No action, but limited fermentation

I'm a newbie, doing my second batch, but have seen the same problem in each.

I'm using the Irish Stout kit from Midwest Supplies. I followed the directions - sanitized everything, ran a full boil, etc. The first batch I did a few months ago I overheated the steeping grains, but this time stayed within 10 degrees of the recommended temp. I ran a full boil for an hour, nearly boiling over multiple times. I cooled the wort until it was room temp, and then added the yeast.

After 3 days, no visible action. So I added another package of yeast. Still nothing.

After two weeks I take a hydrometer reading, and it dropped from 1.40 to 1.20. But no obvious signs of action - no bubbling whatsoever through the trap.

The first time I moved to a glass carboy after two weeks, then bottled after another, and it reached 1.12 - but never got down to the ideal level after three weeks.

My understanding is that after two weeks I should have had further reduction than this. I've looked through the forums and didn't see this specific question. After having the same problem twice, it seems like I'm doing something wrong - but I can't figure out what!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Jim

What temp are you fermenting at? What was the OG? Which yeast?

It could be your getting that high a FG because your doing extract. As for the fermentation.... It can sometimes happen very fast, especially in smaller beers. You can go to work then by the time you come home you've missed it's high krausen and its already slowing down.

jimtincher said:

After 3 days, no visible action. So I added another package of yeast. Still nothing.

After two weeks I take a hydrometer reading, and it dropped from 1.40 to 1.20. But no obvious signs of action - no bubbling whatsoever through the trap.

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It's nice to see airlock activity, but lots of times you'll see none due to a little leak somewhere letting the CO2 escape.

Try this next time -

Unless you're making a starter, don't use liquid yeast unless you pitch multiple packs/vials. Use dry yeast and rehydrate it to get plenty of healthy cells.

Use a thermometer to make sure your wort is close to 65*F before pitching.

Leave it in the primary three weeks then go straight to bottling. There's no reason at all to secondary a stout unless you are adding something in the secondary.

You didn't mention a few important things that can affect fermentation:

1. How/if you aerated the wort before pitching (yeast need O2 to work)
2. Age of yeast (older packets can have less viable yeast than newer ones)
3. Liquid, or dry yeast (age is more of a consideration for liquid)
4. How/if you prepared your yeast (if dry, was it rehydrated; if liquid was it a smack pack & did it fully swell; if not did you let the vial get to room temp; did you do make a starter)
5. What was the temp of fermentation? (Check the yeast's temp range, keep the fermentation at or slightly above the minimum temp).
6. Have you verified your hydrometer is accurate -it should read 1.000 in distilled water (at the temp it was calibrated for - usually 60 or 68).

I can't think of anything else right now that may cause fermentation issues.

These questions may not have been answered or addressed in you instructions. It probably seems pretty frustrating right about now because the instructions make it out to be a simple, straight-forward process. Once you have a baseline understanding of why we do certain things it can be straight-forward.

Good luck!

KeyWestBrewing said:

It could be your getting that high a FG because your doing extract.

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I have to respectfully disagree. I still consider myself a newbie, but I've done about 20 extract batches over the past year. I've never had a batch finish high.

wherestheyeast said:

I have to respectfully disagree. I still consider myself a newbie, but I've done about 20 extract batches over the past year. I've never had a batch finish high.

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I've never brewed extract so I can only say that coming from reading it here dozens of times. About finishing in that 1.020 range. His 1.012 reading is basically fine.

Here's just one of many examples of threads where multiple people mention it.....
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/magical-1-020-fg-384854/

I just brewed this kit. No airlock activity other than a few hours after I swirled it on the 3rd day. Sure enough it still fermented and FG was also 1.012. The kit says FG should be between 1.010-1.012 so it didn't really finish high but pretty much on target.

Thanks, all! It was dry yeast, and I just pitched it. I didn't measure the heat, so that may have been an issue. It felt just a bit warmer than room temperature. But I did add a second package a few days later. I believe it was Lavin? It's the higher-end dry yeast recommended with the kit.

I haven't calibrated the hydrometer, as it's new. The room temp is at 70 degrees.

I'll plan to let it go three weeks and take a new hydrometer reading. If it's still high, I'll let it go a fourth week before bottling.

What's the major impact of bottling at 1.2? Lower alcohol, worse taste, or something else?

jimtincher said:

What's the major impact of bottling at 1.2? Lower alcohol, worse taste, or something else?

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I'm imagining you meant 1.02 and it really depends. My stout finishes out at 1.02 but I want it that way so it has more body. Basically you just have more residual sugar left over than you would at 1.010. So it can influence the taste, making the beer sweeter. It also would have slightly less alcohol. That's about it for the most part.

jimtincher said:

What's the major impact of bottling at 1.2? Lower alcohol, worse taste, or something else?

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I'd be concerned about bottle bombs if fermentation starts up again...

jimtincher said:

Thanks, all! It was dry yeast, and I just pitched it. I didn't measure the heat, so that may have been an issue. It felt just a bit warmer than room temperature. But I did add a second package a few days later. I believe it was Lavin? It's the higher-end dry yeast recommended with the kit.

I haven't calibrated the hydrometer, as it's new. The room temp is at 70 degrees.

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3 things you may want to address on your next batch. They have to do with yeast and temperature (which are closely intertwined) and will help you avoid the kind of problems you're now having.

1) Pitching temp. Try your best to get it down to 64-65*F and verify this with a sanitized thermometer.

2) Rehydrate your yeast (with 100*F tap water - details are described in other posts) to help with better cell survival. Sprinkling dry into wort has been shown to kill up to 1/2 the cells.

3) Ferment temps - In a 70* room, the temp inside the fermenter gets up to about 77-78* when it's active. That's too warm for almost all ale yeasts. The stress will produce off-flavors. You will have to let those condition out over several extra weeks. Some never will. Try to keep it in the mid 60's as measured on the fermenter.

wherestheyeast said:

I'd be concerned about bottle bombs if fermentation starts up again...

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If it's a stable 1.020, that wouldn't be a concern unless you over-prime.