Stuck fermentation

[jakead]

Hey guys need a little advice over here. I have a coffee stout in the primary and I have stalled out at about 1.022. Took the hydro over 3 days.

My question is do I need to get the same yeast (WLP 013 London Ale) to dump back in or can I use a packet of Nottingham that I have sitting in the fridge. Not sure if the local HBS has the WLP so I might be able to get close but if I can use the nottingham that would probably be best for me.

Thanks for the help.

 

[manticle]

Lots of things to do before adding new yeast.

Firstly what's the recipe and expected FG. Did you use lactose and/or lots of dme? That can mean you'll finish high.

If this is not the answer and you think it really is stuck, look at giving the fermenter a gentle swirl and maybe allowing the temp to come up a couple of degrees (I'm Australian so my degrees are celsius).

If that doesn't work, you can rack the beer.

Final option is adding more yeast. Best to make a starter, even if it's dried yeast before adding it in.

 

[jakead]

It was an extract recipe that I have now lost but I believe my FG was supposed to be around 1.014. I used LME and made a starter. We hit a cold streak over the weak and the temp kept falling to 64 F which is low for this yeast. I have tried warming it up and giving it a bit of a swirl but for 3 days now no change in hydro reading.

 

[manticle]

I haven't used Nottingham but there's a chance it could strip out some of the profile from the London ale.

Has all the krausen disappeared or is there a bit of foam left? If there is you could top crop and build up a starter in easier conditions. I shouldn't need to stress cleanliness and sanitation when doing this.

I'd try racking first (if you have a spare fermenter). If you do rack and you're unable to top crop, you could do a similar thing - reserve slurry from the first and build up a starter. If you are adding new yeast (even if you end up adding the dried) you want it to be already working.

 

[jakead]

All the krausen is gone for sure. Should I just rack and then see what I get?

 

[manticle]

I'd rack it and reserve some of the slurry from the first fermenter. Look up washing yeast and see if you can build a starter from it while you wait and see what happens. Worst comes to worst you can save the slurry from that starter and have some more london yeast on hand for another time.

I'm assuming you've done all the other kinds of things like calibrating your hydrometer in 20 deg Celcius water etc?

 

[jakead]

Oh yea, I've done all I can to get this one going and make sure my readings are right. I will rack tonight and try the slurry recapture. Thanks for the help.

 

[manticle]

Make sure you're clean and sanitary with everything. The last thing you'd want to do is infect your brew because of reusing yeast. Boiled cooled water and stirring type of instrument, funnel, starter vessel etc clean and sanitised etc.

I'm sure you already know but it's worth re-iterating.

 

[jakead]

So I racked to secondary and saved some yeast from the primary, made a starter, and pitched it about 4-5 days ago. Still nothing. Should I pitch the notty or just move to bottling the batch?

 

[hairy]

I jad a similar problem to you a few weeks back. I kegged it nonetheless and the result is 2 x 5L mini kegs being blown out of shape. it is scary to think about because the keg was literally out of shape and releasing the pressurised beer is not only dangerous and wasteful, it created such a mess.

Exploding bottles and kegs are scary to think about and I would think that the beer would benefit from an extended primary fermentation. Up to 3 weeks, most yeasts do not develop off flavours in the primary. You might just want to warm the fermenter up to ensure fermentation is complete.