Coopers kit English Stout FG 1.018??

[Suicid]

Hi folks,

I tried make Coopers English Stout following exactly their recipe
http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/44/

It is my second batch and this time I've made a little mistake just forgot read OG.

Fermentation started after about 12h quite vigorously and took about 2 full days, slowly went down on day 3 and then airlock stopped bubbling. On day 4 I read a gravity as 1.018.
Today (day 6.) I read gravity again and it still 1.018
I kept wort at 21-22C all that time.

Is it good FG to bottle stout now? Or did I just get fermentation stuck by some reasons?

 

[Bragwr]

Hi there,
I am not all that experienced in home brewing so please don't take this as gospel but I have left the Coopers brews that I have done in the fv for 12 to 14 days just to make sure that the yeast has cleaned up all that it's going to.
The ones I have done all start at 1040ish and they usually end up at about 1010-15 ........although I haven't completed a Stout kit yet so a stout may finish higher anyway. (My Two can Stout is in the fv now).
If you have done it 100% as per kit I would wait and test again in a few days time. I would not bottle now just in case.

As far as stalled fermentation is concerned, I'm afraid that is above my pay grade!

The main thing I have learnt in my short brewing career is to be patient and not to panic. If you have sterilised properly and the fv is airtight the beer will be safe Take your time to work out what's happening before you commit to a course of action. Patience is king.

Good luck with it
Bragwr

 

[unionrdr]

By day 4 only initial fermentation would be done. When the rapid bubbling slows or stops, that is to say. It'll then slowly, uneventfully creep down to FG. It should finish about 1.012. I'd wait 2 weeks (14 days) & test it again. You could even gently swirl the fermenter to stir up some yeast to try to lower the gravity a few more points.

 

[podz]

At 21-22c, this recipe will hit terminal gravity in less than 4 days.

I suspect your hydrometer reading is off (about 6 points high) because you've got C02 bubbles clinging to it.

 

[Suicid]

Thanks, guys.
Everything you said definitely makes sense.

Except the CO2 suspicion - I see almost none CO2 bubbles in there, the only on the surface.

Is it normal for stout do not have much carbs at this stage?

 

[unionrdr]

Some of the co2 dissolves into the fermenting wort when it's warmer. as initial fermentation finishes & the temp goes down, it'll slowly off-gas dissolved co2, seeking equilibrium between the head space & beer.

 

[podz]

Thanks, guys.
Everything you said definitely makes sense.

Except the CO2 suspicion - I see almost none CO2 bubbles in there, the only on the surface.

Is it normal for stout do not have much carbs at this stage?

Does the top of your hydrometer rest dead center in your measuring cylinder, or does it stay off-center near the edge of the cylinder?

 

[Suicid]

Does the top of your hydrometer rest dead center in your measuring cylinder, or does it stay off-center near the edge of the cylinder?

It is pretty much centered and vertical, hangs freely and not touching the edges.

 

[podz]

It is pretty much centered and vertical, hangs freely and not touching the edges.

OK, then the only other thing I can think of is that most of your yeast got left above the wort line during high krausen. Happened to me a time or two. Swirl the vessel with gentle rocking until all residue from above the wort line is washed back into the wort.

This is an ocassional problem with ale (top fermenting) yeasts.

 

[Suicid]

Just a little headsup-
It is bottled for 1 week already and all my changes against original coopers recipe was priming. Besides of dextroze I also added 25ml of mocha extract and 100 gr of maltodextrin.

Today I cracked one bottle and... gosh! Thats already delicious, to me no need to wait anymore! Well just kidding about nowait, I will. But already now it is creamy, mildy sweet and has great just a little noticed Mokka flavour! Completely no side smells or flavours, excellent batch!
I have such feeling that it is going to be my favorite stout from now.

Cheers!

 

[podz]

I have such feeling that it is going to be my favorite stout from now.

Cooper's Stout is very good. A bit sweet, but then extract kits always are.