossible?

I would think if you moved to the secondary earlier than normal, you would just have more yeast on the bottom when you bottled. Ive been told you want to get the beer of the primary as soon as it calms down a bit, just to get the beer off the mess in the bottom of the primary.

Couldn't even wait until then! They're in the bottles right now. I think it will turn out well. I drank one warm and flat and it was pretty good. This weekend will be dedicated to . . . the next beeer, I can't wait!

rhinostylee said:

Couldn't even wait until then! They're in the bottles right now. I think it will turn out well. I drank one warm and flat and it was pretty good. This weekend will be dedicated to . . . the next beeer, I can't wait!

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I know someone mentioned this but did you compensate for temperature when you took your hydrometer readings?
Your intial may have been much higher than your reading if the wort was still quite warm.

Next batch make sure you swirl and splash the heck out of it to aerate it before you pitch your Yeast. Also make sure you put your dry yeast in a cup of water for 15 minutes before pitching to properly hydrate it.

Have fun and good luck on your next batch!
I'm bottling 10 Gallons tonight. My biggest problem is where to put all the sanitized bottles while awaiting filling!

i put my bottles in clean ice chests i keep a wash tub on the back porch (thats where i do most of my drinking) and i throw the bottles in there with bleach water as i finish them and when i have extra time or i need my washtub its also my wort chiller i clean the bottles and throw em in a ice chest with sanitizer and they sit there till im ready to bottle


it mainly cuts down on having to clean a ton of bottles when that time comes

andrew

Walker said:

I wouldn't throw something away unless it tasted totally rancid and I was physically unable to swallow it.

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LOLOLOL, I don't know why, but that is hilarious to me.