Stuck Fermentation?

I recently brewed my first AG using the BIAB method 6 days ago. Well, things didn't go as well as I haid hoped when it came to brewing and I ended up with a gravity of 1.058 which sounds pretty low to me. I got to checking gravity again today and it now reads 1.026.

Should I go ahead and repitch more yeast or should I wait a little longer and take another reading?

I used California V WLP051 yeast, pitched at around 65 degrees and it has been sitting in closet with an ambient air temp of about 62. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Had that problem with 051 several batches ago on a 1.078 IPA. Yeast just gave up at 1.026 and no matter of rousing/temp raising would get it to shave any more off. I had some 001 that was washed so I tossed it in. It knocked another 10 points off and I just let it run its course for another several weeks. Batch came out excellent though a touch on the sweet side ... sadly the hops mellowed out a touch with the extra time.

 

a gravity of 1.058 is just fine for most any beer. take a gravity reading 3 days in a row, if it's still at 1.026 you could pitch the same yeast or something like a packet of nottingham to finish it up. or gently swirl the yeast with a sanitized spoon (gently tilt if it's a carboy) and move to a warmer spot to see if the yeast will get back to work. in any event it's too early to be worried.

 

Agree with eastoak ... I let it sit for 16 days, before taking the first of several readings and making the call that the yeast had given up

 

Thanks to the both of you on the quick response. I'll make a quick(Long) trip to my LHBS to have some yeast on hand just for peace of mind.

Also, off topic, but when you guys take a reading do you sanitize your stopper and airlock before you put them back in place?

 

I spritz some foil with sanitizer and cover the bung gently - more to do with keeping dust and other crap out, then being worried about infection or stray yeast. I don't sanitize the spigot (have 2 bottling buckets converted to fermentors) until I bottle... figure stuff can't get in when beer is coming out.

***addendum***
Having read way too much on this and other sites about infections - I fall into the camp of belief that regimented but not paranoid cleaning is what keeps you in the clear. Yeast are pretty resilient creatures - once they take over an environment they do a good job of holding it as their own. I clean all my equipment immediately after use - dry throughly and store inverted/covered. I then re-clean before use and try to time it with bottling something so cleaners/water don't go to waste. Just my 2 cents ...