Stuck Fermentation?

[JBruchwalski]

Okay so I decided to do an easy SMaSH with 2 Row and Cascade using an American Ae Yeast (I will get the specific strain tomorrow morning) and I seem to have hit a wall. I built this recipe because since o switched from extract to BIAB I have had only a handful of successful beers (I may just be too harsh on myself since all the neighbors seem to like the others).

Anyways, my OG was 1.064 and Beersmith was saying I should end up with an FG of approximately 1.011. Unfortunately all fermentation has stopped for about 7-8 days and it stopped at 1.041. That leaves me with around 3% which is half of what I was shooting for. I fermented at a constant 68* with little to no change in temperature. I mashed at 155*. Any help would be appreciated. Should I use some sort of nutrient to see if it'll kickstart them or just live with a 3% beer that is super sweet?

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Two questions to start: how does it taste, and are you using a refractometer?

 

[JBruchwalski]

It tastes a bit sweet and yes I am using a refractometer.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

The sweetness is more of a concern, then, but the gravity number is not. Refractometers are not effective at measuring gravity when alcohol is present, so they are only helpful pre-fermentation. Grab yourself a hydrometer and check the gravity. There ARE some formulas that purport to calculate the current gravity from the refractometer, when the OG is known and the current refractometer reading is known, but I've found them to vary widely from formula to formula, so I just trust my hydrometer.

Once you check the gravity, taste the beer again. It is possible that it's too sweet, but it's also possible that in your mind you expect to find sweetness, so taste more than there is. Carbonation (carbonic acid) can also help balance out a beer. I guess my advice is don't panic yet!

 

[JBruchwalski]

Awesome! So Use my hydrometer and I should get a different reading? Will try it tonight will post the results! I appreciate your help!

Could the sweetness come from the Yeast that was used? I used Wyeast 1272 American Ale II.

 

[JBruchwalski]

It's been a few days but I managed to measure it all tonight. I had an FG of 1.025. Is this to be expected with the yeast i used? I normally use Safale-05.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

With that yeast, at that mash temp, it should be able to get it down further, maybe to 1.018. If it were me, I'd check the gravity again in 4 days to see if it's still moving. The yeast floccs medium, so it shouldn't be an issue of it dropping out too fast, but you could rouse the yeast by swirling your fermenter.

While I've never done it, I understand that adding a currently fermenting yeast starter could help bring it down, or adding a champagne yeast. But again, I'd wait a few days and take another reading first - it may be moving slowly.

 

[JBruchwalski]

Okay. I will wait a few days and post what I have.