Double Chocolate Stout Another Stuck Fermentation!

[Dave258]

I just went to bottle my Double Chocolate Stout from AHS, checked the gravity, and it is still stuck at 1.028... The same since Friday.
It has been in primary since 10/16 (three and a half weeks) between 64*-68*. Dry yeast they recommended was Muntons Premium gold. OG was 1.058.
This is my forth batch that has not finished. But none have been this high...
Target gravity is 1.012.
I have rocked it around, put a blanket over it to wake up the yeast, and still nothing.
Should I bottle it ( I already boiled the priming sugar, but have extra on hand) or wait?

Side note, I bought a starter set from AHS and a stir plate from Stir Starters and planned on using liquid yeast with starters going foward. Will this stop my gravity woes?
Thanks

 

[morebeer]

I had that exact same problem with that beer a couple of weeks ago. I left it in the primary for a month and it never came below 1.026. I went ahead and bottled it, I will let you know how it turns out in about a week or so.

I am definatelly using starters from now on.

 

[seatbelt123]

I know that this is an OLD thread but here it is, almost two years later and I'm stuck right where these guys were with my AHS Double Chocolate Stout.

Anyway, 10 days into fermentation and I'm at 1.026 (OG 1.058). The target is 1.015.

I'm considering a gentle stir over the yeast cake with the hopes of triggering a smidge more from the fermentation process.

The good news is that my samples taste AWESOME.

What should I do?

 

[Aunt_Ester]

I guess lactose wasn't added to this one since the target is 1.015.

What temperature are you storing the beer? I would raise the fermentation temp up to 70 to let it finish out.

What temp did you mash at? if you mashed high, then a lot of the starches your converted are unfermentable sugars which means a possibly sweeter, fuller, and less alcoholic beer.

 

[seatbelt123]

What temperature are you storing the beer? I would raise the fermentation temp up to 70 to let it finish out.

What temp did you mash at? if you mashed high, then a lot of the starches your converted are unfermentable sugars which means a possibly sweeter, fuller, and less alcoholic beer.

It's stored in the mid to upper 60s (I just removed it from the swamp cooler). It should get to 70 now.

I did the mini-mash in a bag at the temp indicated in the AHS recipe: Strike at 160 then 155. We were pretty close though our kettle thermometer is pretty difficult to read (we've switched to a digital).

 

[h22lude]

I brewed this beer a little while ago. Fermented for 4 weeks at 70 and had no problem fermenting. OG was a little high so my FG was a little higher than expected but it fermented completely. I still have some in my keg. Not as sweet as I was looking for but still good.

 

[seatbelt123]

Thanks for the replies. h22lude, do you recall what the final gravity was?

 

[Double_B_BrewWorks]

I just racked this recipe (mini-mash) version to my secondary on top of two vanilla beans that I split and soaked in vodka. After three weeks in the primary my FG leveled out at 1.018. I'm planning on bottling in about a week. Hit the projected OG and had pretty consistent temps during my mash. Had it in a swamp cooler which I was able to keep the primary in the 66 - 68 deg range for the first few weeks. Looking fed to trying this come December.

 

[windbreaker123]

A/g version 3 weeks fg 1.017

 

[Aunt_Ester]

I did the mini-mash in a bag at the temp indicated in the AHS recipe: Strike at 160 then 155. We were pretty close though our kettle thermometer is pretty difficult to read (we've switched to a digital).

How about a starter? Did you create starter before pitching? A large pitch might have helped it attenuate a few points more.

My only other guess is that the mash temp was a little high (despite recommendations from the recipe) and the FG is going to be a little high. It's very possible that it's fully attenuated and that it's ready to bottle. It's also possible that it hasn't finished and bottling could create bombs.

Sorry I'm not more helpful.

 

[h22lude]

I just racked this recipe (mini-mash) version to my secondary on top of two vanilla beans that I split and soaked in vodka. After three weeks in the primary my FG leveled out at 1.018. I'm planning on bottling in about a week. Hit the projected OG and had pretty consistent temps during my mash. Had it in a swamp cooler which I was able to keep the primary in the 66 - 68 deg range for the first few weeks. Looking fed to trying this come December.

I was going to add two vanilla beans too but decided not to. Now I was I had. Maybe I'll add one to my keg for ****s and giggles.

 

[seatbelt123]

Thanks everybody. I've decided to give it a gentle whirl with the hopes of stirring back into action. I was very careful with sanitation and avoiding oxidation. I'll give it another two days and take a gravity reading again. I'll keep you posted.

For the record I've found a few other threads about chocolate stouts with stuck fermentation in the mid 1.02x's.