IPA stuck fermentation ==> hefeweizen starter added ==> ruined?

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byunique

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I was having a stuck fermentation on my first All grain/BIAB brew using Northern Brewer's Fruit Bazooka IPA. Original Gravity started at 1.057, went down to ~ 1.035 and pretty stayed there even after 14 days. Target gravity ~ 1.005. My ferrm temp was 77F and first thing I did was to bump the temp to 82F. Things started to bubble again, but pretty infrequently, and gravity numbers are starting to change however slowly.

Decided to add a yeast starter using the original WLP644 Saccharomyces Bruxellensis Trois - White Labs Yeast. Went through all the motions of creating the starter (first time) and added 400mL of starter. (I am doing a 2.5G batch). After adding the starter, I realized I had mixed by yeasts up and used WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Yeast - White Labs!!!! I reduced my ferm temp from 82 to 72 to accommodate the yeast.

I know this Hefeweizen yeast is supposed to impart Banana kind of flavors, but to an IPA??? Have I totally ruined this? :oops:

 
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Have I totally ruined this?
I don't ever try to imagine such. Just keep track of what you did and then see what the final product tastes like.

Adding more yeast though is something I've never done and don't really know what it would take for me to ever consider it.

Did you ever just swirl the beer around in the fermenter and see if it would get active again?

And the ever present question... how and with what did you get your SG readings? And did you correct for temp and alcohol if you used a refractometer?

Also confusing about your yeast. Which was used at the first?
 
<Did you ever just swirl the beer around in the fermenter and see if it would get active again?>
I thought about it for a quick minute, but after reading about the original gravity, and the fact that this was on the high side, I may have needed a yeast starter in the first place, so wanted to take a more aggressive approach.

<And the ever present question... how and with what did you get your SG readings? And did you correct for temp and alcohol if you used a refractometer??>
Been using a refractometer, but also felt even if I didn't account for refractometer corrections, it's far enough off to say "it's stalled". I probably should have double confirmed with hydrometer readings.

<Also confusing about your yeast. Which was used at the first?>
Original yeast pitched was the WLP644 Saccharomyces Bruxellensis Trois - White Labs Yeast, but added the WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Yeast - White Labs by mistake

Thanks!
 
Been using a refractometer, but also felt even if I didn't account for refractometer corrections, it's far enough off to say "it's stalled". I probably should have double confirmed with hydrometer readings.

Did you use a calculator to arrive at your current/FG? FWIW, the last time we solved this issue for someone they reported a stalled batch at 1.020. Adjusted correctly, it was 1.009.

Part II here...

https://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/
And have you calibrated your refractometer with distilled, RO, or even tap water?
 
I just bought a wine thief so I can extract a sample from my fermonster, so will be doing a hydrometer test in a couple days.
Ever since I added the yeast starter, it's bubbling consistently every minute. Before it every 90-120 seconds. And thats after 4 hours, imagine it should be even more active.

Will look into that calculator some more...

Yes, refractometer was calibrated with tap water
 
Just an update, after 24 hours, the bubbling period came down to ~ 30 seconds, and 48 hours later, it's just a little below that. Refractometer reading is 1.028 from 1.035, so seems like progress to me!
 
I have brewed that same beer and it was very good. I used the White Labs WLP644 yeast and it fermented fast. I did not check gravities during fermentation (never do) and just let it sit for 2 weeks before I kegged it. I did use a yeast starter with this liquid yeast.

I wonder if your readings are accurate. One possibility is that that beer was fully fermented before you started to over think it. I have never had a beer stall out if I used the proper yeast, proper temperatures and correct yeast counts with a NB recipe.

Just a side note. After I brewed this beer I was out of town for 3 months. It was still perfect after 3 months with no sign of oxidation and no loss of aroma. I did a pressure fermentation on it, dry hopped with magnets in my Fermzilla All Rounder with no oxygen exposure and then did a closed transfer to the keg. It worked perfect to maintain this hoppy beer for a longer time than I had ever done before.
 
Will look into that calculator some more...

Just an update, after 24 hours, the bubbling period came down to ~ 30 seconds, and 48 hours later, it's just a little below that. Refractometer reading is 1.028 from 1.035, so seems like progress to me!

Have you looked into that calculator?

You're clearly not at a stable, terminal gravity yet. But, I believe you're closer to your goal than you think.

Using your SG numbers and Part I of the calculator to back into Brix...
1.057~=14Bx
1.028~=7Bx

14Bx and 7Bx as inputs for Part II of the calculator shows a current SG of 1.011
 
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Have you looked into that calculator?

You're clearly not at a stable, terminal gravity yet. But, I believe you're closer to your goal than you think.

Using your SG numbers and Part I of the calculator to back into Brix...
1.057~=14Bx
1.028~=7Bx

14Bx and 7Bx as inputs for Part II of the calculator shows a current SG of 1.011
After I pulled samples via the wine thief, my hydrometer showed I was down to 1.010, so clearly the fermentation was close to done. Thanks for bringing this all up!
 
I have brewed that same beer and it was very good. I used the White Labs WLP644 yeast and it fermented fast. I did not check gravities during fermentation (never do) and just let it sit for 2 weeks before I kegged it. I did use a yeast starter with this liquid yeast.

I wonder if your readings are accurate. One possibility is that that beer was fully fermented before you started to over think it. I have never had a beer stall out if I used the proper yeast, proper temperatures and correct yeast counts with a NB recipe.

Just a side note. After I brewed this beer I was out of town for 3 months. It was still perfect after 3 months with no sign of oxidation and no loss of aroma. I did a pressure fermentation on it, dry hopped with magnets in my Fermzilla All Rounder with no oxygen exposure and then did a closed transfer to the keg. It worked perfect to maintain this hoppy beer for a longer time than I had ever done before.
I think going forward, I’ll be making yeast starters now that I know how to do it. GTK your success with NB kits!
 
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