Final gravity/stuck fermentation worries

[BetterSense]

I'm on my 2nd batch and worried about a stuck fermentation.

I'm using 4lb can of "Irish stout" hopped liquid malt extract kit, plus 2lb of dark DME. I do a partial boil, cool by adding cold spring water+ice bath, and sprinkle the generic yeast that comes with the kit right on the wort after pouring it from a height into the fermentation bucket to aerate.

My first batch I added water to make 6 gallons, and it fermented in 1 day (seriously) due to high temps and came out drinkable to my low standards. I did not have a hydrometer.

This time I added water to make 5 gallons total. Worried about another quick fermentation, I made a son-of-fermentation chiller for my current batch, but due to inexperience I did not add enough ice so it also spiked up in temperature on the 1st day and I never saw it bubble after the 1st day. I bought a hydrometer and it's been 10 days at since pitching and it's been at 1.020 for the last 5 days. I did not take an OG reading. The beer does have bubbles in it, forms a head and tastes ok. Is 1.020 a reasonable final gravity for this recipe? Do you think my brew just fermented very fast like the last one or do you think I have a stuck fermentation?

 

[ehedge20]

How long did the krausen stay on top? Remember that just because you do not see bubbles in the airlock, does not mean that its not fermenting. I have fermented beers where the airlock did not bubble at all. Generally it takes at least 2 weeks for full fermentation, and I will leave it in the primary for about 3 and a half to make sure. The only way to tell if the batch is done is to take a reading every other day and see if the gravity has fallen. If the gravity stays the same for more than three readings then your fermentation is complete. Yes it is okay to bottle at 1.020 although I think your fermentation might be stuck which is another topic all together.

 

[janivar123]

Dark malts and FG 20 seems done fermenting to me
Another 10 days for cleanup is still recomended tho

 

[BetterSense]

How long did the krausen stay on top?

With the beer in the bucket and the bucket in the fermentation chiller I can't see the krausen.

I have fermented beers where the airlock did not bubble at all.

That's good to know. I couldn't see the beer the whole time, but I did not see the airlock bubble on this batch at all.

Dark malts and FG 20 seems done fermenting to me

Thanks

The only way to tell if the batch is done is to take a reading every other day and see if the gravity has fallen.

Since I just bought a hydrometer after this debacle, I don't know if it's fallen, I only know that it's been at 1.020 for a long time.

 

[BetterSense]

I think the fermentation was definitely stuck or that generic yeast just sucks. I made another batch using the same ingredients, only with US-05, and it fermented down to 1.012 within 10 days. The 1.020 batch is bottled. It's not very strong and has a lot of carbonation after only 10 days in the bottles; we'll see if they turn into bombs.