Bottled my second batch of stout, everything went good SG 1.048 little high, kit said it should be 1.046, the problem is that when I went to bottle after three weeks in primary the gravity was 1.028, it was supposed to be 1.012, the beer tasted pretty good but that gravity is so high I don't know what happened. I had very good fermentation for the first five days, I didn't take gravity until the SG, and the bottling because I didn't want to contaminate the beer , so were did I go wrong? I will watch for over reactive activity in the bottle, I would think even with dry yeast (12 gm/2packets) I should have finished the five gallon batch.
High FG
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BradleyBrew
Well-Known Member
The starting gravity is fine... If you steeped your grains you could have picked up some extra sugar during that process... Honestly it sounds like you might of had a stuck fermentation. What temperature did you ferment at? What type of dry yeast? There are many variable that could of caused a stuck fermentation.
Why would taking a sample risk contamination of the brew? You have to check your beer with the hydrometer periodically throughout the primary fermentation. Its the only way to know that proper fermentation is being completed. Airlocks do not really demonstration anything.
Why would taking a sample risk contamination of the brew? You have to check your beer with the hydrometer periodically throughout the primary fermentation. Its the only way to know that proper fermentation is being completed. Airlocks do not really demonstration anything.
Brady thank's for the reply, I used 12 grams of Muntons dry yeast rehydrated and primed, the fermentation temperature was between 65-75, if there was stuck fermentation what does one do? add more yeast?
What do you mean the dry yeast was "...primed..."?
BradleyBrew
Well-Known Member
I've never used muntons dry yeast.. I used their premium gold yeast with good success. So far I have never experience with a stuck fermentation. Ways that I have read to restart a stuck fermenation is to 1. swirl the fermenter to rouse yeast 2. warm the fermenter (65-75 is fine for most ale yeast but you want to be as consistant as possible with 1 temperature with very little fluctuation 3. re-pitch yeast 4. do 1-3 and add a yeast energizer.
I would avoid that yeast in the future if you buy kits upgrade to a fermentis us-05 s-04 or nottingham ale yeast. Through the muntons in your boil for yeast nutrients
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I would avoid that yeast in the future if you buy kits upgrade to a fermentis us-05 s-04 or nottingham ale yeast. Through the muntons in your boil for yeast nutrients
.
I would avoid that yeast in the future if you buy kits upgrade to a fermentis us-05 s-04 or nottingham ale yeast. Through the muntons in your boil for yeast nutrients
+1 I've used muntons once in a low gravity bitter, all I can say is it fermented the beer. For dry yeast, I think that Notty's the way to go. I've heard us-05 is great too.
Yeast nutrient is never a bad idea. I always add it in the last ten of the boil, but I've heard of people throwing it in the fermentor. Can't say I know whether or not it'll do anything now, but it could jumpstart those yeast if they're stuck.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
I recently did a Imperial Stout with S-05 that got a stuck fermentation at about 1.022. I went and got some more S-05, made a 24 hour starter with priming sugar, and added that to my primary with a slight swirl. I got a few more days of fermentation and got down to my 1.012 target FG.
Beerman thank's for the reply, what I meant is that Before I pitched the yeast I boiled some water and priming sugar let it cool and added the 12 grams of yeast so it would rehydrate and to see if the yeast were alive, before I pitched my wort.
Well, it's too late now, but don't do that any more! And don't use Munton's anymore. Munton's is not a good quality yeast, and their own manufacturer doesn't recommend using it on all malt beers, only beers with lots of simple sugars in its makeup. That yeast strain has trouble with fermenting the sugars in beer (maltose).
If you've already bottled, there isn't much you can do now. Next time, make sure the gravity is stable by taking at least two different readings at least three days a part so that you can avoid bottle bombs.
Yooper thank's for the valuable information, do you think in the future I would have better luck with a liquid yeast verses a dry yeast? One more question, is it better to have a slow fermentation so that the yeast don't burn them selfs out to quick with a high temperature fermentation.
Dry yeast, liquid yeast- doesn't matter a bit. What matters is quality, as well as amount of yeast. The ingredients of the beer play the biggest role in attenuation, actually. Some ingredients are non fermentable (lactose), some less fermentable (dark extract) and some fully fermentable (simple sugars).
For quality dry yeast, you'll want to use something like Safale S05 for American style ales, and Safale S04 for British style ales. I've used Nottingham (but definitely keep that one as cool as you can- 62 degrees is best!) with good results also.
Fast or slow fermentation doesn't matter either- except you want to keep the temperature cool. A "hot" ferment doesn't burn itself out, but the beer doesn't taste good due to the off flavors produced. You'll want to keep an ale under 70 degrees (beer temperature, not room temperature) if you can. A stick-on thermometer helps keep an eye on temperature.
Yooper thank's for the reply, one more question, it seems there is a consensus here on this site that adding sugar to rehydrated dry yeast should not be done. You mentioned quality of the yeast is paramount, so how does one know if there dry yeast is viable before pitching if no sugar is added? Once again thank's for the valuable information, I am sure my next batch will be even better than the first. Regards
You don't need to proof the yeast- the dry yeast available (except for Cooper's and Munton's) is very good quality, and a simple rehydration is good enough, following package directions. There is an expiration date on the package, and it should be kept in the fridge. It's not very fragile, so it's good even beyond the expiration date.
