Fermentation stopped early.. what to do?

[MrBaloo]

Hi all,

Brewed a amber extract batch with Danstar Windsor yeast last saturday, and noticed the bubbles seemed to stop early...??? Only bubbled for 1.5 days. Finally had a chance to test the gravity and it was at 1.030 SG. My beginning gravity reading was skewed because of stratification of the wort during filling.... recipe had me at around 1.055.

Doesnt appear to be any infection going on, and also brewed a porter extract using the same type of yeast, different packet and it is doing fine, still bubbling away. The amber has not bubbled in 3 days....

What to do? add more yeast? maybe I didnt shake it enough at the beginning..??? do I shake it up again ? Thinking it is the wrong time to add more oxygen, but LHBS guy thinks maybe it ran its course and died because of low oxygen...????

Baloo

 

[jschein]

All grain ? What yeast, what was your pitching temperature, what is it’s temperature from the sample and relax, let it ride another week or two

 

[agrazela]

I too would like to know what temperature it's been fermenting. If you have a control system for that, maybe bump it up a few degrees. If not, move the carboy to a warmer place.

Do you see any activity at all in the carboy? Has all the yeast flocced out already? You can physically rouse the carboy (or bucket) a bit.

Fermentation certainly can be done in only a couple of days...maybe double-check your SG. Or better, check it again in 2-3 days to see if it's changed any, or if it's truly stalled.

If after all that it's truly stalled (or gravity is dropping at some intolerably slow pace), hit it with a fresh packet of dried yeast.

 

[cmybeer]

First off, I would make sure my hydrometer is properly calibrated. It should read 1.0000 in 60* water.

Secondly, just because you don't see bubbles doesn't mean it's not fermenting. You could have a super tiny air leak in between the bung and the carboy letting CO2 out.

Third, if that all seems good you can rouse the yeast by gently rocking your fermenter back and forth. Don't shake it because it will oxidize your beer giving you some off flavors.

Other thoughts: If it was all grain what was the mash temp? Did it experience any drastic changes in temperature? Where both yeast packets the same age and stored the same?

 

[MrBaloo]

Hey Guys, thanks for the comments,.... been really busy lately so sorry for the slow response... it was an extract batch.. and I have been fermenting on the cooler side.. going to try the gentle shake to mess em up a bit. and warm them up some... in the lower 60s right now.... crazy that it started off like bats out of hell.. then nothing... even had hops in my blow off tube....

I need to get me a good thermometer.. dont really have anything that I trust.

Update....

The other 2 beers that I brewed that day are still high in gravity after 10 days.. so that tells me that I am fermenting a bit too cool.... oh well.. may have to buy a keg of something good for my party.

Thanks again...

 

[ba-brewer]

I have not used Windsor yeast but have seen posts that it does not attenuate very low and can benefit from pitching a send yeast like notty to help get the gravity down.

 

[MrBaloo]

Thanks.. I also looked at my yeast packets... and the yeast was old. 5 months past best by date...????? I just bought them this past weekend.. ????

 

[cmybeer]

If you have other options for yeast purchasing check them out. If not, go back to where you got it and always check dates before purchasing.

 

[Nubiwan]

Question: would a stopped fermentation OP is describing not benefit from perhaps a move to room temperature to waken / agitate the yeast back to life, and finish off? He could then cold crash it, clear it out. Keg or bottle Any risk in this?

 

[thehaze]

Windsor can easily obtain 70-73% AA if treated right. Extract brewing will leave a higher FG, from what I read, as I never tried it. 1.030 seems a bit high.

 

[MrBaloo]

Windsor can easily obtain 70-73% AA if treated right. Extract brewing will leave a higher FG, from what I read, as I never tried it. 1.030 seems a bit high.

Hey guys, well, I am not sure what is going on... I am getting very slow bubbling on one of the batches... not much on the porter... Amber with us05 still progressing alone. I brewery all the same day.

Thinking back I am not sure I shook the crap out of it to oxigenate well on brewday.... now I am stuck. Would yeast nutrients help now?




Will check gravity again tonight...

 

[MrBaloo]

Hey guys, well, I am not sure what is going on... I am getting very slow bubbling on one of the batches... not much on the porter... Amber with us05 still progressing alone. I brewery all the same day.

Thinking back I am not sure I shook the crap out of it to oxigenate well on brewday.... now I am stuck. Would yeast nutrients help now?




Will check gravity again tonight...

Well, gravity on the porter has not moved, even with the Nottingham yeast addition, which I hydrated before adding.

I did increase the temp to 70 to see if that would wake the yeast up, but doesn't seem to have done anything.

Would adding some yeast nutrients this late in the game help?

This batch started a 1.07 so it has something... maybe I just keg it and see what I got? or just let it sit.....?