Slow fermentation advice

[kickflip_mj]

So I have two 15 gal batches going: a pale ale at OG 1.057 sitting at 1.020 using a WY California ale yeast and a blonde OG 1.039 sitting at 1.16 using Nottingham. I have them fermenting at 63 degrees. Is this to low?

Definitely a stuck fermentation. It's been my fault because I haven't been making starters. Just using 3 packs of yeast. So should I secondary and repitch, and if so how much yeast? I don't really have time for a starter. I leave for Germany on Wednesday.

Oh and they have been sitting for about 3 weeks. So the blonde should be done by now
Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[kickflip_mj]

Bump


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[k1ngl1ves]

If they've been sitting for 3 weeks, you can safely warm them up a bit without any off flavor issues. Try 68°- 70°, and give them an aggressive swirl when they reach the new temp. Re-check in a week.

Always try the easiest fix and go from there...

 

[kickflip_mj]

My biggest issue is I'm on a time crunch. So I have a week


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[WileECoyote]

Hello, you only need to keep them at 63 to 65 deg during vigorous fermentation, then you can warm them up to help the yeast finish your beers.

What I do is 63 to 65 for 5 to 7 days, then let it rise to 70 for another week, then transfer to a secondary to bulk age/condition @ 70 deg for however long that beer needs to age/condition, you can leave it for months conditioning at that temp.

If that California yeast is the WLP-001 it needs to be just a bit warmer than most other ale yeast, recommended fermenting temps for that yeast are 68 to 73 deg, I do ferment that yeast at 65 on some of my beers, but after 4 to 5 days I slowly raise the temp to 70 deg and have good luck hitting FG doing this.

Hope this helps !

Cheers

 

[WileECoyote]

My biggest issue is I'm on a time crunch. So I have a week


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I would get them up to 70 deg ASAP so they can finish.

Cheers

 

[peterj]

Are you measuring the gravity with a refractometer?

 

[kickflip_mj]

I just realized I have underpitched by a lot. Ill go out today and just get three more packs per batch. Definitely screwed this one. you think it will add off flavors?

 

[peterj]

3 packs of dry yeast to 15 gallons of 1.039 wort is not underpitching at all. That may be overpitching technically.

The Wyeast1056 you may have underpitched on if you only did 3 liquid packs, but I don't think that's your problem.

Anyway, adding more yeast now isn't really going to do anything. There's plenty of yeast in there.

If you are using a refractometer to measure the FG then you need to use a correction calculator because they're not accurate once alcohol is present. http://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/. It's better to use a hydrometer.

If those numbers are accurate, what were your mash temps and recipes?

 

[boydster]

Also interested to know if you are getting your measurements with a hydrometer or refractometer. A refractometer won't read accurate once alcohol is present.

3 packs of Notty into 15 gallons of 1.039 wort isn't an underpitch. The batch with liquid yeast would depend on how old the yeast was, but fresh yeast should have been able to finish, even if it was a little underpitch.

If there are going to be off-flavors, they are already there so no sense worrying now. You want to get the beer to finish. The best thing is getting the yeast that is already there to do the job. It's already acclimated to the environment. Warming the fermenter and then rousing the yeast is the best way to encourage it to finish.

If you decide to pitch more yeast, make a starter and pitch it at high krausen. Otherwise, the yeast will want to sink to the bottom with the rest. You are pitching it into a hostile environment, so making the starter allows the yeast to take up some nutrients and prepare for the beer you want it to attack.

Edit: peterj was like a ninja, beat me to it.

 

[kickflip_mj]

I broke my hydrometer and have just relayed on my refractometer. It reads Brix and SG.

Ill check the calcs in a few hours.

I used mr.maltys calculator to determine starter size.

 

[boydster]

I bet you find it is done when you check the conversion charts.

 

[peterj]

I broke my hydrometer and have just relayed on my refractometer. It reads Brix and SG.

Ill check the calcs in a few hours.

I used mr.maltys calculator to determine starter size.

I just plugged your numbers into the calculator and it says they are both at 1.006. So definitely done. I would get a new hydrometer though because that sounds a little too low to be accurate. What was your mash temp?

 

[kickflip_mj]

I broke my hydrometer the day I bought a new one. Lol that means I need to get another.

But I rechecked my fermenters and the ale read brix 6.4 and the blonde brix 4. That would mean the ale sits at 1.011 and the blonde at 1.006. I guess they are both complete

I mashed at 152 and hit my target volumes and my OGs. Sorry I'm new to this refractometer toy. On top of it I havnt brewed in a year and a half, so it's really making me second guess 10 years of practice.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[peterj]

I broke my hydrometer the day I bought a new one. Lol that means I need to get another.

But I rechecked my fermenters and the ale read brix 6.4 and the blonde brix 4. That would mean the ale sits at 1.011 and the blonde at 1.006. I guess they are both complete

I mashed at 152 and hit my target volumes and my OGs. Sorry I'm new to this refractometer toy. On top of it I havnt brewed in a year and a half, so it's really making me second guess 10 years of practice.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

That sucks about the hydrometer! Those things are pretty fragile.

Ok, that sounds about right for the FGs. I was gonna say if the pale went from 1.057 to 1.006 that would be some crazy attenuation! Sounds like they should be pretty much done though.

Enjoy!

 

[kickflip_mj]

Yeah sounds like time to cold crash and then throw on the kegs. Thank you for all your help. I would haven been puzzled without it! I think I have this new toy dialed now


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[WileECoyote]

Sounds like both those beers are finished, glad to hear it !

You know you have to send a bottle of each batch to everyone that replied right ?

Please let us know how they are when they are ready to drink, Ok !

Cheers