Help with fermentation

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brettg20

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I've searched through many stuck fermentation threads and didn't find what I was looking for so that is why I am posting Stuck Fermentation thread #958494....

I have an Alt that is stuck at 1.030 after two weeks. I took off the blow off today to take a reading, and it was bubbling every 8 seconds beforehand. It was 1.030. Now the new airlock is bubbling every 30 seconds (down from 8 probably due to gases being released when I switched airlocks). I know bubbling is no indication of fermentation being or not being done, but should I wait a couple of days and take another reading or repitch a starter since its been 2 weeks and the likelihood of a stuck fermentation is high?

OG was 1.058 and I used WLP 036....

Cheers
 
What is your target final gravity? What temperature are you fermenting at? If the airlock is bubbling there is a chance it is fermenting but i would wait a few more days and take another reading to see if it dropped.
 
If it were me; I'd wait 1 more week and then take another reading. When you moved it around you may have woken the yeast back up. Unfortunately there is no way to tell exactly whats going on without waiting. I would wait a week, if there is no change pitch more yeast. Just a question but... did you create a yeast starter or pitch right out of the vial?
 
I always make a starter and have only had 1 semi stuck fermentation (it stopped at 1.020). I did swirl it hoping that will start the remaining fermentation. I also raised the temp a couple of degrees. I just don't understand why it would still be fermenting after 2 weeks which is why I kinda want to throw a starter in to hopefully finish it up, although that would change the flavor with the added starter....hell I know I should wait but I don't really see it going down anymore after this long.
 
WLP036 is a low attenuator, but 50% is a little too low. It should make it to 1.020.

The temp range for the yeast that I found was 65 to 69. Is the fermenter on a concrete floor. A fermenter will take the temperature of the floor and not the air temperature. You didn't say if 68 was air or wort temperature. In winter floors can be cold.

If your floor is on the low end of the yeast temp range (or lower) that could explain why ferment slowed down and is taking so long.

Just guessing from very little information.

If you want to re-pitch, don't worry about flavor profiles, it is already set with the initial yeast.
 
It's not on a floor, it's in a temp controlled chest freezer so I don't think temperature is the problem. On some of the threads I have found a lot of people say to sprinkle dry nottingham yeast in the primary to finish off the fermentation. I don't know if it would be better to do this or make another starter with WLP 036 and pitch it at high krausen.

Anyone who has experience with this situation, which option is better? And if I do sprinkle nottingham in will it affect the flavor since it's a different yeast strain?

Thanks you guys for the help, it's my first Alt and I don't want to affect the flavor but want to get it down at least 10 points or so more so I don't end up with a highly sweet 3.65% altbier.

Cheers
 
Notty will not affect the flavor profile since that is already set, but it will affect the final sweetness. WLP036 shoudl get you down to somewhere around 1.020. Notty may take it down to 1.010.
 
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