First try at own recipe...Fermentation stopped after a day

[jca]

This is my first made up on my own recipe. I was going for something like the Washington Porter from Williamsburg Alewerks. Here's the recipe:

1 lb Chocolate
1 lb Crystal Malt
1/2 lb Roasted Barley
1 lb Lactose
5 lbs Amber DME
1 lb Wheat DME
1 oz Fuggle Pellets for bitterness
1 oz East Kent Golding leaf for aroma
Muntons Premium Gold Ale Yeast

When I got the yeast, it was mail order and included a hand written note from the shop owner. He said the yeast was getting close to the best by date, and it's all he had, so he put three packets in and said to use all three.

Well, maybe a day and a half in the fermenter and all bubbling stopped. I checked the gravity and it's at 1.025 with a starting point of 1.060. Could it really be done that quickly or is that a problem I need to fix?

It does taste pretty good. Looking forward to this one.

 

[McKBrew]

1.025 is definately too high for it to be done. Give it a full week and then check the gravity, if it hasn't changed then check back for additional assistance.

 

[DeathBrewer]

even if it is "finished", you want to leave it at least a week before you go to secondary and at least 2 weeks (3 would be better) if you're going straight to keg/bottle

 

[FSR402]

I don't think it's don yet. I put in the grains and DME into beersmith and used Nottingham yeast beacuse my beersmith does bot have the MPG yeast nor could I find jack for info on it. With the Nottingham my "est fg" would be 1.015.

But to tell you the truth, I have only used MPG one time and I had a stout stall out on me. Wont use Mutton yeast again.
Give it a good week and see if it's dropped at all. If not pitch some Nottingham and give it another week.

 

[solidghost]

Some yeast really works fast but in your case, I doubt that has happened. Perhaps it was a stalled fermentation?

 

[Blender]

I see more posts with stalled fermentations using Munton's yeast than any other, at least you had 3 which was a good thing. It does need more time.

 

[Dycokac]

how warm/cold is it where you are fermenting this?

 

[batesjer]

I would definitely wait a few days then take another reading, but I don't think 1.025 is that high for an extract brew with a pound of unfermentable lactose. The lactose alone will put you about 6 points higher on your f.g.

 

[Kugster]

It happened to a batch about a month ago. Stopped fermenting after a day & 1/2. I just left it in the fermenter anyways and bottled it like normal...guess what, it came out ok?!? That's mine tho...your conditions may be diff. I'd keep going and see what happens...worst thing that could happen is you'll have to dump it...boo!

Kug
:rockin:

 

[jca]

Thanks for the replies everyone. On the question of temperature, it stays between 67-70 according to the strip thermometer on the bucket. I guess I'll just let it sit and check this weekend. It doesn't taste any more sweet than intended with the lactose but I was expecting a larger specific gravity drop. In fact it has exactly the bitter/sweet flavor I was trying to get.

Another interesting thing I ran into with this batch is it was the first time using a immersion chiller. Instead of several hours, I got it down below 90 in about 15 minutes. I noticed there was very little sediment left in the pot while previous batches had a decent amount. Could all that be settling out in the fermenting and taking taking the yeast with it?

 

[Kugster]

"After several hours" you said about cooling previous batches? Is that true, cause that is a REAL long time to cool...the cold break probably does not happen. Another question is at what temp are you pitching your yeast? You could have shocked the yeast and it went dormant? Just a thought?

Kug
:rockin:

 

[jca]

The pitching temperature was 74 degrees according to my hydrometer/thermometer combo. Room temperature was 71 so I don't think shocked it.