Long time lurker first time poster...
I've got a little less then 10 AG brews under my belt after the last year and have been working on gradual process improvements when I decided to brew a modification of this receipe...
How to Brew a Pastry Stout | Guide to Brewing Pastry Stouts | Secret Level Brewing
I attached pictures of my recipe.
My problem is I'm 14 days post the last wort addition (28 days post fermentation beginning) and half the fermenter is currently some kind of yeast and/or cocoa powder sludge. I brewed a similar recipe, albeit not as big, and the same thing happened. Will this compact further when I'm ready to cold crash in a cooler with ice or will it stay like this and is there any other way to get more of the wort out and leave the rest of that behind.
This happened to me one other time with a similar recipe and the cold crash in a cooler with Ice didn't help. That recipe wasn't as big but used the same amount of cocoa powder (4oz).
Things I tried last time:
1. cold crash cooler with ice
2. Left it in primary for 3 months
Things it could be:
1. 4oz Cocoa powder in boil?
2. Yeast, it ended up being 1.16 OG at 6.75 gallons cooled and I have been swirling the fermenter a lot but the sediment doesn't move very much.
3. Process, I started fermenting with half the wort (3 gallons), added the full starter, added 1.5 gallons after 6 days, then added another 2 gallons after another 8 days which I might add actually started to some how ferment on its own and was in full swing when I added the 2 gallons to the main fermenter. This has been a crazy homebrew experience to say the least. After 28 days total it's still fermenting (1 air bubble every 5 seconds).
4. Some combination of the above?
5. Anything else?
Thanks!
P.S. I've take 2 gravity readings so far, both during the wort additions, 1st = 1.056 (13.7%) 2nd = 1.062 (12.9%)
P.P.S I've got a starter of WLP099 ready to pitch if I don't get the final gravity readings I'm expecting.
I've got a little less then 10 AG brews under my belt after the last year and have been working on gradual process improvements when I decided to brew a modification of this receipe...
How to Brew a Pastry Stout | Guide to Brewing Pastry Stouts | Secret Level Brewing
I attached pictures of my recipe.
My problem is I'm 14 days post the last wort addition (28 days post fermentation beginning) and half the fermenter is currently some kind of yeast and/or cocoa powder sludge. I brewed a similar recipe, albeit not as big, and the same thing happened. Will this compact further when I'm ready to cold crash in a cooler with ice or will it stay like this and is there any other way to get more of the wort out and leave the rest of that behind.
This happened to me one other time with a similar recipe and the cold crash in a cooler with Ice didn't help. That recipe wasn't as big but used the same amount of cocoa powder (4oz).
Things I tried last time:
1. cold crash cooler with ice
2. Left it in primary for 3 months
Things it could be:
1. 4oz Cocoa powder in boil?
2. Yeast, it ended up being 1.16 OG at 6.75 gallons cooled and I have been swirling the fermenter a lot but the sediment doesn't move very much.
3. Process, I started fermenting with half the wort (3 gallons), added the full starter, added 1.5 gallons after 6 days, then added another 2 gallons after another 8 days which I might add actually started to some how ferment on its own and was in full swing when I added the 2 gallons to the main fermenter. This has been a crazy homebrew experience to say the least. After 28 days total it's still fermenting (1 air bubble every 5 seconds).
4. Some combination of the above?
5. Anything else?
Thanks!
P.S. I've take 2 gravity readings so far, both during the wort additions, 1st = 1.056 (13.7%) 2nd = 1.062 (12.9%)
P.P.S I've got a starter of WLP099 ready to pitch if I don't get the final gravity readings I'm expecting.
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