Fuggles IPA Stuck?

[Nytelyte]

First brew, Fuggles IPA kit from Midwest. My target OG was 1.042 - 1.046. I measured 1.048, rationalized that as OK cause I did a full 5 gal boil instead of the partial + cooling water. Cooled in a big plastic tub w/ ice, got down to 70 degrees in about 23 min, pitched the dry yeast with the kit, topped, airlocked and had a craft brew (no homebrew yet).

It has had one week @ between 62 - 65deg. It bubbled hard after about 20 hours (I was at work and it was bubbling when I got home) for about 24 hours (+ or - a few).


After one week @ between 62 - 65deg its sitting at 1.020, my target was 1.010 - 1.012. So I'm a little bit high, a whole % off on abv, which is disappointing. It smelled fantastic, and you can see where it krausened up and dropped back in. There are still some small bubbles floating on the top, not infection looking, but healthy beer looking based on pics I've seen on here.

Anything I can / should do? Did a lot of reading on here, passed the part where it said 'RDWHAHB' and to the point of wondering what can be done to fix this. Fermenting too cold? Shake it up a little without aerating it?

Thoughts / suggestions / snide remarks? I'd like to get this sorted, I have a cherry wheat waiting for the primary (SWMBO's pick), and am anxious to keep going.

Thanks in advance! I've learned a lot from here.

 

[daksin]

I'm confident you'll get your fill of snide remarks, so here's a suggestion:

I would definitely let it sit at least another week, 2 would be better. You don't know it's stuck unless you've measured the same SG twice more than a week apart. Fermentation usually starts off gangbusters and then slows down as food for the yeast becomes more scarce and alcohol concentrations rise.

If after a week, you find out it really is stuck (which I doubt) try this (but not YET!)

Warm it up few degrees (70ish) and swirl the fermentor to rouse some yeast. That should get you going.

On bigger beers where stuck fermentation is more likely, I've had good luck boiling a couple ounces of sugar with some yeast (yes, boil the yeast for nutrients) in some water and then adding that to the stuck fermentation, along with the previous tip.

Next time, though, make a starter (liquid yeast) or properly rehydrate your dry yeast: 90F water only!

good luck!

 

[KIAKillerXJ]

....and often extract batches will stop at 1020

 

[daksin]

....and often extract batches will stop at 1020

this is a myth. Stop telling people that. Extract beers can finish just as low as all-grain beers. A lot of new brewers use extract, and a lot of new brewers use poor brewing technique like underpitching, which is why you hear of this happening.

 

[DamageCT]

I find that without proper airation all of my extracts seemed to stop at 1020.
Once I bought Williams Oxygenation Wand and a stir plate I started hitting lower.