final gravity

[nyer]

On 12/31 I brewed my first time with a porter true brew kit. Beginning gravity is supposed to be 1.043-045, final 1.012-014. I started with 1.044. I made a mistake and put the carboy in my basement and it go to cool. I brought it upstairs where it has stayed around 68-70 degrees and it started fermenting again for a few days. My final gravity is stuck at 1.021. On 1/11 I racked it to a secondary where it still sits. I have a little sediment on the bottom now and I'm still stuck at 1.021. A friend who did the same porter kit told me to go ahead and bottle/keg it. Should I? Why wouldn't my final gravity come down?

 

[TheJadedDog]

The colder temps may have affected the initial stages of yeast growth leading to a stuck ferment. To compound the problem, you racked the beer to secondary before it was finished all but guaranteeing that it wasn't going to ferment any more.

At this point your best bet would be to repitch and attach a blow-off, let it ferment out, then bottle. If you bottle when the gravity is still too high you risk bottle bombs which can be very dangerous. Even though your gravity isn't changing it sounds like you have a stuck ferment rather than a finished ferment.

 

[Beerthoven]

On 12/31 I brewed my first time with a porter true brew kit. Beginning gravity is supposed to be 1.043-045, final 1.012-014. I started with 1.044. I made a mistake and put the carboy in my basement and it go to cool. I brought it upstairs where it has stayed around 68-70 degrees and it started fermenting again for a few days. My final gravity is stuck at 1.021. On 1/11 I racked it to a secondary where it still sits. I have a little sediment on the bottom now and I'm still stuck at 1.021. A friend who did the same porter kit told me to go ahead and bottle/keg it. Should I? Why wouldn't my final gravity come down?

I agree with Jaded Dog.

You need to add more yeast to finish the fermentation. Go buy a packet of Danstar Nottingham yeast, rehydrate according to the directions, and add it to the beer. Keep the beer upstairs where it is warm.

 

[BierMuncher]

If you don't have any fresh yeast on hand...at the very least, take your racking cane and give the bottom of the fermenter a slight stir to rouse that yeast. Don't aerate the beer.

Getting it (the yeast) back into suspension will help reactivate the yeast.

 

[nyer]

When I first made the batch it bubbled really well for about two days then it stopped. I brought it upstairs and warmed it in water for several days and lightly agitated the yeast, it started bubbling again. I finally decided to go to secondary when it wouldn't bubble any more at all, even if I set it in warm water again to get it up to 70-72. It just stopped and woudn't start again.
Last night I gently agitated the sediment on the bottom again and I moved it to a different spot where it went from 66 degrees to 70 degrees and nothing is happening.

Do you think I should still add yeast again? I don't know what to do.

 

[TexLaw]

Yes, try repitching. I don't think you need a blowoff, though, just to finish up the last several gravity points, though. Don't expect much of a spectacle, just a lower gravity after a week or so.


TL

 

[nyer]

Do I have to use Danstar Nottingham yeast? I'm not sure what I we be able to get yet from my only local source. I'm checking into it now to see what they have in stock.

 

[nyer]

I used the danstar yeast last night about 6pm and as of 9am nothing has happened. The temp. did go up to 70-71 from 68-69. That could just be because I put it a little closer to the baseboard heat than before. I guess if nothing happens by this weekend I'm just going with it and I'll see what happens.