Cream Ale Fermentation Help

[dammBrewer]

Hello,

Just looking for a little advice here...not a right way/wrong way discussion on my brewing skills. Thanks.

I made JZ's Cream Ale on 10/7. Came in at 1.050 as suggested. I followed the recipe to the letter, with the EXCEPTION of i forgot to add the sugar to the mash. So, I added it to the fermenter prior to the yeast pitch.

All temps are great. Chilled to 68 F, and pitched my hydrated yeast. Fermentation didn't kick off until about a day later. I re-hydrated using US05 and pitched. And then was going fine, and still is showing some bubbles about twice an hour as of last night. I took a Gravity reading, came in at 1.034 thus far, a week into fermenation. Temps have been a steady 60-61.5 on my readings (actual wort is probably +5).

My question is, can/should I repitch another sachet of re-hydrated 05 onto this to help get it down to the 1.009 suggested? Or, rack off, then repitch? I usually do a week or 10 day ferm on these type of ales, but this isn't even close to ready.

I have been brewing a few years now and should know this, however, I hear mixed things...so, my fellow friends, what say you for advice?

-Prosit

 

[Black Island Brewer]

My first thought is to just let it ride out, since you're still seeing activity, but raise the temperature. Initial fermentation temps would have been higher, but with lower activity, your temp is likely very close to your ambient, so fermentation will be slow. A hydrometer check in another 4 or 5 days will give you an idea if it's still moving. You could also rouse the yeast, either by swirling the fermentor or stirring up the bottom with a sanitized spoon. And you could also get the temps up to 70 or so.

 

[shtoive87]

You could also add the sugar now


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[balrog]

US-05 at 60° ambient feels cold to me. I second Black Island Brewer's raise-the-temp suggestion by 5°

 

[dammBrewer]

Thanks everyone.

When it is discussed to raise the temp...are you looking at a slow increase as 2-3 degrees a day? Or more of a straight up to 70? And then let it sit 4-5 days at that temp? Also, since if it still is going to ferment out, it will generate heat (albeit a little) so should I go 68 or 67 and let it ride up to around 72, 73 wort temp?

I do have this fermenting in a freezer with temp control (stc1000) so heat and cool are of no concern other than getting it right .

 

[balrog]

What's ambient temp? I'd be tempted to let it free rise without heater (when I do this with my STC I just turn off the Lasko in the chamber), with the new set point at 67 or whatever you choose.

 

[broadbill]

just jack the temp up to where you want it to ferment, no ramp. It will be fine

 

[dammBrewer]

Balrog,

These days in WI, the ambient is lucky to reach the middle 50's. Gets down to low 40's overnight lately. I think I will ramp it up and let the paint can heater work a bit harder to maintain.

Prosit

 

[balrog]

Balrog,

These days in WI, the ambient is lucky to reach the middle 50's. Gets down to low 40's overnight lately. I think I will ramp it up and let the paint can heater work a bit harder to maintain.

Prosit

Here in MA it's been 38 a few nights ago and 78 yesterday, so it's hard to figure anything out for ambient.

 

[dammBrewer]

Ramped the freezer up to 70F last night. Giving it until tonight to "stabilize". Hope this cleans this up.....

 

[riderkb]

Let us know what happens. I have seen US-05 fermenting in my fridge at 10C. Seems like you have something else going on other than the temperature. Did you oxygenate?

 

[dammBrewer]

I have a few days before I will take another reading. But, riderkb, I did in fact oxygenate. I think my mistake was putting the sugar in post chill and pre pitch. If so, lesson learned....I'm just hoping to salvage at this point.

 

[riderkb]

I don't see how dissolving some extra sugar in your wort would mess up the fermentation. Unless, of course, you are concerned about infection, but that doesn't sound like the problem.

 

[The_Bishop]

On top of raising the temp, you could swirl the yeast back into suspension. That should help, as well.

 

[dammBrewer]

I have swirled the yeast twice now since rasing to 70-71 F. I took a reading tonight and came in at 1.024. More to come.....

 

[dammBrewer]

Still sitting at .24 after a few days at 71ish. Going to keg it tonight and use this as an informative lesson learned.

 

[Yooper]

Still sitting at .24 after a few days at 71ish. Going to keg it tonight and use this as an informative lesson learned.

You're not using a refractometer are you?

 

[dammBrewer]

Yooper,

Actually, I am using a refractometer. I have one that does brix and gravity. I used to use a hydro but switched a few months back. And I do make sure it's calibrated about every two/three batches.

Why do you ask? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Yooper]

Yooper,

Actually, I am using a refractometer. I have one that does brix and gravity. I used to use a hydro but switched a few months back. And I do make sure it's calibrated about every two/three batches.

Why do you ask? Am I doing something wrong?

Not "wrong", but since refractometers read the refraction of light in a sugar solution, and alcohol skews the reading, the reading is useless. There are correction software calculators out there, but I've never found one to be accurate. It would be more accurate than just reading the refractometer (which isn't even close), but still not 100% accurate.

Try it- grab your hydrometer and use some online software for the refractometer and compare the readings, and I bet your beer is done and not at 1.024 or whatever at all.

 

[dammBrewer]

Thank you Yooper.

I guess I never thought of it that way. I will take another reading tonight before/during kegging. I sure hope it is lower than .24 (but either way, i'm guessing it's done).

 

[Yooper]

Thank you Yooper.

I guess I never thought of it that way. I will take another reading tonight before/during kegging. I sure hope it is lower than .24 (but either way, i'm guessing it's done).

It definitely is lower than 1.024, probably a LOT lower!

 

[balrog]

It definitely is lower than 1.024, probably a LOT lower!

HOW

DO

YOU

*THINK*

of these things!?! Brilliant to ask about refractometer. Just sayin.

 

[Yooper]

HOW

DO

YOU

*THINK*

of these things!?! Brilliant to ask about refractometer. Just sayin.

Me? Oh, I learn from my own (bad) experiences mostly!

 

[dammBrewer]

Yooper and everyone else. Thanks.

Tonight I ended the mystery/experiment. I ended up with 1.008 as a FG. Outstanding as far as I'm concerned. Lesson learned; both the refractometer and hydrometer have their places...apparently they both need to be used to gain OG and FG.

The taste is still a little DMSish....hoping that clears as it carbs.

Prosit to each of you as I drink this up....