First time Stuck fermentation? Need advice.

[doublea]

This is the 4th or 5th time I've brewed an RIS with O.G. 1.092 and expected F.G. around 1.020. Activity seems to have stopped a few days ago (fermentation with a starter began 10 days ago), and I racked it to a secondary. When I measured the gravity, I found it is at 1.040!

Some ideas...maybe the starter didn't have enough cells and the yeast attenuated too quick, or perhaps the colder nights lately may have stopped fermentation prematurely.

Is 1.040 high enough that I could just buy another vial of California Ale Yeast Wp001) and pitch it to the secondary?

Would love to hear ideas, so my stout isn't too sweet!

 

[Kokopuff829]

Well it's probably still fermenting. I leave all my beers 3-4 weeks in the primary. Either you mashed to high and you have a lot of unfermentables or it's not done yet. I highly doubt the yeast died. How cold did it get? I would check the gravity in another 3 days and then if it hasn't changed maybe pitch yeast.

 

[doublea]

Got down to the high 50's. If there are unfermentables, would they drop out if I chill it?

Now that I've racked it, would I disrupt any ongoing fermentation? Or should I be ok?

thanks!

 

[Kokopuff829]

Got down to the high 50's. If there are unfermentables, would they drop out if I chill it?

Now that I've racked it, would I disrupt any ongoing fermentation? Or should I be ok?

thanks!

I don't think they will drop out since they are sugars that can't be fermented. Like if you have a beer with unfermentable sugars and you bottle it when you take it out of the fridge your not gonna have a pile of sugars on the bottom. High 50's is nothing to worry about. Since you racked it you took it off the yeast cake and lost the majority of yeast. Like I said before take the gravity in about 3 days and if it still hasn't gone done I would pitch again. What temp did you mash at?

 

[doublea]

Mashed at 150-155

 

[Biobrewer]

My advice is to be patient if adding more yeast. Do not hastily start dumiping in yeast, as the beer is mostly fermented, and simply dumping yeast in will do nothing. If you are adding more yeast, make a starter, wait 24 hours, and let the starter hit high krausen. Since the beer is mostly fermented, it will be nutrient deficient, so it is important that the yeast are nice and strong before adding.

I just did this with a cascadian black ale I made. Fermented with Wyeast 1098 at 64 F and the gravity finished rather high. Added a 24 hour starter of Wyeast 1056, and it finished up in 3 more days. Drinking it as I write this and it is delicious.