Gravity just not getting down there....

[brentt03]

Brewed an Imperial Red Ale 10 days ago. The target OG was supposed to be 1.062 but instead I hit 1.071.

Its been fermenting now for the 10 days and is only down to 1.032 (target FG is 1.017)

Its a 15gal batch, I used 3 vials of WLP004.

Normally this tackles a 15gal batch without a starter.

Do you guys think it will creep on down to 1.017???

Should I add more yeast?

 

[bjohnson29]

There could be any number if reasons...yeast viability, ferm temp, etc. Is your gravity stuck or still going? At this point, id maybe add some yeast energizer and maybe up it a few degrees if you're fermenting low. Give it some time, 10 days isnt a lot. If it gets stuck, you can always add some Notty or othet clean yeast strain to finish it up.

 

[brentt03]

There could be any number if reasons...yeast viability, ferm temp, etc. Is your gravity stuck or still going? At this point, id maybe add some yeast energizer and maybe up it a few degrees if you're fermenting low. Give it some time, 10 days isnt a lot. If it gets stuck, you can always add some Notty or othet clean yeast strain to finish it up.

its went down a few points since sunday, so I'd say its still creeping but slowly

Ferm temp is 65-68, I have it bring controlled in a freezer right in the middle at 67.5

The only yeast I have on hand is WLP001 and 840

Also, I know 10 days isnt a lot but soon we will be in a production mode so I'd like fermentation to be complete in 7-10 days. I'm assuming this means add more yeast.

Thanks for the reply

 

[bjohnson29]

Don't rush the fermentation, let that go for 3+ weeks if you can...you rush it and you'll likely end up with a big green apple flavor. You've got a pretty big beer, give the yeast time to clean everything up.

 

[TyTanium]

Sounds like an underpitch to me.

15g @ 1.070 needs 700+ billion cells. 3 vials is 300 billion tops, probably more like 250.

How did you aerate?

Try bringing it up a few degrees, like 70-75. Since the majority of fermentation is complete, it won't affect your flavor profile.

You can also try pitching more yeast. Make a small starter and pitch at high krausen. If you don't pitch while it's actively fermenting, it's a waste of yeast at this point, IMO.

 

[tre9er]

Try bringing it up a few degrees, like 70-75. Since the majority of fermentation is complete, it won't affect your flavor profile.

This, and swirl the FV a bit as it's coming up, every time you think about it or walk by. It'll come down I bet.

 

[sonex]

There is a very good chance that pitching new yeast won't help. Pitching new yeast that has not had time to adapt to the alcohol will possibly just put the new yeast to go dormant. Just leave it alone and wait it out. Your beer was way underpitched you really do need a starter or more vials of yeast with a 1.071 beer. You could very gently with out splashing stir the yeast off the bottom. Don't be to aggresive with stirring you don't want to add oxygen to the beer after fermentation has started.

 

[brentt03]

Thanks for all the reply's guys

When we transfered the beer to fermenter it was transfered via a march pump so it was aerated pretty good.

Also, I bumped the temp up to 71.5, I will check it in a couple of days and see how we are looking!

 

[tre9er]

Thanks for all the reply's guys

When we transfered the beer to fermenter it was transfered via a march pump so it was aerated pretty good.

Also, I bumped the temp up to 71.5, I will check it in a couple of days and see how we are looking!

And swirl

 

[brentt03]

And swirl

I can only swirl it once a day because its at the brewery not my house :/

 

[tre9er]

I can only swirl it once a day because its at the brewery not my house :/

Ok, just swirl, though :grin:

 

[brentt03]

Ok, just swirl, though :grin:

Haha deal!!

 

[brentt03]

How long should it be before I see a drop??


It's been at 70 for 18 hrs now and still no change. My thoughts are that it was under pitched and what I see is what I get, unless I let it sit for 2 more weeks?!?

 

[tre9er]

No, it should drop at least a point after 3 or 4 days. Are you in a carboy or bucket? Any signs of activity?

 

[TyTanium]

It's been at 70 for 18 hrs now and still no change. My thoughts are that it was under pitched and what I see is what I get, unless I let it sit for 2 more weeks?!?

If the yeast are done, they're done. Letting it sit for 2 weeks won't change the gravity. Give it another 2-3 days. If still no change, you could try pitching some actively fermenting yeast...that may help (though it often doesn't); it certainly won't hurt.

 

[soundsandsuds]

If the yeast are done, they're done. Letting it sit for 2 weeks won't change the gravity. Give it another 2-3 days. If still no change, you could try pitching some actively fermenting yeast...that may help (though it often doesn't); it certainly won't hurt.

If the yeast are done it won’t change the gravity, but with a beer that big it can take a while for the beer to drop the last few points. As some people have mentioned, adding yeast at this point in the game will be of pretty limited usefulness. There’s already a lot of alcohol in there and likely next to no oxygen.

 

[TyTanium]

Adding yeast at this point in the game will be of pretty limited usefulness. There’s already a lot of alcohol in there and likely next to no oxygen.

The odds are definitely stacked, but many people (myself included) have successfully restarted stuck fermentations before via repitching. It's a long shot, but it occasionally works. And with limited downside, it's worth a shot IMO. What else is he gonna do with a 1.030 beer...

 

[tre9er]

What about making a starter and pitching at high krausen? The yeast would be going from alcoholic environment to alcoholic environment and have high enough counts to at least get some work done.

OP, just a shot in the dark but are you letting your sample sit, cooling to 60*, and spinning the hydrometer or is this refractometer? Have you tried multiple gravity measuring devices to confirm reading?

 

[TyTanium]

See post #5

 

[tre9er]

See post #5

See, great minds think alike.

 

[sonex]

What about making a starter and pitching at high krausen? The yeast would be going from alcoholic environment to alcoholic environment and have high enough counts to at least get some work done.

OP, just a shot in the dark but are you letting your sample sit, cooling to 60*, and spinning the hydrometer or is this refractometer? Have you tried multiple gravity measuring devices to confirm reading?

^^^^^^ this

The only way that truly has a shot of working.

 

[kingwood-kid]

OP said he has WL001. Couldn't he just pitch that? It should attenuate about 6% more.

 

[brentt03]

No, it should drop at least a point after 3 or 4 days. Are you in a carboy or bucket? Any signs of activity?

I am in a 22gal conical fermenter, when I swirl it the airlock bubbles a bit but then it stops.

What about making a starter and pitching at high krausen? The yeast would be going from alcoholic environment to alcoholic environment and have high enough counts to at least get some work done.

OP, just a shot in the dark but are you letting your sample sit, cooling to 60*, and spinning the hydrometer or is this refractometer? Have you tried multiple gravity measuring devices to confirm reading?

I have measured both with a refractometer and a hydrometer. The hydrometer is giving me readings consistently of 1.032. Now the refractometer on the other hand is saying 1.045 which makes me think that the calibration is all wrong, which means I was screwed from the get-go although I did confirm the OG was 1.071 with the hydrometer

I try to measure with both and make sure they correspond fairly close.

 

[brentt03]

Also, let's say that my readings are all off. I assume my best bet is to let it sit for the full 2 weeks, crash, rack and keg???

Is it terrible to end up with 1.030 beer??

And I would say my solution to this is once I brew this batch again to not under pitch!!!!!

 

[tre9er]

Also, let's say that my readings are all off. I assume my best bet is to let it sit for the full 2 weeks, crash, rack and keg???

Is it terrible to end up with 1.030 beer??

And I would say my solution to this is once I brew this batch again to not under pitch!!!!!

Make a big-ass starter of US-05, WLP001, or WY1056. I mean a big-ass starter since you have 15g. Get it to high-krausen where it's going vigorously and pitch that bad-boy in there. It won't hurt to step-it up a few times over the course of a few days before it's a big enough starter. Your beer isn't going anywhere.

You don't really want a beer that big that's also got low alcohol. Make this your last resort and if in a week after repitching it hasn't fallen or stabilizes...crash and keg.

 

[StoneHands]

Now the refractometer on the other hand is saying 1.045 which makes me think that the calibration is all wrong, which means I was screwed from the get-go although I did confirm the OG was 1.071 with the hydrometer

If you run the refract correction equation on your fermented wort, it comes out to 1.029 instead of the 1.045 which you measured (need to correct for the alcohol present based on your OG). Sounds like your refractometer is correct, doesn't help with your high final gravity issue though...

 

[brentt03]

Thanks for all the replies guys!!

HUGE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!