SLOOOOW fermentation help

Hi gang,

I recently brewed a Pliny clone and it was my first time brewing a 9 gallon batch and using my new 12 gallon fermenter. I normally pick up my 5 gallon batches and shake them for aeration but couldn't in this case. I really hadn't thought that aspect through.... I just let the beer splash into the fermenter, but it was more like a trickle out of my plate chiller by gravity.

I pitched a healthy and adequately sized starter of WLP090 SD Super yeast and unfortunately the fermentation has been very very slow going. Its almost 3 weeks now and there is still a thin layer of krausen and the airlock is bubbling once every two seconds. Its been like this for a while now. Usually my IPAs pretty much finish in 3 days with WLP090 and adequate aeration.

So here is my question, I'm thinking of getting things moving along by pitching a packet of US-05 rehydrated to help things along and maybe help clean up any off flavors from the stressed WLP090. I figure since dry yeast doesn't need any aeration supposedly, this could be a good idea.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

Also, I should mention I started out the fermentation at 66F and raised it 1F a day once the krausen started to fall until 70F where its been sitting for about two weeks.

 

Just one: what's the current Specific Gravity?

 

Krausen and bubbling don't mean much. Check your gravity.

 

Read this article from BYO before you freak out any more. http://byo.com/bock/item/1967-pitching-rate-experiment

 

I was planning to check my gravity when the signs of fermentation completed. I usually don't check my gravity until fermentation visually subsides. Just never saw the point.

I'll check it and see what its at. I AM curious, but also with my larger fermenter, I don't have a thief/turkey baster that can reach the beer so that has also been a hang up. I'll have to pick something up.

Thanks for linking the article RM-MN. I haven't read that one before. I have read the brulosophy experiment Shaken vs No Aeration and the beers were pretty identical. I'm not "freaking out" over this by any means. Just wondering if anyone has tried pitching a little dry yeast on a slow fermentation to help things along.

Thanks

 

Could be offgassing of CO2 in solution with fermentation already complete. Try gently stirring and see if the bubbles go away.

 

Ok, so I just got a SG reading, albeit rather ungracefully by using my racking cane.

The beer is at 1.022 currently and the sample is definitely sweet with unfermented simple sugars. On the plus side, I couldn't detect any off flavors but the sweetness may be hiding that. Target FG is 1.010. Its been just about 3 weeks now. This is a very slow fermentation for me using WLP090 and things appear to be slowing even further just based on visual fermentation activity.

So pitch more healthy yeast to help finish up or ride it out??

I'm leaning towards pitching a packet of US-05 to get whats left since dry yeast should be good without O2.

 

OG was 1.070 btw

 

I would probably let it ride, but I am lazy. The clone recipes I am seeing estimate finishing pretty high since it is a big beer starting at 1.070, so although 1.020 sounds high you are really pretty close. Couldn't hurt to pitch US-05 but I would be inclined to let it finish on its own first.

 

You should take another gravity reading in 3 days to see if the gravity is continuing to fall...

If gravity keeps falling, I suggest to let it ride and finish on its own. You don't have much further to go now and won't risk contamination if you leave it alone.

If gravity is not falling, your inital yeast is done and it won't get to where you need it to go. In this case, I suggest adding US-05.

 

fwiw, unless there was something amiss with the original pitch, I'd be surprised if US-05 would out-attenuate WLP090...

Cheers!