Help with sorghum brew/slow ferm.

[Lurpinator]

I started a gluten free brew with white Sorghum extract 7 days ago today, and the OG was about 1.050, and now it is only at about 1.040. Here is the recipe

7# White Sorghum Extract
1/2 # Honey

1 oz. Perle Hop pellets

1 package Safale US-05 dry yeast (pitched by just sprinkling)



After a 60 minute boil, I cooled the wort down in an icebath which took about 10-20 minutes. It got down to about 85 degrees F and I had to go to work (around 2 pm) so I sprinkled the yeast on, stirred it in vigorously and closed the bucket and shook for a couple minutes. I placed the airlock on, and I had airlock activity by that night (around 8). The stick on thermometer has read 63 to 65 degrees F since then, and there is steady airlock activity (a bubble every 10 seconds). My gravity reading today was at 1.040, and it tasted very slightly alcoholic, but was still VERY cloudy. I put it into a little bit warmer room for today, so maybe that will help.

Can anybody tell me if this is a normal ferm., because it seems like it is crawling along based on the gravity readings.

Thanks,

Ian

 

[Donasay]

http://www.fermentis.com/FO/EN/07-Fermented/140-10_why-use_so.asp

They make special sorghum yeast, you didn't use it, additionally if you are going to use normal yeast you need to waaaaaaay over pitch. Throwing one packet in won't cut it for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[Donasay]

please don't double post mods don't like that.

 

[jhs]

I don't know anything about sorghum, but maybe you need some yeast nutrient? Just a hunch.

 

[Lurpinator]

I didn't mean to double post, and couldn't figure how to delete one of them so sorry. Anyways, all the gluten free recipes call for nottingham's dry yeast or safale (one packet) so it must have worked at some point for somebody eh?

 

[FatMonsters]

I used one packet of dry Nottingham and it fermented my Sorghum beer down to 1.012 - 1.014, where I started at 1.056. I don't think that is causing it. The "special sorghum" yeast I believe is with liquid cultures for what they use to grow up the yeast cells and what the nutrient pack inside contains. I'm pretty sure, but then again I may be wrong, that dry yeast isn't an issue here.

May be a slow ferment. There may be a leak somewhere around the bucket lid where the off-gas is escaping. Moving it to warmer area and agitating should help. How long has it been fermenting?

Thread on Sorghum:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=65034

 

[david_42]

I'd bring the temperature up to 70F and stir it up to re-suspend the yeast.

 

[Lurpinator]

I used one packet of dry Nottingham and it fermented my Sorghum beer down to 1.012 - 1.014, where I started at 1.056. I don't think that is causing it. The "special sorghum" yeast I believe is with liquid cultures for what they use to grow up the yeast cells and what the nutrient pack inside contains. I'm pretty sure, but then again I may be wrong, that dry yeast isn't an issue here.

May be a slow ferment. There may be a leak somewhere around the bucket lid where the off-gas is escaping. Moving it to warmer area and agitating should help. How long has it been fermenting?

Thread on Sorghum:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=65034

This is the 8th day of fermentation, the lid on my bucket is air tight I have checked that. I will take another hydrometer reading today and see if it is dropping, and also agitate it when i put it back. How long did your sorghum beer take to ferment, and btw how did it turn out?

 

[FatMonsters]

I meant to ferment as normal and move to secondary for clarifying. That didn't happen based on timing of things. It sat in primary for three weeks. Overall it was a very light beer (body, color, flavor). Not bad but not great.

 

[Lurpinator]

Good news, I've had my primary in a warmer room for over 24 hours now, and took another hydrometer reading today and it was at 1.034. When I put it back, I agitated it a bit (not introducing oxygen). Hopefully, this is all it needed, but I am thinking next time not to pitch my yeast at 85-90 deg F. I will wait for it to get cooler. What do you all think?

 

[Lurpinator]

From good news to bad news and now the unknown. On the 19th, my gravity had only dropped to 1.030, so I called the LHBS and they said I should pitch another packet of Safale US-05 on top and agitate (because I pitched at a high temp the first time). So, I bought a pack and pitched it last night, and my airlock is going wild, hopefully that translates into lower gravity. As of right now, it tastes like a watered down version of Bard's Tale (not what I wanted) but we will see what happens. However it turns out, if it is healthy I will drink it!