Possible stuck ferm help pelase

[USMChueston0311]

So i brewed an oatmeal stout.

Recipe is beerwreckdus from NHBA. Starting gravity according to TILT was 1.073 (supposed to be 1.080 according to beer smith, and 1.076 according to recipe) I broke my hydrometer right before post boil/OG reading so no idea other than TILT.

Beersmith final is 1.025, recipe is 1.021

• 12 lb. (5.44 kg) Malteurop pale two-row malt
• 12 lb. (5.44 kg) Crisp Maris Otter pale malt
• 4 lb. (1.81 kg) 412° L Simpsons chocolate malt
• 2.5 lb. (1.13 kg) flaked oats
• 2.5 lb. (1.13 kg) flaked barley
• 2.25 lb. (1.02 kg) 105° L Simpsons DRC malt
• 1.5 lb. (0.68 kg) Gambrinus honey malt
• HOPS
• 2.5 oz. (71 g) East Kent Goldings, 5% a.a. @ 60 min
• 1.25 oz. (35 g) Northern Brewer, 8% a.a. @ 60 min
• 2.5 oz. (71 g) East Kent Goldings, 5% a.a. @ 10 min
• YEAST
• 3 vials White Labs WLP028 Edinburgh Ale

My 2 step yeast started got too hot around 78-79 and I came home to a blow up with lord knows how much missing yeast.

My gravity has been stuck at 1.030 for 2 days, on day 3-4.

I just roused the yeast with co2, through my carb stone, in my spike CF15.

Any suggestions, or thoughts?

It tastes good, a little thick, and kind of sweet but not anything bad etc. My mash temp was 156-157 maybe a degree more.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

I'm doing a 1.090 wee heavy with 028 right now. i'm still slowly bubbling at day 6 at 65F.

It is voracious but 78F is not going to kill it (it may be a bit estery though). It is also a lower attenuating yeast so don't expect super low finals. Being 5 points away from expected terminal at day 3 or 4 is no big deal. I also have no faith in tilts. If you have just a few bubbles stuck in the yeast gack on the thing it could read high.

If you lost some yeast on the blowover, it will keep multiplying as needed but may lag for a day or so.

Let it run at least 3 more days and assure there is zero airlock activity before continuing. You have a fairly big beer with lots for the yeast to chew on.

As far as being a bit "thick" still... with your recipe i can see that. And "sweet", yes, at a 157 or higher mash and maybe not quite done yet, I would expect that too I'll bet your brew will turn out just fine.

 

[Calder]

What temp did you mash at?

SoCal said the yeast was a low attenuator (I don't know that yeast), so if you mashed high, that could be the issue.

Another possibility; did you use a refractometer and not correct for the alcohol?

I don't think 1.070/1.080 is a particularly big beer that should cause most yeasts a problem.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

After a bit of research, I chose 028 to save some sweetness/maltiness and body in a Wee Heavy (strong Scottish ale) without using crystal malts or obvious unfermentable sugars. It's for a club competition so i'm trying hard to hit center of the style guidelines. I also shot for neutral to light esters (hence fermenting at 65F instead of higher temps)

Expect about 70% attenuation in optimal conditions (i've been seeing 65ish% in past brews with it). It's alcohol tolerance is 8% to 12% so he should be ok at 1.075 OG or so, but I would expect to see some slowing and gradual finishing. It's a great yeast for big beers that you don't want "dry". Nottingham would also be a good option. At the high temps he ran for a while, i would expect some pear and melon type esters (according to the strain specifications). Might actually be kinda yummy with his grain bill though, ide love to taste it. the MO, honey malt, and oats are intriguing with a bit of light fruit on the nose.

 

[USMChueston0311]

So I did rouse it an hour ago. It’s currently at 69.

So just let it ride for another 3-4 days before dumping and cold crash?

First time brewing this recipe and using this yeast so idk what to expect. Maybe shouldn’t have entered it into nationals but who knows. My other beers usually turn out delicious!

 

[USMChueston0311]

And

I'm doing a 1.090 wee heavy with 028 right now. i'm still slowly bubbling at day 6 at 65F.

It is voracious but 78F is not going to kill it (it may be a bit estery though). It is also a lower attenuating yeast so don't expect super low finals. Being 5 points away from expected terminal at day 3 or 4 is no big deal. I also have no faith in tilts. If you have just a few bubbles stuck in the yeast gack on the thing it could read high.

If you lost some yeast on the blowover, it will keep multiplying as needed but may lag for a day or so.

Let it run at least 3 more days and assure there is zero airlock activity before continuing. You have a fairly big beer with lots for the yeast to chew on.

As far as being a bit "thick" still... with your recipe i can see that. And "sweet", yes, at a 157 or higher mash and maybe not quite done yet, I would expect that too I'll bet your brew will turn out just fine.

I got my new hydrometer in the mail and it’s reading 1.030 so tilt isn’t too far off.

Sucks not knowing what my actual OG was though. Note to self I already knew to have multiple hydrometersnbut I broke my own rule when I broke my one and only.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Yeah, I would say give it 2 to 3 days and convince yourself it's truly inactive and finished. 69 is a good temp.

One of the most common mistakes in brewing, that I see when judging, is taking the beer off the yeast too soon. Patience! Let it feel the love. Of course that doesn't mean weeks and weeks. When that happens, fatty acids decompose and your beer tastes like soap. Even if you left it a week, you'll be fine.

 

[USMChueston0311]

The recipe OG and FG is way lower than beersmith a predictions when I entered recipe. Idk what’s going on with that. Just worried this batch won’t turn out.

Btw I brew on a 20 gallon blichmann eherms system, with a spike CF15 w glycol chiller and heating blanket.

After this batch I will grow starters up from slants/plates, just didn’t have this strain banked so built starter from one pack.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

100 things could have skewed the recipe a little. Don't fret 5 points. Old grain, wierd batch of grain, different maltster than the one in beersmith's library, the moon was in the wrong position, over/under shot the sparge/preboil volume, over/under shot the post boil volume, no big thing. You are nowhere near the "i trashed it" realm. Keep notes and adjust next time.

I slant all my yeasts. Got real tired of buying a gamble on dead or near-dead yeast. Takes a while to ramp them up, but I know I have viable yeast every time.

Do a slant of the yeast you have now, no need to wait until you order it again. You have live slurry in the bottom of the fermenter. Streak a plate if you like or get the inoculation loop into the slurry and go right into the slant. If it grows on the agar, you got viable cells. probably best of you separate it out a bit first.

 

[USMChueston0311]

I already slanted and played this strain. When I made the starter.