PenPen
Well-Known Member
When I started reading this forum, I told myself I'd never be that guy.
Guess who's that guy? I've searched and read about stuck fermentation but still don't know whether I'm fine, should stroll down the gas isle for some beano or chalk this one up to experience.
Last Saturday was my first brew. It was an irish red ale (extract with sp. grains) from AHB. The brew went great, hit the est. OG of 1.052 pitched white labs yeast (no starter...I know, I know but is seems like such a PITA) and had great fermentation in about 6 hours. After fermentation, I moved to a water bath to stabilize temps and the yeasties ran wild for two days. Lots of krasuen, sediment swirling, etc. I'm thinking this is textbook. Throughout fermentation, temp has stayed between 67-70, optimal range for this yeast is 65-70.
After 2 days, things slow down. Took a hyrdometer reading on Wed (4 days after ferm starts) and I'm at 1.02 (trying to get to 1.012). I was thinking about racking tomorrow, so took another reading tonight and I'm still at 1.02 two days later. I'm still getting bubbles every 30 seconds or so, so I know it's still working. I just thought that after a really quick and active fermentation that I had good yeasties and would be gravy. Not so much.
So am I good? Do I need to do the RDWHAHB thing or is a stable FG a sign that I need to intervene to get it finished. It's been there for at least two days, but the airlock is still popping every 30 sec or so.
Also, and have NO idea if this is relevant, but in an effort to stablize the temps of my primary, I put it in a big water bath...up to the krausen, and monitored water bath temp with an external temp sensor. I've read/heard/scene that a water bath or wet towel will have the effect of lowering temps up to 5 degrees in the carboy. Any chance that the yeast is just a tad to cool and need to warm up a bit to get finished? I took it out of the water bath tonight to get it ready for racking.
Thanks.
Guess who's that guy? I've searched and read about stuck fermentation but still don't know whether I'm fine, should stroll down the gas isle for some beano or chalk this one up to experience.
Last Saturday was my first brew. It was an irish red ale (extract with sp. grains) from AHB. The brew went great, hit the est. OG of 1.052 pitched white labs yeast (no starter...I know, I know but is seems like such a PITA) and had great fermentation in about 6 hours. After fermentation, I moved to a water bath to stabilize temps and the yeasties ran wild for two days. Lots of krasuen, sediment swirling, etc. I'm thinking this is textbook. Throughout fermentation, temp has stayed between 67-70, optimal range for this yeast is 65-70.
After 2 days, things slow down. Took a hyrdometer reading on Wed (4 days after ferm starts) and I'm at 1.02 (trying to get to 1.012). I was thinking about racking tomorrow, so took another reading tonight and I'm still at 1.02 two days later. I'm still getting bubbles every 30 seconds or so, so I know it's still working. I just thought that after a really quick and active fermentation that I had good yeasties and would be gravy. Not so much.
So am I good? Do I need to do the RDWHAHB thing or is a stable FG a sign that I need to intervene to get it finished. It's been there for at least two days, but the airlock is still popping every 30 sec or so.
Also, and have NO idea if this is relevant, but in an effort to stablize the temps of my primary, I put it in a big water bath...up to the krausen, and monitored water bath temp with an external temp sensor. I've read/heard/scene that a water bath or wet towel will have the effect of lowering temps up to 5 degrees in the carboy. Any chance that the yeast is just a tad to cool and need to warm up a bit to get finished? I took it out of the water bath tonight to get it ready for racking.
Thanks.