Fermentation stuck ?

[kamiru]

Hi, I making Morgans royal oak amber ale and fermentation was weak from beggining no bubbling in airlock and almost no foam. OG was 1.040 after few days I took sample and it was 1.020 . Now after 2 weeks sample is cloudy and fizzy whats mean that fermentation didnt finish ? after 3 weeks? . I have problem with gravity reading because once it is 1.017 once 1.020 once 1.024 its by gas? how to check gravity well with fizzy wort ?
What should I do ? I used can yeast and can recipe says that fermentation temperature should be 22-30*C . My fermentation temperature is between 16.5-18 *C And thought that its correct temp for ale yeast.
How long fermentation can take ?
Above photo of my sampling and reading after co2 gone a bit .

Sorry for panic but It is my first attempt to make beer and dont want fail on my first batch.

 

[RM-MN]

Hi, I making Morgans royal oak amber ale and fermentation was weak from beggining no bubbling in airlock and almost no foam. OG was 1.040 after few days I took sample and it was 1.020 . Now after 2 weeks sample is cloudy and fizzy whats mean that fermentation didnt finish ? after 3 weeks? . I have problem with gravity reading because once it is 1.017 once 1.020 once 1.024 its by gas? how to check gravity well with fizzy wort ?
What should I do ? I used can yeast and can recipe says that fermentation temperature should be 22-30*C . My fermentation temperature is between 16.5-18 *C And thought that its correct temp for ale yeast.
How long fermentation can take ?
Above photo of my sampling and reading after co2 gone a bit .

Sorry for panic but It is my first attempt to make beer and dont want fail on my first batch.

Yeast do what they want and sometimes they just decide to take a break for a while. We call that a stuck fermentation and sometime it is difficult to get them started again. It seems like yours restarted on its own.:fro:

You'll have lots of trouble trying to get a good hydrometer reading with the yeast active but the good part is that you shouldn't take it when the beer is all fizzy. Wait until you don't see activity. Even then there will be some CO2 that will want to stick to your hydrometer and mess with the reading. For that, I spin the hydrometer to knock the bubbles off and then read it when it stops spinning.

 

[kamiru]

I dont know what kind of yeast is this . Its yeast from brew kit can. Wort is cloudy and fizzy as on photo its mean that yeast are active ?
Should I raise temp ?
I took sample after pitch the yeast and place on the desk in 25-28*C fermentation finished in one week and final gravity was 1.011 wort was crystal clear. Why then after 3 weeks fermentation in fermentor still didnt finish ? Can yeast be old and weak ?

 

[kamiru]

Any idea ? Should I raise temp ? Or allow it stay just longer ? It is normal that beer still fermenting after 3 weeks ?

 

[RM-MN]

Any idea ? Should I raise temp ? Or allow it stay just longer ? It is normal that beer still fermenting after 3 weeks ?

It's not normal for an average gravity beer to be still fermenting after 1 week, let alone 3. Warm it up, the danger of off flavors is long past and the warmer temps will help the yeast to finish.

 

[canehdianman]

If you have an airlock, your beer is not carbonated (as the CO2 will be escaping out the airlock), so there is no risk of CO2 causing your hydrometer reading to be off. There will be a little CO2 dissolved in your beer, but not very much.

I don't understand your SG comments about it being 1.024, 1.020 and 1.017...

The SG in the second image is 1.012, which I assume is quite close to what you should be expecting as a FG, since it is a darker beer.

Warm your fermenter up to 22'C and wait 3 days. Then take another hydrometer reading. if it is still 1.012, then you can bottle. If not, then wait a week and then bottle it.\

Enjoy your beer

 

[kamiru]

I think airlock don't work properly. Because it didn't work from beginning. My gravity reading were different because of gas small bubbles pushed up hydrometer . After take sample it was really fizzy almost like sparkling water . I try to keep it in 20-21 degree and will check again 3 days later ! Thanks for answers

 

[RM-MN]

Hi, I making Morgans royal oak amber ale and fermentation was weak from beggining no bubbling in airlock and almost no foam. OG was 1.040 after few days I took sample and it was 1.020 . Now after 2 weeks sample is cloudy and fizzy whats mean that fermentation didnt finish ? after 3 weeks? . I have problem with gravity reading because once it is 1.017 once 1.020 once 1.024 its by gas? how to check gravity well with fizzy wort ?
What should I do ? I used can yeast and can recipe says that fermentation temperature should be 22-30*C . My fermentation temperature is between 16.5-18 *C And thought that its correct temp for ale yeast.
How long fermentation can take ?
Above photo of my sampling and reading after co2 gone a bit .

Sorry for panic but It is my first attempt to make beer and dont want fail on my first batch.

Different strains of brewing yeast have different preferred temperature ranges. Your yeast prefers 22-30C. You have worked hard to keep your beer fermenting at the preferred temperature, but that of a different yeast. Warm your beer up, give your yeast its preferred temperature and it probably will finish in a couple days.

If you are getting differing hydrometer readings because of CO2 bubbles sticking to it, give it a spin with your fingers to knock them off, then read it before more bubbles stick. This will only work if the beer is done fermenting.

 

[kamiru]

ok thanks ! IT will be my last time with unknown yeast!

 

[beermanpete]

To degas the sample for measurement you can pour it back and forth between two pint glasses. This will help to release the CO2 and make it easier to get a reliable reading. Be careful if it has a lot of dissolved gas as it will foam on the first pour.

 

[kamiru]

Hi Gravity didnt change and its still cloudy and fizzy ? What can be problem ? I raised temp to 22* C . It Can be because I pour it via spigot and yeast cake is that high that its mix during taking sample ? Should I open fermentor and check ?
Can I put it to another fermentor on secondary fermentation ? I Did open lid a bit and its looks like fermentation finished.
That long time wont harm my beer? :<<
after take sample its fizzy but from above its looks more clear and its not fizzy.
Please help!

 

[beermanpete]

Have you tasted the beer? If it tastes ok I would package it.

One of your posts seems to suggest you fermented a small amount of the wort separately and it finished at 1.011. Is this correct?

 

[kamiru]

yes this is correct . but it was totally clear , this is cloudy and with gas ? What can be reason of that?

 

[ncbrewer]

Hi Gravity didnt change and its still cloudy and fizzy ? What can be problem ? I raised temp to 22* C . It Can be because I pour it via spigot and yeast cake is that high that its mix during taking sample ? Should I open fermentor and check ?

I think you've found the answer. You're probably getting some of the yeast cake in the sample.

 

[beermanpete]

yes this is correct . but it was totally clear , this is cloudy and with gas ? What can be reason of that?

The small batch is clear because the yeast finished quickly and dropped out (flocculated). The large batch is likely still working, albeit slowly. The yeast should drop out with time. Aroma and taste will help determine if the haze is from yeast. The yeast will have a spicy aroma and somewhat bitter flavor that is not normally desired in ales. Cold-crashing (chillling) the beer will help flocculation but stops fermentation. If the beer is not too sweet and you have the capability chill it to near freezing for a few days to help it clear.

How does the beer taste?

 

[kamiru]

It taste a bit yeast flavor but gravity didn't change in like one week even little . I'm worry about this gas . Even if diurning pour thru spigot little yeast will come in why it is carbonated ?

 

[GHBWNY]

If your wort is fizzy enough to effect the buoyancy of the hydrometer, take a sample, cap the end and shake it well to de-carb it and let it sit an hour. Your next reading should be an accurate one.

 

[kamiru]

I read wrong because now I did notice that every line on hydrometer is 2 units. so my gravity is about 1.014-1.016
My open gravity had to be then 1.046. 1.014-1.016 Is okey like for final gravity of extract beer ?

 

[tomoncanterbury]

If it's stable at that SG reading over a few days it's probably done.

 

[beermanpete]

This seems ok to me. Has it started to clear?

 

[kh54s10]

From what you have said, your sample got some of the yeast cake stirred up when taken. That will make it cloudy. It will also make it taste yeasty because you have stirred a lot of yeast up and into your sample.

Fizzy is because there is co2 in the sample, degas it as described already.

If the beer in the fermenter is cloudy, you can wait a little longer, use a fining agent or cold crash.

Your airlock might never bubble. The co2 may be finding an easier way out of the fermenter. If it is a bucket, the lids very often leak pressure. It is not a problem.

If your yeast cake is above the spigot do not use it to get the beer out of the fermenter, use a siphon from the top. That is one reason that I don't use a fermenter with a spigot. The other is that they can get moldy during the fermentation time. It is difficult to clean and sanitize them while in place with a beer in the fermenter.