I have a heck of a stuck fermentation and nothing has helped

[Horseflesh]

First things first: I did not make a starter and I know I should have.

I made a batch of EdWort's Bavarian Hefeweizen, and though things went smoothly on brew day and the first few days of fermentation, I have hit a brick wall. If anyone has ideas on what went wrong or how to fix it, I would love to hear them!

Summary of events:

• Mash was 90 min at 153F. I hit the numbers within a couple of degrees, which is as good as I usually do. If anything I erred low, not high. (My thermometer was a Thermapen which I use constantly for cooking, and its reliability is not in doubt.)
  
• My OG was 1.053, target was 1.050. (I double-milled grain for the first time and this increased my efficiency a bit.)
• After cooling the wort to about 70F, I pitched a very happy and puffy smack pack of 3068, which was less than 2 months old per the package markings. (I did not shake the bucket to aerate, but 5 gallons of wort splashed from the high kettle spigot into the bucket, which is how I have been aerating my last batches. Not enough?)
• I had a very vigorous fermentation for a few days, and had to switch to a blowoff tube.
• I tested at 7 days and gravity was about 1.026. Hmm... Seems high still.
• I tested at 11 days and gravity was about the same. Uh oh.
• I warmed the fermenter to 73F and stirred the yeast. 3 days later, the gravity was unchanged.
• I made a 1L starter of 3068, from a pack that was 2 weeks old... Freshest I had ever seen. Dumped that in, with the fermenter still at 73F. 3 days later, gravity was down 1 point to 1.025. Barely any change!
• After a couple more days I rehydrated some US-05 and dumped that in, still running at 73F. 3 days later... gravity seems to be between 1.024 and 1.025. Nada!

All gravity readings were taken with a refractometer, btw. FG is supposed to be somewhere around 1.012.

Why aren't these yeast cooperating?

The ONLY thing that I can think of is somehow, I screwed up the mash temp and ended up with too many unfermentable sugars. Surely, fresh attacks with 3068 and US-05 should have moved the needle if there were fermentables left... or can the yeast be that stubborn?

This is my first stuck fermentation ever and I am not a fan. Is there any way out of this pickle? I am willing to try anything. In for a penny, in for a pound.

The beer tastes great btw, just too sweet for the style.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[theseeker4]

First things first: I did not make a starter and I know I should have.

I made a batch of EdWort's Bavarian Hefeweizen, and though things went smoothly on brew day and the first few days of fermentation, I have hit a brick wall. If anyone has ideas on what went wrong or how to fix it, I would love to hear them!

Summary of events:

• Mash was 90 min at 153F. I hit the numbers within a couple of degrees, which is as good as I usually do. If anything I erred low, not high. (My thermometer was a Thermapen which I use constantly for cooking, and its reliability is not in doubt.)
  
• My OG was 1.053, target was 1.050. (I double-milled grain for the first time and this increased my efficiency a bit.)
• After cooling the wort to about 70F, I pitched a very happy and puffy smack pack of 3068, which was less than 2 months old per the package markings. (I did not shake the bucket to aerate, but 5 gallons of wort splashed from the high kettle spigot into the bucket, which is how I have been aerating my last batches. Not enough?)
• I had a very vigorous fermentation for a few days, and had to switch to a blowoff tube.
• I tested at 7 days and gravity was about 1.026. Hmm... Seems high still.
• I tested at 11 days and gravity was about the same. Uh oh.
• I warmed the fermenter to 73F and stirred the yeast. 3 days later, the gravity was unchanged.
• I made a 1L starter of 3068, from a pack that was 2 weeks old... Freshest I had ever seen. Dumped that in, with the fermenter still at 73F. 3 days later, gravity was down 1 point to 1.025. Barely any change!
• After a couple more days I rehydrated some US-05 and dumped that in, still running at 73F. 3 days later... gravity seems to be between 1.024 and 1.025. Nada!

All gravity readings were taken with a refractometer, btw. FG is supposed to be somewhere around 1.012.

Why aren't these yeast cooperating?

The ONLY thing that I can think of is somehow, I screwed up the mash temp and ended up with too many unfermentable sugars. Surely, fresh attacks with 3068 and US-05 should have moved the needle if there were fermentables left... or can the yeast be that stubborn?

This is my first stuck fermentation ever and I am not a fan. Is there any way out of this pickle? I am willing to try anything. In for a penny, in for a pound.

The beer tastes great btw, just too sweet for the style.

Thanks for your thoughts!

If you never checked the final gravities with a hydrometer, I would bet that is your problem. Even if you used a calculator to convert the refractometer value to a "true" value, I would check with a calibrated hydrometer to see if the numbers agree.

 

[Horseflesh]

You know what, you must be right. I had assumed that my gravity hit a plateau too early and so it must be stuck... but if I run the numbers through a refractometer calculator, it tells me my FG is actually more like 1.011. So maybe I ain't stuck at all, and I could have been drinking hefeweizen a week ago! I'll verify with the hydrometer tonight.

 

[passedpawn]

First things first: I did not make a starter and I know I should have. ...

Try adding amylase enzymes - likely will fix your problem. Make sure to wait for at least a couple of weeks after adding before bottling. Check this thread:

Escape from Stuck Fermentation Mountain - AE to the Rescue!

 

[passedpawn]

If you never checked the final gravities with a hydrometer, I would bet that is your problem. Even if you used a calculator to convert the refractometer value to a "true" value, I would check with a calibrated hydrometer to see if the numbers agree.

Oops. Nice catch! (I missed that). I'm sure it's the refractometer. I use mine every batch during the boil, but NEVER for beer once the yeast is added. IMO useless.

 

[Horseflesh]

Yeah, I think theseeker probably nailed it. Stupid mistake on my part, I should have known to verify with the hydrometer. But nope, I was sure it had to be stuck...

Too bad I am stuck at work instead of home making beer!

 

[GrogNerd]

refractometer can still be a useful indicator fermentation has stopped, with subsequent readings remaining constant. but the actual readings are, as passedpawn mentioned, useless

 

[Kjay]

Will you report back with your gravity reading when using a hydrometer. This is like a watching The Martian you expect something bad to happen because it's hollywood but it doesn't. I am rooting for you.

 

[Horseflesh]

OP will deliver tonight!

 

[GrogNerd]

.

 

[Horseflesh]

FG via hydrometer is 1.10. All is well and the beer is kegged!