Fermentation stalled at 1.070

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Imperial Pumpkin Stout here. O.G. of 1.138, pitched two US-05 packets for a 2 gallon batch, and 2 weeks later it's stuck. Been fermenting at house temp which has varied between 65 and 72 degrees.

What's a guy to do here? Pitch some yeast nutrient? Make a starter? I can't imagine two full packs of US-05 stalling out after only 4 points or so - did that high gravity stress that many cells that much?

FWIW it did take a good 48 hours for fermentation to start.

Thanks!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

not enough oxygen?

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

not enough oxygen?

Should I swirl the bucket around some?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

that high of gravity is going to take a lot of nutrients and oxygen and expect a good lag time just to start, your right on the borderline of 3 packs of yeast so yes swirl but if not enough oxygen was used it won't matter

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

that high of gravity is going to take a lot of nutrients and oxygen and expect a good lag time just to start, your right on the borderline of 3 packs of yeast so yes swirl but if not enough oxygen was used it won't matter

By saying it won't matter does that mean this batch is toast?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

all you can do is give it a swirl or add more yeast shake it and wait another week

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

US-05 should be OK at that gravity but it may crap out. Anything over 1.100 I give it an extra hit of O2 at 12-18 hours in the fermenter. At 1.070, I'm not sure if you can give it any more O2 now. You may need to give it a swirl and pitch some WLP099 or something similar. I've had success in these situations pitching fresh yeast with some added sugar to jump start the new yeast.

 

[IslandLizard]

Is 1.070 a refractometer reading?

 

[Rob2010SS]

I had a bit of success by rehydrating 2 packs of us05 and pitching those when I had a stalled fermentation.

On big beers like this, I have no data to back it up but oxygen is a crucial part I think. Like someone else mentioned, using oxygen pre pitch and again 12-18 hours post pitch, and using enough yeast. I would have used 3, maybe 4 packs or built up a large starter for this one myself.

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Is 1.070 a refractometer reading?

No, a hydrometer reading.

I'm going to try to sanitize an egg beater and whisk it up really good to see if it does anything.

 

[balrog]

better to stir up the cake with a long sanitized spoon carefully than mix in lots of oxidizing potential with a whisk

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Well I whisked it till there was a thin layer of froth on top and added some sugar water with a half packet of yeast. I also placed the bucket in some warm 70 degree water. We will see what happens.

I had a peanut butter and jelly beer that stalled out at 1.032 likewise and I ended up having to dump it last night after no activity in 15 days with a whole additional packet of yeast.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Well I whisked it till there was a thin layer of froth on top and added some sugar water with a half packet of yeast. I also placed the bucket in some warm 70 degree water. We will see what happens.

I had a peanut butter and jelly beer that stalled out at 1.032 likewise and I ended up having to dump it last night after no activity in 15 days with a whole additional packet of yeast.

Like the previous post said, i wouldn't have whisked it. A gentle stirring to stir up the yeast would have been better.

Whoaaaa you dumped it because it wouldn't drop lower? Did you try it first? Maybe it was still drinkable...

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Like the previous post said, i wouldn't have whisked it. A gentle stirring to stir up the yeast would have been better.

Whoaaaa you dumped it because it wouldn't drop lower? Did you try it first? Maybe it was still drinkable...

Nah, I tried it. it wasn't beer. It was basically malt soda (minus the carbonation).

 

[dmtaylor]

Yeast does fall asleep when it produces too much alcohol.

 

[GnenieGone]

Imperial Pumpkin Stout here. O.G. of 1.138, pitched two US-05 packets for a 2 gallon batch, and 2 weeks later it's stuck. Been fermenting at house temp which has varied between 65 and 72 degrees.

What's a guy to do here? Pitch some yeast nutrient? Make a starter? I can't imagine two full packs of US-05 stalling out after only 4 points or so - did that high gravity stress that many cells that much?

FWIW it did take a good 48 hours for fermentation to start.

Thanks!

Oxygen and low pitch rate is your problem. Next time, I'd suggest brewing a smaller 6% beer first. Now you have plenty of yeast. After brewing the big beer. Mix the wort back and forth between 2 fermenters to oxygenate and divide in half. After 12hrs go back and mix back and forth again. This will reoxygenate and keep them seperated until fermented out.

I've done 12% doing this way. Before I did this technique I did what you did and had multiple failures, about 10% was the max. A HBT guy told me about this process and It worked great ever since.

And yes, the choice of yeast is important. I've not heard of someone using 05 for a 15% beer. Don't forget nutrients.

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Oxygen and low pitch rate is your problem. Next time, I'd suggest brewing a smaller 6% beer first. Now you have plenty of yeast. After brewing the big beer. Mix the wort back and forth between 2 fermenters to oxygenate and divide in half. After 12hrs go back and mix back and forth again. This will reoxygenate and keep them seperated until fermented out.

I've done 12% doing this way. Before I did this technique I did what you did and had multiple failures, about 10% was the max. A HBT guy told me about this process and It worked great ever since.

And yes, the choice of yeast is important. I've not heard of someone using 05 for a 15% beer. Don't forget nutrients.

would you maybe suggest splitting the batch into two fermenters and pitching yeast in each one? Then at bottling time just rack both of them into the bottling bucket? That way there's more even yeast distribution and they might not tire out as easily?

 

[GnenieGone]

would you maybe suggest splitting the batch into two fermenters and pitching yeast in each one? Then at bottling time just rack both of them into the bottling bucket? That way there's more even yeast distribution and they might not tire out as easily?

I have not tried that method. Possibly better yeast pitch rate but you'll still have to reoxygenate at 12hrs. I did keep them seperate throughout the procees and had a coconut and coffee/vanilla RIS in the end.

I figure brewing a 6% prior to the big beer I get 5 extra-gallons of an easier drinking beer after. Just did that with my current quad, brewed a dubble first. Have an 8% Old Rasputin Clone which a 12%er RIS will be brewed on top of that. It's better to have too much beer, right? I've done 3 generations of this method before finally dumping.

I'm not sure I can help with your current delema. Nothing ever worked for me. Reoxygenating, pitching more yeast, nor sacrificing a small animal never worked. I just moved on. Some mentioned using amylese...sp??.. but supposedly it eats everything so didn't give it a go. Allthough maybe try it with half then blend the 2 fermenters??

 

[S-Met]

I have not tried that method. Possibly better yeast pitch rate but you'll still have to reoxygenate at 12hrs. I did keep them seperate throughout the procees and had a coconut and coffee/vanilla RIS in the end.

I figure brewing a 6% prior to the big beer I get 5 extra-gallons of an easier drinking beer after. Just did that with my current quad, brewed a dubble first. Have an 8% Old Rasputin Clone which a 12%er RIS will be brewed on top of that. It's better to have too much beer, right? I've done 3 generations of this method before finally dumping.

I'm not sure I can help with your current delema. Nothing ever worked for me. Reoxygenating, pitching more yeast, nor sacrificing a small animal never worked. I just moved on. Some mentioned using amylese...sp??.. but supposedly it eats everything so didn't give it a go. Allthough maybe try it with half then blend the 2 fermenters??

If it were a last resort before dumping, I'd consider making a 1/2L starter with dme and ec-1118.and dump into reoxygenated wort. I would also plan on minimum 6-9 months ageing.

 

[IslandLizard]

Recently I put some detailed ideas in this thread where the "new OP" (read from post #67, onward) resurrected his tenaciously stalled beer using a good Belle Saison starter at full krausen. I would aim for a pint starter in your case, and a half pack of Belle. Seal the rest of the pack well and put in the freezer to make a Saison or so with. Use within the next few weeks after making a 1 liter sized starter from it.

Wine/champagne yeast is going to do diddly on maltotriose, which may be part of your stalled culprit.

I don't know why you suddenly decided to whip your beer and potentially oxidized the bejeezus out of it. Once alcohol is formed oxygen becomes the enemy, and should be avoided at all cost.

 

[jfolks]

A beer this strong needs pure o2 (on brew day and 12 hours later), actively fermenting yeast (a starter), yeast nutrient, and temp control (ferment at 66-68*). High gravity beers like this are tough without the fancier equipment

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Update : we have krausen! A big fluffy layer!

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

I'm learning a lot in this thread. Yes it's possible I oxidized the beer, but if I was going to end up dumping it anyways had it not taken off, what does it matter?

 

[GnenieGone]

Don't think you understand. You need to oxygenate prior to fermentation. Oxygenarion of the beer is after fermentation.

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Don't think you understand. You need to oxygenate prior to fermentation. Oxygenarion of the beer is after fermentation.

No, I think I do understand. I simply wanted to see if this beer would start fermenting again even if I'm going to get some cardboard flavors from it.

It's a learning process dude and I don't think you understand that.

 

[the-adjunct-hippie]

Thanks to the people that actually gave me "helpful" responses in this thread.

 

[kingmatt]

Once you get in the +1.090 SG range you really need to baby the wort/beer and make sure you do everything possible for a clean, healthy, fully attenuated fermentation. That starts with building a recipe that will give you wort that actually can ferment our to your desired FG (grain selection, PH, mash temps). Then a correct pitch rate of healthy yeast, proper oxygenation (usually in multiple steps), nutrients addition, temp control etc.

It is one of the hardest things to get right in brewing IMO and why I usually stick to sub 1.080 beers

 

[Comfort_Zone]

Recipe? US-05 shouldn't crap out at ~9.4%, 12% maybe. Was this extract, all grain? I'll bet dollars to donuts that you have a high proportion of dextrins as pretty much all of the Chico variants can utilize maltotriose fairly well. If all else fails, you could try some belle saison. If that can't lower your gravity then I doing anything else will.

 

[bigdawg86]

You can always buy The Yeast Bay Dry Belgian, do a 2L yeast starter and pitch. It will get it down.

 

[hlmbrwng]

If I'm brewing a beer over 1.100, I will brew the beer to 1.100, let it ferment pretty far down, then slowly add additional sugar over a few days time. Otherwise the yeast might not be able to handle it.

 

[Comfort_Zone]

If I'm brewing a beer over 1.100, I will brew the beer to 1.100, let it ferment pretty far down, then slowly add additional sugar over a few days time. Otherwise the yeast might not be able to handle it.

This is pretty much what I do. I only start adding dextrose once I'm less than 10 points from my targeted FG.