kmall002
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- Oct 30, 2019
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Ok, its time to fix this problem. I have been brewing since the beginning of the year. All grain on a Blichmann 10 gal, all electric pilot system. It has a rims rocket unit. The mash ton has a false bottom and I use a sparge arm for fly sparging. I have produced some decent beers that were spot on for OG and FG. Now with what appears to be three in a row, I am hitting good efficiency, spot on for OG but am getting stuck in my fermentations after a few days. This is after rumbling fermentation in the first 24 hours. A few have you had been helping me with one brew, when it was just a one off. Now it seems we have a pattern and I need some help. As such, I am going to explain my brewing process as detailed as I can, so hopefully where I am going wrong will become obvious.
I usually do 5 gallon batches, even though this is set up for 10. As such I can fit all the water I need for mash and sparge in HLT. As such, I have been adjusting my water profile in one addition to all of HLT water. I usually add a campen tablet with whatever additions I need. I use Beersmith for these profile additions as well as recipe construction. I have tried Bru'un water but I just can't seem to figure it out.
My base water profile is:
Calcium - 25.6
Magnesium - 7.0
Na - 22
S04 - 15
Cl - 42
HCO3 - 54
Ph - 7.6
Heat the strike water in HLT, then transfer over to mash tun. I seem to lose more heat in this process than beersmith seems to anticipate and I usually start the rims unit to get the water up to my mash temp is. Usually, I am at 150-152. I usually use a single infusion. I dough in and let it sit for 10-15 with Rims unit running and I check the ph. It is generally a little high (5.6 range) and I adjust with lactic acid down to 5.2 - 5.4. I let the Rims unit run for the duration of the mash which I usually do for 60 min. I will usually stir 3-4 times total during the mash process. I pull a sample and do an iodine test. Usually it is done by this point but on occasion I have had to give it 5-10 more.
When I am ready to sparge, I usually sparge at 168-170. I allow a couple of inches of water to fill above the grain bed, then I start sparging slowly. The whole process often takes me at least 45 minutes. I start without using a pump as gravity seems to help match the flow I want until it gets to a certain level. I generally keep the water at that 2 inch mark above the grain bed. As I move along in the process, I start to take samples of the runnings with the intent to end around 1.010. This seems to happen pretty consistently. This is true for the last 3 that I have brewed that have stuck.
I start the boil kettle and once rolling - I usually do a 60 minute boil. These beers have all been different. One has had more traditional hops in the boil, one they were mostly at whirlpool, and one, no hops at all. I usually add 1/2 teaspoon of white labs nutrient and a whirlfloc tablet (recipe depending) in the last 10-15 min of boil. If there were hops, I usually whirlpool for maybe 20 minutes.
I run the wort through a therminator chiller and into one of my Speidel fermenters. I check the gravity. Then I aerate with a pure 02 bottle with a wand and stone. I usually do 60 seconds. This is one of the areas I have concern as there is just no way to know what your O2 flow rate is on these things.
I then pitch my yeast. The yeast I have been making starters with every batch. I do the same process for all. I use a proper starter can with 16 oz of water (boiled, then chilled), add yeast and put on stir plate for 24 hours. I cover the top with foil.
I put the airlock in and place in the fermentation chamber I built which is controlled by an ink bird - which heats with a Ferm wrap on the wall of chamber and a fan running over the top.
All three beers have been different yeast strains. all Wyeast liquid - 1056 American ale, 1007 German ale, and 1318 London ale III.
As for problems - usually within 12 hours fermentation seems to be quite healthy. Then, they appear to slow up and stop. (OG 1.068 - stops at 1.030, 1.067 - stops around 1.030, 1.047 - seems to be stopping at 1.023 [this is a sour that has lacto in it. It is only on day 5 but has been at this gravity for days - I used 2 good belly shots at 20 bil cells each and I am at 3.75 today. Seems to have slowed at the same time the yeast did]).
The first was an American IPA that I had done before (in what I believe to be the same process) I tried swirling, raising temp, trying a different hydrometer, trying a refractometer with calculator - all with no effect. In desperation, I pitched another packet of yeast (however all I had was a WLP001). Over the course of a week it trimmed it down to 1.020. Which is where I pulled it yesterday and cold crashed it. I don't think I can get any more than that. (small note - the one I did of this before that turned out great, I used a small amount of acidulated malt to see if I could hit a good mash ph without lactic acid addition on the fly. It actually worked too well and I had to adjust up with calcium carbonate).
The second is the juicy bits NEIPA. I followed the recipe to the letter (this one did involve mash step temperature raise at the end). Its now on its 12th day. We seem to be stuck around 1.030 as well. Dry hops are called for around 1.022 - 1.020. I have yet to add them. I will say this one smells fantastic before I have even added dry hops. The recipe called for slow increase in temp to get to 73, which is what I did and where it has been for a few days. I have swirled this one as well. Not moving.
The last one - which I think the jury may still be out on, is a gose. Again, that I have done before - although this time I pitched the lacto and the yeast at the same time (vs kettle sour last time) and I did add lactose at the end of the boil (which I didn't do before). This one I used a tilt hydrometer for the first time and I have a good look at how its moving. Been stuck at 1.023 for a few days now. I have not added the fruit puree as I want to make sure it is going to turn out as that stuff is costly.
So. Everything I have learned about brewing has been from books, internet, and this forum...and mistakes. I truly want to be better at this and I think the only way is to lay it out there so you all can maybe spot something that isn't so obvious to me. Some thoughts:
Should I be adjusting the ph of my sparge water as by base is 7.6?
Is the RIMS unit affecting this some how? Could it be heating too high? The temp probe is at the output of rims unit. If I bring the flow rate down, is it spending too much time in the RIMS unit heating?
Am I doing something wrong in the mashing or sparging process?
Am I aerating enough? Too much?
Any other information you need, please just ask. Also, if you have any advice on the currently stuck ones, I'm all ears. As I said, I am just trying to get better. I don't want to repeat this. Thanks to any who have taken the time to read this far.
I usually do 5 gallon batches, even though this is set up for 10. As such I can fit all the water I need for mash and sparge in HLT. As such, I have been adjusting my water profile in one addition to all of HLT water. I usually add a campen tablet with whatever additions I need. I use Beersmith for these profile additions as well as recipe construction. I have tried Bru'un water but I just can't seem to figure it out.
My base water profile is:
Calcium - 25.6
Magnesium - 7.0
Na - 22
S04 - 15
Cl - 42
HCO3 - 54
Ph - 7.6
Heat the strike water in HLT, then transfer over to mash tun. I seem to lose more heat in this process than beersmith seems to anticipate and I usually start the rims unit to get the water up to my mash temp is. Usually, I am at 150-152. I usually use a single infusion. I dough in and let it sit for 10-15 with Rims unit running and I check the ph. It is generally a little high (5.6 range) and I adjust with lactic acid down to 5.2 - 5.4. I let the Rims unit run for the duration of the mash which I usually do for 60 min. I will usually stir 3-4 times total during the mash process. I pull a sample and do an iodine test. Usually it is done by this point but on occasion I have had to give it 5-10 more.
When I am ready to sparge, I usually sparge at 168-170. I allow a couple of inches of water to fill above the grain bed, then I start sparging slowly. The whole process often takes me at least 45 minutes. I start without using a pump as gravity seems to help match the flow I want until it gets to a certain level. I generally keep the water at that 2 inch mark above the grain bed. As I move along in the process, I start to take samples of the runnings with the intent to end around 1.010. This seems to happen pretty consistently. This is true for the last 3 that I have brewed that have stuck.
I start the boil kettle and once rolling - I usually do a 60 minute boil. These beers have all been different. One has had more traditional hops in the boil, one they were mostly at whirlpool, and one, no hops at all. I usually add 1/2 teaspoon of white labs nutrient and a whirlfloc tablet (recipe depending) in the last 10-15 min of boil. If there were hops, I usually whirlpool for maybe 20 minutes.
I run the wort through a therminator chiller and into one of my Speidel fermenters. I check the gravity. Then I aerate with a pure 02 bottle with a wand and stone. I usually do 60 seconds. This is one of the areas I have concern as there is just no way to know what your O2 flow rate is on these things.
I then pitch my yeast. The yeast I have been making starters with every batch. I do the same process for all. I use a proper starter can with 16 oz of water (boiled, then chilled), add yeast and put on stir plate for 24 hours. I cover the top with foil.
I put the airlock in and place in the fermentation chamber I built which is controlled by an ink bird - which heats with a Ferm wrap on the wall of chamber and a fan running over the top.
All three beers have been different yeast strains. all Wyeast liquid - 1056 American ale, 1007 German ale, and 1318 London ale III.
As for problems - usually within 12 hours fermentation seems to be quite healthy. Then, they appear to slow up and stop. (OG 1.068 - stops at 1.030, 1.067 - stops around 1.030, 1.047 - seems to be stopping at 1.023 [this is a sour that has lacto in it. It is only on day 5 but has been at this gravity for days - I used 2 good belly shots at 20 bil cells each and I am at 3.75 today. Seems to have slowed at the same time the yeast did]).
The first was an American IPA that I had done before (in what I believe to be the same process) I tried swirling, raising temp, trying a different hydrometer, trying a refractometer with calculator - all with no effect. In desperation, I pitched another packet of yeast (however all I had was a WLP001). Over the course of a week it trimmed it down to 1.020. Which is where I pulled it yesterday and cold crashed it. I don't think I can get any more than that. (small note - the one I did of this before that turned out great, I used a small amount of acidulated malt to see if I could hit a good mash ph without lactic acid addition on the fly. It actually worked too well and I had to adjust up with calcium carbonate).
The second is the juicy bits NEIPA. I followed the recipe to the letter (this one did involve mash step temperature raise at the end). Its now on its 12th day. We seem to be stuck around 1.030 as well. Dry hops are called for around 1.022 - 1.020. I have yet to add them. I will say this one smells fantastic before I have even added dry hops. The recipe called for slow increase in temp to get to 73, which is what I did and where it has been for a few days. I have swirled this one as well. Not moving.
The last one - which I think the jury may still be out on, is a gose. Again, that I have done before - although this time I pitched the lacto and the yeast at the same time (vs kettle sour last time) and I did add lactose at the end of the boil (which I didn't do before). This one I used a tilt hydrometer for the first time and I have a good look at how its moving. Been stuck at 1.023 for a few days now. I have not added the fruit puree as I want to make sure it is going to turn out as that stuff is costly.
So. Everything I have learned about brewing has been from books, internet, and this forum...and mistakes. I truly want to be better at this and I think the only way is to lay it out there so you all can maybe spot something that isn't so obvious to me. Some thoughts:
Should I be adjusting the ph of my sparge water as by base is 7.6?
Is the RIMS unit affecting this some how? Could it be heating too high? The temp probe is at the output of rims unit. If I bring the flow rate down, is it spending too much time in the RIMS unit heating?
Am I doing something wrong in the mashing or sparging process?
Am I aerating enough? Too much?
Any other information you need, please just ask. Also, if you have any advice on the currently stuck ones, I'm all ears. As I said, I am just trying to get better. I don't want to repeat this. Thanks to any who have taken the time to read this far.
