Another stuck fermentation thread

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pokeacow

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So I brewed up a Pale Ale kit from Brew House which is the concentrated wort kit (comes with 15L of wort) which I then add water and top it up to be 20L. OG was 1.060 and it got stuck at like 1.023. I used a dry saffale s05 for this batch. Its been at 1.023 for like 2 weeks now without any change. I've tried swishing around the beer, tried heating it up to 25° but still nothing.

The plan for this kit was to add raspberry for a nice refreshing summer beer so I've gone ahead and put in 1lb of boiled frozen raspberries and not immediately but probably within about 10-15 minutes I saw signs of fermentation from the raspberry juice/fruit start back up but then die down again after 24-36 hours at the same 1.023 FG. So I feel like the yeast is still in there and viable since it can still ferment the fruit, it just doesn't wanna ferment the beer any more. This is odd since I've done a lot of these kits and never had it finish this high before. I will say that this is my first time using S05 with it though.

I'm hoping the extra sweetness leftover will go well with the raspberry profile but I have no idea what a beer with a higher FG like that will taste like. Should I not get my hopes up? Do you guys think this ones gonna take kinda funky after its all said and done?
 
Have experienced this myself so many times. From what I've researched and experienced, it was probably a temperature issue when you pitched the yeast or maybe during fermentaiton. Now I cool it extra low and I put in 2 packets of yeast because I'm paranoid. You can add champagne yeast and see if it wants to work on left over sugars, could help a bit. Honestly I think at this point you're in for just a beer that's possibly sweeter than you wanted but don't judge until it's carbonated. That will lighten it. Don't give up because you could brew another beer at a much lower gravity and blend them. Really, maybe just more work in store for you but there's a solution still for good beer. Very common problem you see posted here over and over.
 
Hi, I see that you haven't responded and I hope I haven't offended you in some way. I'll leave you alone. just had time to kill I'm at a motel in the middle of nowhere. good luck with your brew, sir.

edit: mt. rushmore is here though, i noticed earlier today on my way to find coffee. Good luck with the stuck brew, I know it will turn out fine

edit: A guy next to me in the lobby said just because I can see mt. rushmore doesn't mean its here, i guess it's a bordering town. I told him why he is watching over my shoulder, typing this post to you! Good luck with your recipe, it's going to be great when its done. Keep track of what you did. I'm headed home in a few hours. Driving all night then right to work. Good luck.
 
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Don't Worry! Relax! Have a Homebrew!

A search for brewhouse pale ale FG yields many similar results.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/fermentation-arrest-with-brew-house-kit.441841/ for example.

The fermentability of the wort is set during the mash. Using malt extract you have no control over that process... You probably didn't do anything wrong to cause a higher FG.
When you're comfortable with the basics you could explore building your own "kit" using a recipe (perhaps with higher quality extract). Just need to buy the malt, hops, yeast, and some bulk sanitizer and priming sugar. Maybe take the plunge to all grain where you have a lot more options and control. It's a very rewarding hobby!

I suspect you will find the beer tastes just as good as you'd expect ;)
 
+1 for adding champagne yeast. If you really want it to finish dry get your hands on some saison yeast, that will take it down further than champagne yeast will.
 
I was on my way to the airport to pick up my friend this morning but then it started to rain and I left the top at home so I had to turn back. He was really bummed that he had to take the train into the city instead, but I said to him I'll make it up to you tomorrow Pancho with a few rounds at the bar.
 
I have always called them like I see them, calling balls and strikes when asked my opinion. Gotta give credit where credit is due and say that Mel actually gave the OP some good advice. Even though I know my opinion wasn't asked this time! Good day all!

John
 
I have always called them like I see them, calling balls and strikes when asked my opinion. Gotta give credit where credit is due and say that Mel actually gave the OP some good advice. Even though I know my opinion wasn't asked this time! Good day all!

John
I agree 100%. That's why I seconded his opinion. I'm not sure if mell is a troll or not, so when he acts like one I'll treat him as one, but I'm equally ready to take him 100% seriously. I like mell and I missed him during the great ban of 2018. Welcome back smelly friend.
 
It seems to be fermenting a little more vigorously now and I am hopeful that perhaps it may be unstuck. Its also possible that the bubbles i saw after putting in the raspberries/juices was just degassing and now it has taken off fermenting the fruit sugar and that it will stop again at 1.020 but only time will tell!
 
Well maybe you want to add that champagne or saison yeast, because look what you've done. 1.020 was as much as the yeast felt like going. Now you've added even more sugar (fruit) and lets say now your gravity is more like 1.050 right, and lets say now they don't feel like eating all that sugar too. Now you've got 1.020 + extra fruit sugars = even higher than before. I've done this and used the champagne yeast and got myself from lets say 1.020 to 1.016 and then I could be sure when my friends said it was good, they were lying less than before.
 
Took a reading just now and its down to 1.002. Thats like weirdly low for beer is it not? Very odd
 
Took a reading just now and its down to 1.002. Thats like weirdly low for beer is it not? Very odd

Did you check calibration of your hydrometer? And was the sample at the right temperature? There is some error involved with hydrometers because of human error and co2 dissolved in the sample, among other things.
That is a low fg, but not unheard of..
 
After it sitting for 2 more weeks it still hasnt settled all to the bottom. Its had a gradient of clarity (top clear, bottom hazy) for the last 2 weeks. Im almost thinking the weirdness in my numbers is because all the fermentable stuff has settled into the bottom half of the fermenter and the top is just like water. Is that weird or what? Like the top looks clear explaining the FG of 1.002 and the bottom still looks like unfermented wort. Usually it settled all to the bottom in a matter of days but theres still a stable gradient that isnt changing over time. Im thinking that once I rack from the fermenter to keg itll all mix up again and have a FG of 1.020 due to all the stuff near the bottom half of the solution

 
Stuck the fermenter into the kegerator last night to see if cold crashing would settle everything down and now its been like 12 hours and that whole gradient of particles floating around has settled down to the bottom almost completely. Now the fermenters top 80% is clear and the bottom 20% looks cloudy. Seems odd to me that cold crashing would make such a drastic impact following 2 weeks of room temperature settling
 
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