I can't get to my final gravity I'm looking for.

[raider72]

I'm fermenting a batch of oatmeal stout been holding temp around 67-70 deg. In my conical. My O.G. was 1.068 and I'm trying to get a final gravity of 1.020 or less but it been stuck on 1.028 for about a week and a half. Beer looks clear and taste fine. Should I be fine with bottling or should I wait?

 

[Oddball]

It isn't going down any further if it has been the same that long and you already have a decent abv (around 5.4 if my calculations are correct), so I say just bottle....

 

[jmh286]

What was the recipe? How long has it been in primary? What yeast did you pitch? Did you make a starter?

We need info to help out. And you basically asked us what was wrong with your car by saying it doesn't start.

 

[patthebrewer]

Whats your pitch rate on the yeast, sometimes over pitching can result in stuck fermentation (under pitching causes longer ferment times), in my system anyway.

 

[Kaiser]

did you do a Fast Ferment Test?

Kai

 

[raider72]

What's that?

 

[IslandLizard]

did you do a Fast Ferment Test?

Kai

Thank you Kai for the excellent article and it makes a lot of sense.

Now those tests are generally done with wort.

Yet, the article is unfinished on performing the test with beer. Can we simply ignore the fact that there is (4-9%) alcohol present? Will the dry bread yeast survive and perform the ferment-out test as expected?

If so, this is a wonderful solution to the same old question we find here so often:

"Is my beer done fermenting?"​

Even 3 more days with matching gravity readings does not guarantee fermentation has completed. Your test should provide the conclusive answer in the same time or less.

 

[raider72]

Very helpful. Thanks