Not sure what to do now.....

[SkyDog]

Cooked up a nice midwest porter 14 days ago. I pitched an activator pack which had been in the fridge for a few weeks and got no visible signs of fermentation after 72 hrs.

I pitched my backup Munton's Gold yeast and saw a 1 inch layer of foam on top by Thursday morning. That's when I left town for four days.

After I returned home I waited until Thursday (1 wk after pitching backup yeast) to check the gravity which was at 1.020. SG was 1.044 and FG is supposed to be 1.010.

Three days later and it is at 1.018.

What I'd like to know is whether I should leave it in the primary(carboy) longer or move it to the secondary? Do the particulates in the bottom of the carboy help the fermentation or are they just spent nutrients?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[davesrose]

Your gravity is still going down. Leave it in primary at least until you have 3 days of no hydro change. The stuff in the bottom is mainly spent yeast and byproducts. What is your fermentation temperature? You could try raising it if it's in the lower 60s.

 

[annasdadhockey]

+1. Raise temp a bit and gently rouse the yeast. This should get it down a bit further.

 

[SkyDog]

Temp is at 66 now. Has been closer to 68 until last couple days.

Should I just give the carboy a good spin to rouse the yeast?

Thanks!

 

[annasdadhockey]

Temp is at 66 now. Has been closer to 68 until last couple days.

Should I just give the carboy a good spin to rouse the yeast?

Thanks!

Yes, that'll help. Also, since most of the fermentation is finished, you could even raise the temp(if possible) to 72 or so without fear of off flavors due to high ferm temps. That should get you the drop you need.

 

[Crazytwoknobs]

Yup, a quick spin should help, just try not to splash. +1 on temp increase.

 

[wyzazz]

+1 as well, I leave all my brews in the primary for at least 3 weeks before even checking my gravity. It leaves the yeasties some time to clean up after themselves.

 

[SkyDog]

Excellent. Thanks for the help. Will swirl it a bit and move to a warmer room.