Stuck fermentation, what to do?

[jceg316]

Hey everyone. I've had an IPA fermenting for 3 weeks now in primary at 15-20 C. Here's the recipe:

14.4lb marris otter
0.6lb caramalt
0.4lb crystal malt

mashed for 60 mins @ 152f

0.5 oz 60 min Columbus
0.5 oz 60 min Simcoe
1 oz 5 min Simcoe
1 oz 5 min Columbus
1 oz 5 min Centennial

60 min boil
OG: 1.070 @ 78F
Wyeast 1098 British ale

Checked tonight, 3 weeks since I brewed, and gravity reading says 1.030, which it said last week, taken at 14*C. My hydrometer is calculated to 20*C/68*f. it is currently 5.5% but really wanted to get it to over 7%. I understand 1098 can only handle up to around 1.060, so I imagine the yeast has died.

I don't have any more of the same yeast to pitch, closest thing is Wyeast American Ale, but would this be alright to pitch and would it get it down to 1.010? I also have safbrew T-58 and saflager s-23.

In top of all this, I have dried hopped for a week. so there are a load of hops floating on the surface. If I re-pitch should I syphon the beer into secondary and leave there for a week?

Thanks

 

[HaDaL]

Well,are You sure about mash temp?152f is ok for normal wort fermentability and with enough healthy yeast cells+proper fermentation conditions, the FG might be around 1.018 unless your thermometer was off and actually You did mash in higher temp.try to calibrate It with ice water and boiling water to insure about It's accuracy.The alcohol tolerance of the yeast You've used is about 10% ABV and It might not be dead because of alcohol content of such a batch.But it could be disabled because of several reasons like under pitching/unhealthy cells, lack of nutrients/oxygen or unsuitable fermentation conditions such as low temp.If You are sure about pitching enough healthy yeast so You can try to add some DAP ,rousing the yeast sediments and raising It's temp to 22c or so.But if you suspect that You did not pitch sufficient amount of healthy yeast, and also if the solutions mentioned above did not work,You can Prepare a starter and pitch It when It is in peak of fermentation.And finally, if none of these things did not work,the problem is likely because of low fermentable wort that It's solution is adding some amylase enzyme as well as rousing sediments and raising temperature.

 

[flars]

Is the temperature, 14°C, for the hydrometer sample a typing error? If the beer is at 14°C, the fermentation has probably slowed or stopped from the temp being below the optimum for the yeast.

 

[jceg316]

Hey, thanks for your replies.

HaDal - What is DAP? My thermometer works fine, it measures other temperatures very accurately. I don't think I pitches sufficiently, I probably needed about two of those packets.

Flars - my hydrometer is calibrated to 20*C/68*F. I took the temperature and it was 14*f, which may suggest it has slowed down.

I think there might be two issues - I have underpitched and it has slowed down. I will move the beer to a warmer area and see if it helps.

 

[HaDaL]

DAP stands for Di Ammonium Phosphate that is a kind of yeast nutrition.You probably do not need to use it if the problem has been due to the low fermentation temperature.Usually, rousing the yeast sediments and raising the fermentation temp that You have done are sufficient to restart the stuck fermentation.

 

[jceg316]

I have some yeast neutrient which looks fairly generic. I bought it for some plum wine I was making, would that do?

Something I'm concerned about though is having my beer in a plastic tub for too long as air can get in when left for a few weeks. As it is dry hopped already would I need to skim off the hop flowers so it doesn't become over hopped or something?

 

[HaDaL]

I think You've already used too much hops(I guess about 70 IBUs) so do not worry too much about the dry hopping since those hops are just adding aroma to beer rather than increasing It's bitterness.In my opinion hoppy beer is much better than being so bitter.However, If You want You can remove them when racking the beer into another bucket or better than that into a glass carboy.3 weeks primary is normal for such an IPA especially at low temperature and so being 2-3 weeks in secondary as well. Your concern about plastic bucket is correct not only because of being permeable to oxygen but also for releasing chemicals over time in contact with beer alcohols and acids.That is why using of glass or stainless steel is preferred instead of plastics.

 

[jceg316]

Thanks for your help HaDaL. I've moved the beers to warmer temperatures and I'll see whether that works. The moving process also rocked them a bit which helps out the yeast if it has gone dormant.

 

[jceg316]

If anyone is interested, I moved the FV indoors and is now fermenting again, although slowly. I took a reading and is down to 1.020.

 

[HaDaL]

Way to go! Hopefully a great hoppy beer is waiting for you.

 

[John_FL]

I just had nearly the exact same scenario but with WLP007, which I think is similar to if not the same as 1098. I also have a similar grain bill to yours but with lower hops. My batch stalled at 1.03 after 30 days. It was actually a split 10 gallon batch in two fermenters both of which stalled at the same gravity.

I'm attempting the same remediation process as you and will hopefully have similar results. I am glad I ran across this thread as it instilled some hope.

 

[jceg316]

Hi John, good luck with it! What do you want your FG to be?

 

[urg8rb8]

Any luck with this?

 

[jceg316]

Any luck with this?

Not sure if you're referring to me or John but yes I'm happy to say I did. Fermentation carried on and I got the SG down to a respectable level for bottling.

As it's winter now I will have to dust off the immersion heater and use that from now on.

 

[urg8rb8]

Not sure if you're referring to me or John but yes I'm happy to say I did. Fermentation carried on and I got the SG down to a respectable level for bottling.

As it's winter now I will have to dust off the immersion heater and use that from now on.

Both I guess. How far down did you get your final gravity? Did you do anything else besides warming up the beer?

 

[John_FL]

Hey, I was able to rouse my yeast. Rose the fermentation temp. up to 71 degrees and shook. My Gravity is now at 1.015. Checked it this morning. Not sure if it is stable yet. So I guess I had good success.

 

[jceg316]

Hey John good to hear!

Which I guess answers one of your questions urg8rb8: gently rock your FV to rouse the yeast. Try not to shake to much as any further oxygenation at this sage could cause off flavours.

If increasing temp and rousing the yeast still don't work, you can add more yeast. This is probably recommended if you had a particularly high OG.

I got my gravity down to 1.018 in one FV and 1.020, which was still a little high but I used less bottling sugar on bottling.

 

[urg8rb8]

Hey John good to hear!

Which I guess answers one of your questions urg8rb8: gently rock your FV to rouse the yeast. Try not to shake to much as any further oxygenation at this sage could cause off flavours.

If increasing temp and rousing the yeast still don't work, you can add more yeast. This is probably recommended if you had a particularly high OG.

I got my gravity down to 1.018 in one FV and 1.020, which was still a little high but I used less bottling sugar on bottling.

Awesome news guys! My OG was like 1.072. Its at 1.024 after one week of fermentation. I want it to get down to like 1.010.