First Brew, Stuck

[MioTheGreat]

Alright. I know you're probably all sick of these threads, I encountered quite a few in my searching, but it's my first one, and I need to be sure that what I'm going to end up doing is going to fix it.

I'm trying for a Belgian wit. I used 4.5lbs of extract, and 2lbs of honey. My yeast is WLP400.

First, I completely messed up some proportions of water, and ended up with a slightly too watered down mixture. My OG was 1042. I figured: "Ok. I screwed up. I'm out of honey and sugar, so I can't up it. We'll call it a Light Beer." and pitched the yeast anyway.

However, now I'm at 1020. Fermentation seemed to stop a few days ago. 52% attenuation, when my yeast is supposed to go up to 75ish. Temperature has been around 71F for the whole process. How do I get it going again? More yeast? More sugar? Both? Aeration?

I'd rather not end up with a crappy 2.9% ABV beer. I'd greatly appreciate some help in fixing this stuff.

 

[killian]

you can try adding some active yeast, make a starter and pitch it when it is at high krausen

 

[42Cliffside]

similar situation here with the coopers Irish stout kit .. started June 12 .its been at 1.01/1.009 for 2 weeks now, overwatered it down so starting G was 1.04

every day for the last 2 weeks 2+ times a day I give the fermenter a few good fast twists to stir up the yeast and for a while it bubbles away pretty quick, but it keeps stopping without the agitation.

temp has been at 21-23 at all times.

I'm gonna just let it go for now - agitating daily till it lowers, then I'm guessing about a week to let the yeast settle after its stable(hydro samples are milky on the side of the tube 12 hours after agitation- tastes much less sweet, but hydro has hardly budged from the first sample), but I got so tired of waiting I bought another fermenter, so tomorrow night another extract brew gets started, probably the Traditional Draught with amber instead of the recommended light malt extract (its what I got ATM) hopefully that one will finish up faster.

edit: gave it a BIG swirl forming a whirlpool and it blew off continuous while I did that, so I'll do that once a day now till it calms down enough for another hydro reading.

 

[MioTheGreat]

Allright. I'll go and do that. Unfortunately, I can't get to the brew shop until this weekend. Even then, it's going to take a day or so to make the starter, so I probably won't be pitching until monday or tuesday.

Should I just leave it alone, or should I clean it up a bit, get rid of the head and the sludge at the bottom, and let it condition for the next 5 days? Is there any benefit in doing so?

 

[ChshreCat]

I would just try rousing the yeast a bit before repitching. Just give the carboy a very gentle swirl. Just enough so that you see the yeast coming up off the bottom a bit.

Definitely don't rack it off the yeast cake. That would be counter-productive, trying to make it ferment by taking away the yeast.

How long has this been fermenting? You don't say in the post. Did you get a reading of 1.020 more than once, several days apart or just once? If just once, then it might just be slowing down and not actually be stuck.

Not time yet to panic and start dumping in more yeast.

 

[MioTheGreat]

I started it 11 days ago. I tried swirling it a few times, but it made no difference (I started swirling it a bit when the fermentation slowed down). It's been stuck for about 4/5 days at 1020.