Anything I can do to Kickstart Lager Yeast?

[Upthewazzu]

Admittedly, my practices were poor in this case, and many mistakes were made. But, alas, I'm looking for help (although it's probably too late).

Yeast: Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager

On Sun Oct 15th I made a 3.5gal batch of Schwarzbier. I forgot to add whirlflock, yeast nutrient, and did not oxygenate. I also had a total brain fart and mashed at 155° instead of 147°. My starter started very late, and was still going strong on brew day, so I racked the wort to the carboy and placed it into the ferm chamber at 45°F. It sat there for 24 hours before I added yeast (and raised temp to 48°) on Monday Oct 16th. Absolutely no action until Wed Oct 18th. By Friday, the wort had gone from an OG of 1.049 to 1.024. All was good, I thought. Started raising temp by 3° day through yesterday at which point it was at 61°. Took another hydro sample and it's still sitting at 1.021. WTH?!

Is there any chance of salvaging this beer? I'm not sure a sugary sweet 3.7% dark lager is something I want to keep.

 

[Pappers_]

Just let it keep going. From what you say, it hasn't stopped, just slowed down. Lagers are often slower to ferment, in any case. From when you added the yeast, its been nine days. I let my lagers sit at 50F for a month before I even think about a racking and lagering. I know some people speed brew lagers, but I don't see the point.

 

[RM-MN]

Just let it keep going. From what you say, it hasn't stopped, just slowed down. Lagers are often slower to ferment, in any case. From when you added the yeast, its been nine days. I let my lagers sit at 50F for a month before I even think about a racking and lagering. I know some people speed brew lagers, but I don't see the point.

Some of us are older than you. We fear we might die before the batch is done.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Make sure, down the road here, that it truly has stalled by taking frequent grav readings. If after a while it has actually stalled, because you mashed pretty high you could add some amylase to try and finish it off to where it should. Just one option, and this is after you've let time attempt to run its course.

I recently had a similar issue with WLP830 - 16 days at primary had truly stalled it around 60% attenuation (after multiple daily grav readings). I raised the temp for a diacetyl rest but mainly to kick the ferment back up. It took 5 days at 65F to bring it back to where it should have finished.

 

[Morrey]

Some of us are older than you. We fear we might die before the batch is done.

LOL this is akin to saying I won't buy green bananas any longer.

*************

Op, just a cursory question we have all learned to ask....what type of device are you reading your SG with?

Mashing at those temps may have a slight influence, but I don't predict it would finish that sweet as a rule. I just did a Schwarzbier with WLP830 and it finished around 1.012 with some coaxing toward 68F allowing the yeast to finish up. Slow going at 50F, so the bump up will get the yeasties active.

 

[Upthewazzu]

LOL this is akin to saying I won't buy green bananas any longer.

*************

Op, just a cursory question we have all learned to ask....what type of device are you reading your SG with?

Mashing at those temps may have a slight influence, but I don't predict it would finish that sweet as a rule. I just did a Schwarzbier with WLP830 and it finished around 1.012 with some coaxing toward 68F allowing the yeast to finish up. Slow going at 50F, so the bump up will get the yeasties active.

Hydrometer.

I bumped to 66° on the 25th, so I'll let it ride there for a while in hopes that the yeasties wake up and start chowing down. Wyeast says this yeast can be fermented at common lager temps, so I'm ok with this temp for now. I haven't taken a gravity reading since then, but might take another tonight to see if there has been any movement.

I've used WY2007 Pilsen Lager for the last few lagers I've done and they've always been at final gravity within 2 weeks.