I did not aerate enough - help!

[thacrow]

I'm new to brewing with about 12 batched under my belt.

A few days ago, I started very late in the evening and made batches one after another. So I finished early in the morning and because I was tired I did not pitch my second batch other than pouring the wort into the fermentation vessel.

OG 1058

FG 1015

I'm at 1030 right now

I've read that I can rack it as well as warm it up a little which will likely alter the flavor. I was wondering if I could take a stirring rod and quickly stir the wort adding oxygen, and perhaps raise the temperature. So really I would like to save time if stirring is a viable option.

Thank you for any help/suggestions.

 

[harrydrez]

Did you use dry or liquid? If you used dry then you don't even need to aerate.

 

[jonmohno]

What? three days and your concerned of gravity?

 

[JLW]

I would say your beer is probably ok and I wouldn't touch it for 3 to 4 weeks after you racked it to primary.

If your really worried, give the fermenter a little swirl move the beer to a warm spot and check it in three days.

 

[Face Eater]

I would wait a week or even 2 weeks and see where the gravity is then. I have made batches with little aeration when I first started brewing and they had turned out great.

 

[el_caro]

My advice would definitely be Do Not Aerate.
It is generally in-advisable once fermentation begins and if fermentation has finished it is an absolute no-no.

 

[thacrow]

Oh I'm sorry, I was holding a conversation while typing that up. It has completely stopped fermenting after four days. Dry yeast.

Stirring, cool. Someone said it. That's all the confidence I need!

 

[thacrow]

......or rack it into a secondary?

 

[sudsmcgee]

Oh I'm sorry, I was holding a conversation while typing that up. It has completely stopped fermenting after four days. Dry yeast.

Stirring, cool. Someone said it. That's all the confidence I need!

It's not done until the gravity is stable for two days. Dry yeast does not need to be aerated technically.

 

[thacrow]

Interesting. It has been about 24 hours.

Could there be any other causes for stuck fermentation other than lack of aeration?

It has not gone bad. Tasted exactly how it should except sweeter of course.

Thanks for all the replies everyone

 

[sudsmcgee]

There are rumors of a bad lot of US-05. Is that what you used?

 

[thacrow]

safe brew s-33

 

[JLW]

Interesting. It has been about 24 hours.

Could there be any other causes for stuck fermentation other than lack of aeration?

It has not gone bad. Tasted exactly how it should except sweeter of course.

Thanks for all the replies everyone

I wouldn't think lack of aeration would cause a stuck fermentation on a lower gravity beer.

 

[kh54s10]

I would say that it is still fermenting, just not showing visible signs. 24 hours is very early to get concerned.

You could swirl it gently a little to rouse the yeast and maybe warm it up a couple of degrees. I would stay below 70 degrees and WAIT.

After about 2 weeks take a gravity reading. If it is not near target then you could consider pitching more yeast and wait 3-4 weeks total, then bottle.

 

[Grumpybumpy]

4 days? I haven't brewed much but I'm usually just taking off my blow off tube at day 4. Sample day 10 or so. I'd say ride it out then pitch again if it really is stuck

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Home Brew Talk

 

[thacrow]

Figured it out. It was too cold. I had been keeping all beer in the basement because it is colder, but it's been particularly cold out.

The thermometer had dropped to 62.

I put it in a warmer room and it's up to 64 and has started bubbling again.

I appreciate all the help and concern.

 

[sudsmcgee]

It will bubble as it warms due to pressure changes caused by fluid and air expansion. Don't use the airlock as a sign of fermentation. Use gravity readings.

 

[thacrow]

dangit

 

[jonmohno]

A good thing to do is keep the temp toward the higher end of the yeast specific temps, until it has a foamy layer and gets going, then drop the ambient temp about 5 below the bottem end yeast temp once its going good. I wrapped mine in a heating pad on the lowest setting after a 12 hr lag time after feeling the outside of the fermenter and deciding it was a little too cool to start.At least this is what i do using a glass fermenter.

You want to have a good start but not and immediate agressive start.And not too quick a ferment.That would mean it was too high a temp. I feel i can control the temp/fermentation if i can see it at the beginning stages its at.

 

[Dan]

So it's been fermenting for how long? Sounds like you're talking about maybe five days. Way to early to worry about anything. As long as you practiced good sanitation, followed the directions, I believe you're going to be ok. Patience is your friend. Wait another week or even two and check gravity again.

 

[Squirrels]

Everyone else who has said wait and let it run it's course is right. 3 days to ferment would be a really quick fermentation to be hitting your FG. I generally only worry if a full week has gone by and my gravity is still not close to where it should be.

It sounds like it started after raising the temp. That is also a good way to restart a stuck fermentation.