Beginner's question about lack of fermentation

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psorgatz

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Hi Everybody!
I think I may have a dilemma, but I am not sure. I am currently fermenting a oatmeal raisin stout, (my first high gravity beer). The Original gravity was 1.070, after taking a 2nd reading when racking the beer to secondary the gravity was at 1.028. One week later (today), I took a 3rd gravity reading and it showed about 1.027-1.026, Should I be worried about the lack of fermentation? I tend to worry about these things, and I want to know if there is something I can do. Should I re-pitch the yeast, or is this something that is natural, and I am just overreacting. Any information that could shed some light onto the situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
 
What was the projected final gravity of your recipe?

...also, please check out the threads that are showing up at the bottom of this page. Others have had the same question. You titled your thread well.
 

You shouldn't have racked it off the yeast before you were close to that number and stable over a few days. I know kit instructions say to move it after 'x' number of days, but the instructions have no clue how the yeast are going to perform. You always want to wait until you have a stable gravity for 3 or more days, and that the gravity is on par with the target FG (+/- a few points is normal) before you move it off of the yeast cake, regardless of the reason.
 
NordeastBrewer77 said:
You shouldn't have racked it off the yeast before you were close to that number and stable over a few days. I know kit instructions say to move it after 'x' number of days, but the instructions have no clue how the yeast are going to perform. You always want to wait until you have a stable gravity for 3 or more days, and that the gravity is on par with the target FG (+/- a few points is normal) before you move it off of the yeast cake, regardless of the reason.

Seriously. +eleventy
 
High gravity beers need a big pitch of healthy yeast. Acording to Mr Malty you needed 3.79 liters of starter. If you just pitched a tube or packet of yeast, it will have some effect on the fermentation.

http://www.mrmalty.com/

Yeast will "run out of gas" when worked too hard, and as the alcohol level in the ferment increases, they are stressed. A big pitch will complete the ferment by the time it gets stressed.

That being said, follow the advice of previous posts and monitor the gravity over several days to see if you are indeed stuck. Have patience and give it another week. If you need to re pitch, make a WELL oxygenated starter and pitch at high krausen. Don't aerate your beer in the fermenter.
 
Crap. Is there a solution to this problem or should i just get ready to bottle?

IMHO, the best solution would be to get a pack of a clean and durable dry yeast like us-05, rehydrate and pitch that into the secondary. If there's sugar left to be consumed, us-05 will get at it. Check the gravity after a week, if it's dropped, check it again every 3 days until it's stable. Then package. If it doesn't drop at all in a week after repitching, it's not gonna drop any more and is ok to bottle, despite the high FG.
 
What Nordeast says. Works every time! But I wouldn't bother harvesting the yeast from that batch. Oh, sooooo tired.
 
Thanks everybody. I will try repitching the yeast. And so for next time, I should wait till I get a steady gravity before racking into secondary?
 
What Nordeast says. Works every time! But I wouldn't bother harvesting the yeast from that batch. Oh, sooooo tired.

Personaly, I don't bother with the secondary, but whatever you like. For your next big beer, Pitch plenty of yeast, and give two to three weeks before you do anything. Patience. Big beers need more time. An extra week wont hurt anything.
 
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