Stuck Fermentation -

[stavale8099]

I am brewing a high gravity beer OG 1.113 and I believe the fermentation is super stuck. I brewed it about a month ago and the gravity right now is 1.078 (19 plato). After a couple weeks of trying to get it to ferment more (shaking, adding more yeast...it's Wyeast trappist yeast, btw) I aerated it with an o2 stone for 30 minutes per packaging recommendation. That gave it a nice foamy head so I figured it'd be well aerated. I did this on two separate occasions actually and shook the sh*t out of it on two separate occasions as well. 5 gallon batch.
I brewed this high gravity of a beer w/ too few yeast cells, I'm well aware...I actually pitched only 2 packs of wyeast trappist at the beginning. After the fermentation was stuck I pitched 1 more package.

Should I pitch more yeast and re-aerate? I hope this beer doesn't go to waste!
Thanks! Sorry for the noob-move :/

 

[Chant124]

Just did the same thing...I transferred then aerated again and added. SF-05 to finish it...bubbling away now been 5 weeks total so far and have never had that happen.

 

[stavale8099]

Was your gravity similar to mine? Did you just add one pack?

 

[Chant124]

1.096 and I used 3724 which is very slow as it is....I aerated and swirled periodically to keep it going...dropped to 1.050 after 3 weeks and I added 3711 with very little change after 2 weeks...now it's chugging along after I pitched the whole pack and used pure O 2 for 30 seconds. I have a nice Krausen again so I think its will be fine and it smells great. I used a pump to aerate when I first pitched and mid way I bought pure O2 and have since brewed anothe Saison with Mangrove Jacks and the fermentation has been explosive.

 

[stavale8099]

1.096 and I used 3724 which is very slow as it is....I aerated and swirled periodically to keep it going...dropped to 1.050 after 3 weeks and I added 3711 with very little change after 2 weeks...now it's chugging along after I pitched the whole pack and used pure O 2 for 30 seconds. I have a nice Krausen again so I think its will be fine and it smells great. I used a pump to aerate when I first pitched and mid way I bought pure O2 and have since brewed anothe Saison with Mangrove Jacks and the fermentation has been explosive.

Yeah you know - maybe I just need pure O2....thanks!!!

 

[JonM]

If you add O2 now, you'll probably wind up with oxidation.

Id it was me, I'd make a patersbier with the same trappist yeast. When it's done, rack the high gravity batch onto its cake. I've done that to unstick stuck fermentations in the past, and it works like a charm.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/psa-foolproof-stuck-ferment-fixer-72072/

 

[73standard]

I am brewing a high gravity beer OG 1.113 and I believe the fermentation is super stuck. I brewed it about a month ago and the gravity right now is 1.078 (19 plato). After a couple weeks of trying to get it to ferment more (shaking, adding more yeast...it's Wyeast trappist yeast, btw) I aerated it with an o2 stone for 30 minutes per packaging recommendation. That gave it a nice foamy head so I figured it'd be well aerated. I did this on two separate occasions actually and shook the sh*t out of it on two separate occasions as well. 5 gallon batch.
I brewed this high gravity of a beer w/ too few yeast cells, I'm well aware...I actually pitched only 2 packs of wyeast trappist at the beginning. After the fermentation was stuck I pitched 1 more package.

Should I pitch more yeast and re-aerate? I hope this beer doesn't go to waste!
Thanks! Sorry for the noob-move :/

My imperial stout was stuck that high too. I think it was from underpitching by 50% or so. I tried adding more yeast with no success. Then I made a starter of White Labs 099 and slowly fed my stuck beer to it. When it reached a gallon I moved it to a carboy then fed it a gallon every 2 days. The 5 gallons is now at 1.027 from 1.080 (OG was 1.13). But there's a strange sweetness to it that I think may be an off flavor from the WLP099 or fermenting too hot or something.

 

[peterj]

OP, please tell me you were measuring this with a hydrometer and not a refractometer. Refractometers are not accurate after fermentation has begun. That much aeration to a finished beer is going to make it very oxidized.

 

[Smellyglove]

What peterj said. Hydro or a unconverted fracto?

Besides. shaking the s**t out of it and adding more o2 will most likely oxidize it. Don't do that. I'd try to pitch an active starter. Maybe 3711? (If it's not a fracto error-measurement). It seems a bit early to stuck, unless you didn't o2 it or pitched way to few buddies.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Here are some reasons your fermentation may get stuck:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/11/top-ten-reasons-why-your-final-gravity.html

Here are some things you might try to get it going again:
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/11/top-ten-ways-to-restart-fermentation.html

 

[SaguaroMan]

Try some Fermaid K. That helps with stuck fermentations.

 

[Chant124]

I just brewed a Quad last weekend and used the Mangrove Jacks M27 belgian yeast and it went from 1.089 to 1.009 in 5 days in the same conditions as the 3724...will wait and see if the taste difference is worth using the dry yeast but there was no swirling or babysitting.

 

[stavale8099]

So I did use a refract but corrected with OG - good point though I could throw my hydrometer in there to get a more accurate reading. I'll do that tomorrow!! I heard that since the gravity is still so high that I don't have to worry about oxidation and that until it gets around 1.03 or so only then would have to worry about it. I'm going to throw the hydrometer in there and start with that. Maybe I'll make a starter this weekend and get some O2 unless the majority here thinks it willjust oxidize it. On that note, pitching more yeast will require more O2 so...?

 

[stavale8099]

Also I do have an honey kolsch that just finished fermenting. If I racked onto that cake I wonder how it'd turn out...interesting to say the least...also I dont think that yeast would be tolerant enough of the alcohol content. I'll look into a patersbier. Never had one. Thanks!

 

[JonM]

This one is fan-freakin-tastic.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/patersbier-all-grain-kit.html

 

[stavale8099]

OK!!! Patersbier FERMENTING vigorously Can't wait to A) Try it and B) rack my quad right on top of the trub. What a great idea!

 

[stavale8099]

OK Update:

So I brewed the Patersbier and transferred my stuck quad on top of the trub - it fermented a little bit, but not enough. My OG was 27 and now it's still 16!!!! UGH!! I swirled and mixed up the new yeast bed real good too - maybe I should have aerated as well. What a mess.
Ideas? Fermaid K????
best,
Eric

 

[helibrewer]

Your quad OG was 27 or it stuck at 27?

If this is your high gravity that started at 113 then 80% attenuation would get it to 23.

It's a bit confusing to me which beer you have where

 

[stavale8099]

ha, sorry...the OG of my quad was ~26-27. It's stuck at 16 right now. I dumped the stuck quad on top of the patersbier trub to try and get it fermenting again. I wonder if I should stir up all the goodness onthe bottom, aerate it, and see if it will go any more...I feel like I've done this before though. Thoughts?

 

[Yooper]

ha, sorry...the OG of my quad was ~26-27. It's stuck at 16 right now. I dumped the stuck quad on top of the patersbier trub to try and get it fermenting again. I wonder if I should stir up all the goodness onthe bottom, aerate it, and see if it will go any more...I feel like I've done this before though. Thoughts?

Let's see, if it was at 26-27 for an OG that would be around 1.112 (assuming 26.5). If it's 16 brix now, as shown by a refractometer, then it should be around 1.035, but I'd check with a hydrometer because that is just a guess for me based on my experiences with a refractometer once fermentation has started. A refractometer is pretty useless for finished beer, although there are some free calculators on the internet that can guesstimate it decently from what I"ve heard- I've never found one that is accurate. If it is `1.036 or thereabouts, it's over 10% ABV and so it's finished.

It's already been repitched, and I would NOT stir or aerate it at this point. It will ruin the beer.

 

[stavale8099]

I'll throw the hydrometer in it....for the refract I just used web based calc (got used to not using the hydrometer once the refract was purchased.) I'll try this tonight and update.


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[stavale8099]

OK - it is 1.036!!! I was hoping to get it down to about 1.02 but I may have to settle for this...
I wasn't aware of how off a refract can be so I think I'll stick to using the refract for OG and the hydro. for FG.