S-04 slow? Krausen for 2 days

[MplsUgly]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid but this is the first time I've used S-04 and it just looks like a slow and calm fermentation, maybe too calm.

I split a 10 gallon batch of 68 degree 1.063 oatmeal stout into three fermenters and pitched on pack in each carboy and did not rehydrate. I figured a pack into about 3.5 gallons should be fine.

It started strong enough on day two but only had about a half inch of krausen and then quickly dropped off and it's only and a little lace on top for the last few days.

I'm at day 5 and I've dropped from 1.063 to 1.038. The reason I'm a little skeptical is because I had a big mash temp overshoot up to 159 degrees for about 10 minutes sometime during the first 30 minutes or so. Other than that I kept it at 153-154. That overshot makes me worried that this isn't going to come down.

Should I wait, pitch a different yeast on it? I'm a little tempted to throw a pack of US-05 in one of the three to see what happens but that would throw off the other experiment I have planed with one oak, one nibs, one control.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I was in the exact same spot last week only opposite. I made a brown ale with 05 slurry. After 36 I had no action. I got nervous and pitched dry 04. It took off and got to 1.022 and stalled. (1.016 predicted) After waiting 2 days at .022 I took it out and let it sit at room temp. Around 74. It took another 2 days to get real slow action. Another 3 days and I hit predicted FG...04 has always had a mind of its own for me. Sometimes it finishes in 3 days, other times 10 days
I would raise the temp for a couple days and see where it goes before repitching. OR Dump 05 on it and see where it goes. I don't see how it would hurt anything. It turned out to be an awesome beer, one of my favorites. Might just have to mix 05 and 04 more often.

 

[thehaze]

S-04 should have eaten through that wort. US-05 will not help, at least my experience is that US-05 slows down in a wort with many specialty malts ( porter, stour, etc. ) and mashed high. Only way to get US-05 to attenuate decently with a more complex grain bill is mashing low 149F and proper pitching.

I would start by raising the temp. from 68F to 70F and see what happens. Give it a few days at 70-71F. See what happens. If that does not work, you canm think about pitching another yeast.

 

[MplsUgly]

Ill kick it up to 70 and see what happens. I have heard about ester issues above that so Im a little hesitant but whatever at this point.

If this really looks like its stalling out is there anything I can do to try to kick it into gear? Pitch with some other yeast? Throw some champagne yeast in it? I want this beer to finish around 1.016. I'm 22 points off that after dropping 25 points in 5 days.

 

[thehaze]

Ill kick it up to 70 and see what happens. I have heard about ester issues above that so Im a little hesitant but whatever at this point.

If this really looks like its stalling out is there anything I can do to try to kick it into gear? Pitch with some other yeast? Throw some champagne yeast in it? I want this beer to finish around 1.016. I'm 22 points off that after dropping 25 points in 5 days.

With an oatmeal porter the esters, if any, will not be a problem. The beer will come out just fine. I fermented S-04 even at 75 F and never experienced ( OR maybe my palate sense is not skilled enough ) any " off " flavours/undesirable esters.

Giveit a day or two at 70-71F and see what happens. If that does not help, try pitching another yeast.

 

[MplsUgly]

I think I've got this figured out. Classic operator error on my part. I was using my refractometer instead of my hydrometer and apparently this doesn't work without some adjustments after alcohol becomes present. I didn't know this and had it all dialed in on brew day so I figured I would save some beer and use this rather than fill up the sample cylinder. I checked it today with the hydro and I'm at 1.023. I checked calibration with distilled water at 60 degrees and it's spot on so I'm feeling a lot better about this batch. Even even if I'm slowing down I think I can pick up a couple more points over the next week and end up with a stout around 5.5% with nice body. Also, the sample tastes really nice, almost a little smoked. I think this is going to be good after it goes on oak. I started soaking that in some bullet bourbon today too.

Thanks for the help, folks! Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

Ill kick it up to 70 and see what happens. I have heard about ester issues above that so Im a little hesitant but whatever at this point.

If this really looks like its stalling out is there anything I can do to try to kick it into gear? Pitch with some other yeast? Throw some champagne yeast in it? I want this beer to finish around 1.016. I'm 22 points off that after dropping 25 points in 5 days.

Ester formation is a problem only during the initial part of the fermentation when the yeasts are having an orgy. Once that slow down you can warm the beer to encourage the yeast to finish without the ester formation.

http://www.brewgeeks.com/the-life-cycle-of-yeast.html

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid but...it looks like a slow and calm fermentation, maybe too calm....

It...only had about a half inch of krausen and then quickly dropped off and it's only and a little lace on top for the last few days....

I had a big mash temp overshoot up to 159 degrees for about 10 minutes sometime during the first 30 minutes or so.... That overshot makes me worried that this isn't going to come down....

I was just about to start a thread with a nearly-identical post, and then I saw this. On Sunday night I brewed two 1-gallon batches of Grapefruit Honey Ale, which contains (among other ingredients) about 4.6% each of Victory, Crystal 10 and Crystal 20. Anyway, on the second batch, I over-shot the mash temperature for a few minutes, but both fermentations look to be identical at this time: slow, steady, and as you describe.

I am only entering Brewday+3 now, so there's plenty of time to go, but the apparent slow fermentation did have me a bit concerned. It looks like it is fairly normal, and other than perhaps bumping the temperature up a little bit, I am guessing things will be fine.

 

[MplsUgly]

Now it's been 14 days and I'm at 1.021 down from a 1.063 OG. That's 5.5% ABV and 65.3% attenuation. The samples taste a bit sweet for my liking but I'm not sure there's anything I can do. I'd really like to get this down to about 1.012-1.016 but I'm not sure if that's possible.

Any thoughts?

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Chalk it up to mash temp. Lessen learned!


Leave it be. Right now, it's a bit sweet, but could lessen when carbonated. If you start Frankensteining it, you may end up worse off.

It's beer! Enjoy it for what it is!

 

[d3track]

If you can ramp up the temp you may be able to get a point or two more, but if you mashed that high with a heavy specialty malt grain bill, you may not get much more.

And I would not recommend champagne yeast.