Stalled fermentation & floaters!

[Pyg]

Started a extract cream ale on 2/22/15. Sg was low at 1.042.
Pitched the Windsor yeast put it in the closet were it is 66F and the next day it was bubbling away.
With in 2 to 3 days the bubbling stopped rapidly pumping out of my airlock. The following week I moved the bucket to my basement where it is in the high 50's (58f).
For almost 2 weeks the lid was bowing from the gas.
I went to rack today so I could cold crash and then bottle on Sunday only to find the SG at 1.020 and what looks like hops floating on top.
The wort was still as can be and as has stalled.
How can I get this back going?
Do I add another dose of yeast? Does it have to be the same yeast?
Should I warm it up?
Should I dump it (this batch had been a PIA and a disappointing experience , as documented elsewhere in this thread)?

Are the floaters just hops or infection?
When I dumped the wort a lot of the goop went in the bucket.
Below are the ingredients and the wort.
How did I mess this up? My last batch was so much simpler!
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425687306.303816.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425687326.459923.jpg

 

[WayFrae]

When I brewed extract it was very common for my beers to finish high especially if I added all of the extract at the start of the boil. The kettle can caramelize some of the extract and create some unfermentable sugars. Even more so if you used a small kettle and topped up with water before pitching the yeast. I would be willing to bet that it just finished high.

You can try to rouse the yeast by swirling the bucket and putting it in a warmer area but it is probably finished. If you still have the same gravity after that then I would just bottle it.

 

[Pyg]

I added 1/2 the LME in the last 20 min of the boil and the last 1/2 at flameout. Which is different from my last batch which was a partial and I added all the extracts at the beginning and that one worked out fine.

I gave the Batch a slight stir & then moved to a warmer room.

But what the heck am I going to do with 2.5% ABV beer? Use it as a chaser for an ipa?

 

[HB_in_Subic]

How about trying to let it warm up a bit to around 68F.

Then sit back and give the yeast a chance to wake up and finish their business.

I let my beer sit in primary for a minimum of 3 weeks

 

[Pyg]

Last night I moved the bucket out of the basement & placed it in front of a heat source, forced hot air vent.
As of this morning the lid was visibly bowed due to pressure or gas in the bucket.
The bucket is also being bubbling and gurgling.
I guess I will have to leave it for another week,
I just worry that it is too wam!

 

[jethro55]

"The lid is bowed". There's your sign it's gonna blow. Do you have an airlock on it?

 

[j1n]

This is why you need a fermentation chamber. lol @ having to worry about temps.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread I'm having the exact same issue with an Extract stout kit I'm doing, I put it in primary 7 days ago, OG was 1.064 which is perfect according to the recipe. I decided to rack to secondary last night as per instructions so I could add the oak chips. When I opened the bucket my beer looked identical to this and only had a FG of 1.028 when it should be around 1.016-1.019 if I remember correctly. Fermentation looks to be done but I am far from an expert. It's sitting in the basement around 61-64°. I guess when I get home I will move it upstairs where it's a good 5° warmer?

After this experience I'll be getting in gear on making my fermentation chamber, when using that do you keep the beer in there the whole time until bottle or just until fermentations done? The fridge I picked up can only hold one bucket...

 

[Pyg]

"The lid is bowed". There's your sign it's gonna blow. Do you have an airlock on it?

Yes I do!

 

[jethro55]

?? That is strange. Check to see if the airlock is clogged.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread I'm having the exact same issue with an Extract stout kit I'm doing, I put it in primary 7 days ago, OG was 1.064 which is perfect according to the recipe. I decided to rack to secondary last night as per instructions so I could add the oak chips. When I opened the bucket my beer looked identical to this and only had a FG of 1.028 when it should be around 1.016-1.019 if I remember correctly. Fermentation looks to be done but I am far from an expert. It's sitting in the basement around 61-64°. I guess when I get home I will move it upstairs where it's a good 5° warmer?

After this experience I'll be getting in gear on making my fermentation chamber, when using that do you keep the beer in there the whole time until bottle or just until fermentations done? The fridge I picked up can only hold one bucket...

5 degrees is not bad as you will still be less than 70F. It should help wake the yeast up.

I keep my buckets in the fermentation chamber until I bottle. I have a chest freezer for my chamber.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Yes I do!

Make sure there are no debris in your airlock inlet. When this happens to me, I usually put something heavy on the lid forcing the gas out the airlock. This has happened a couple of times to me.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

5 degrees is not bad as you will still be less than 70F. It should help wake the yeast up.

I keep my buckets in the fermentation chamber until I bottle. I have a chest freezer for my chamber.

Well I came home today and the weathers been a good 15° warmer the the past week so I guess that was just enough, the airlock was bubbling away so I just left the carboy in the basement. Hopefully it's don't fermenting soon this is going on 8 days now. This is only my second batch but first one was done by now.

 

[Ole_Smoky]

5 degrees is not bad as you will still be less than 70F. It should help wake the yeast up.

I keep my buckets in the fermentation chamber until I bottle. I have a chest freezer for my chamber.

Well I came home today and the weathers been a good 15° warmer the the past week so I guess that was just enough, the airlock was bubbling away so I just left the carboy in the basement. Hopefully it's don't fermenting soon this is going on 8 days now. This is only my second batch but first one was done by now.

I picked up a chest freezer and a fridge, ended up turning the one into a keezer so I'm left with a fridge to ferment in. It will do for now until I can find another used freezer I guess. It's way easier to find cheap used fridges!!

 

[Ole_Smoky]

5 degrees is not bad as you will still be less than 70F. It should help wake the yeast up.

I keep my buckets in the fermentation chamber until I bottle. I have a chest freezer for my chamber.

Well I came home today and the weathers been a good 15° warmer then the past week so I guess that was just enough, the airlock was bubbling away so I just left the carboy in the basement. Hopefully it's don't fermenting soon this is going on 8 days now. This is only my second batch but first one was done by now.

I picked up a chest freezer and a fridge, ended up turning the one into a keezer so I'm left with a fridge to ferment in. It will do for now until I can find another used freezer I guess. It's way easier to find cheap used fridges!!

 

[Ole_Smoky]

Oh man my phone screwed up, can I delete those somehow?

 

[Pyg]

Checked SG today and it is at 1.016.
Kind of disappointed, expected much lower considering the amount bubbles out of the airlock over the last few days.At this rate it will take another week to get down to the intended FG.
I have some yeast nutrient & energizer I have used with my wine making, would the brew benefit from this addition? Would it alter the flavor?

Is it conceivable that the brew at 68F is degassing? And not fermenting?

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

How long has it been in primary for? A week may do wonders

 

[Pyg]

How long has it been in primary for? A week may do wonders

Since 2/22/15
I hope the extra week helps it get down to atleast 1.010, which would atleast give me 4%

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

What temp is it at?

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

The general rule of thumb is 3 weeks primary and 3 bottle conitioning,im a noob and its worked for my 2 batches.

 

[brettg20]

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread I'm having the exact same issue with an Extract stout kit I'm doing, I put it in primary 7 days ago, OG was 1.064 which is perfect according to the recipe. I decided to rack to secondary last night as per instructions so I could add the oak chips. When I opened the bucket my beer looked identical to this and only had a FG of 1.028 when it should be around 1.016-1.019 if I remember correctly. Fermentation looks to be done but I am far from an expert. It's sitting in the basement around 61-64°. I guess when I get home I will move it upstairs where it's a good 5° warmer?

After this experience I'll be getting in gear on making my fermentation chamber, when using that do you keep the beer in there the whole time until bottle or just until fermentations done? The fridge I picked up can only hold one bucket...

7 days is way too short of a time in the primary...no wonder ferm slowed down

 

[Pyg]

What temp is it at?

I am between 66 & 68F

I am going to let it sit until next weekend. I figure what ever is the FG next week (3 weeks in) will most likely be the lowest it will get.

 

[HomeDrewBrew]

Ya,take a gravity reading next weekend then a day or two after another and compare if same your gd if dropping let it go for a few more days.

 

[WayFrae]

7 days is way too short of a time in the primary...no wonder ferm slowed down

With a healthy fermentation 7 days is not too short. I have many beers that are finished even sooner than that. Any additional time is just to clear the beer.

 

[j1n]

7 days is way too short of a time in the primary...no wonder ferm slowed down

No its not. not at all. most my beers are done by that point. ill either start the cold crash and then keg a day or two later or start my dry hop at 7 days.

 

[Pyg]

It appear as if the bucket has stopped bubbling.
It is only bubbling out of the airlock when the heat turns on and sends warm air out the vent towards the bucket

 

[Pyg]

It appear as if the bucket has stopped bubbling.
It is only bubbling out of the airlock when the heat turns on and sends warm air out the vent towards the bucket

This is not entirely correct.
After my heat turned off, I had moved the bucket away from the heat source and the bucket is still gurgling & bubbling away, albeit at a slower rate.

If I open the bucket up on friday for a SG reading and find little to know movement on the hydrometer, you all will hear my head explode!!!!!!

:smack:

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Do not fret the FG of the recipe. You have already busted the 1.020 barrier. If the FG remains the same then you are ready to bottle. You are still a few days shy of 3 weeks. Nothing is exact as the yeast plays by it's own rules. The only control that you have over them is the temperature.

 

[Pyg]

This yeast is defiantly playing by its own rules.
The air lock gurgles like crazy later at night when no one is around.
More so than it was yeasterday or day before