Jump starting my stuck ferm. Please help me decide best option!

[doverox]

Hi guys,
So I have had this American IPA with Omega West Coast liquid yeast in the bucket for 3 weeks. It is generally my policy to leave my ales alone for 3 weeks, I don't usually check the gravity before then.
Well, I may start checking at 10 days because I discovered I have a stuck ferm. My OG was 1.061 and I am only at 1.050. I tasted it and it is not particularly sweet, it tastes pretty good actually.

I believe that the temp dropped too low at some point. I finally got a ferm belt and will now be better about keeping it warmer. But what else should I do? I was thinking of leaving it on the belt for a couple days and checking the gravity again. Another thought was to pitch some champagne yeast in addition to the belt. OR should I rack to a secondary and pitch new yeast all together?
I did not make a starter because it's a 3.5 gallon batch with an estimated abv of about 7%. I pitched a full packet of the West Coast that was only 2 weeks old.
Thanks in advance!

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

First question. How did you measure gravity - hydrometer or refractometer?

 

[doverox]

First question. How did you measure gravity - hydrometer or refractometer?

hydrometer

I checked with water to make sure it's working. It is

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

In that case, I would say warm it up and give it a good swirl. There has been a little fermentation so you don't want to introduce any oxygen so be sure there's no splashing when you swirl. Give it a week and see how it's going. Then you can figure whether to repitch or not.

 

[BuffaloJohn]

If you see nothing in a couple of days, you might want to consider an additional dose of yeast. But I would not use champagne yeast nor would I transfer it into another vessel. I would agree with the careful stir and warm up first though.

 

[Yooper]

Hi guys,
So I have had this American IPA with Omega West Coast liquid yeast in the bucket for 3 weeks. It is generally my policy to leave my ales alone for 3 weeks, I don't usually check the gravity before then.
Well, I may start checking at 10 days because I discovered I have a stuck ferm. My OG was 1.061 and I am only at 1.050. I tasted it and it is not particularly sweet, it tastes pretty good actually.

I believe that the temp dropped too low at some point. I finally got a ferm belt and will now be better about keeping it warmer. But what else should I do? I was thinking of leaving it on the belt for a couple days and checking the gravity again. Another thought was to pitch some champagne yeast in addition to the belt. OR should I rack to a secondary and pitch new yeast all together?
I did not make a starter because it's a 3.5 gallon batch with an estimated abv of about 7%. I pitched a full packet of the West Coast that was only 2 weeks old.
Thanks in advance!

You're sure the hydrometer reads 1.000 in plain water and is not cracked? I'd check the beer again, because if it is 1.050, the beer would be SWEET, and practically undrinkable, like wort.

If it's pretty good, and not undrinkable and tastes like beer and not wort, the reading has got to be flawed.

 

[flars]

Do the simplest first. Warm the beer to the midpoint of the yeasts optimum range. Check for signs of fermentation activity a couple days later. If there are no obvious signs of activity, gently stir the yeast bed with a sanitized spoon.

Leave the beer on the yeast cake. The yeast didn't die, most of the yeast cells just went into dormancy if the temperature dropped to far.

 

[doverox]

You're sure the hydrometer reads 1.000 in plain water and is not cracked? I'd check the beer again, because if it is 1.050, the beer would be SWEET, and practically undrinkable, like wort.

If it's pretty good, and not undrinkable and tastes like beer and not wort, the reading has got to be flawed.

I was thinking the same thing...it is an overtly hoppy beer so the malt is a little overpowered to begin with but it definitely tastes like beer to me.

Perhaps I should pick up another hydrometer. It did take a minute to get the 1.000 reading with the water though I did get it. Could have a miniscule crack. Thanks

 

[BigFloyd]

I was thinking the same thing...it is an overtly hoppy beer so the malt is a little overpowered to begin with but it definitely tastes like beer to me.

Perhaps I should pick up another hydrometer. It did take a minute to get the 1.000 reading with the water though I did get it. Could have a miniscule crack. Thanks

What Yooper said. What you described would cause me to suspect the hydro.

 

[doverox]

Um, yea you guys were spot on. The gravity was in fact 1.012, not 1.050. BIG difference haha.
Crap, sure wish I didn't put that fermbelt on it. Hopefully it will be ok.