Stalled Fermentation (Yes, I searched!)

[MrPostman]

I searched for relevant threads and collected some advice, but didn't find a satisfactory answer to my problem, so here it is. I brewed a BB Irish stout on 10/10. OG was 1.05. A week later it was at 1.02 and remained there until yesterday. Frustrated with the stalled fermentation, and not wanting to oxidize the beer by rustling it so as to rouse the yeast, I siphoned the beer into my secondary, a 6 (maybe even 6.5) gallon glass carboy. While siphoning I did my best to suck up some of the yeast cake that was on the bottom in effort to reinvigorate the beasts, and even scooped a good amount out and put in the fridge. Now, if my beer doesn't look like it's doing much, how can I get the fermentation to finish? It says the lowest it'll go is 1.011. Do I just give up and accept my sweet 3.9 beer, or is there anything I can do to wake the yeast up, short of re-pitching? I can't put my finger on the problem since my OG was spot on and it's been well within comfortable temps for the yeast. I know with higher gravity beers it usually takes longer, but no movement in nearly two weeks? Thanks for the help!

 

[RandomBeerGuy]

Just try repitching fresh yeast, I've had brews stop at 1.020. I don't know whats the cause is. Now for some reason my brew get down to 1.009.

 

[mcaple1]

did you mash high?

 

[Gfei]

did you mash high?

+1 What temp did you mash at? It may be done.

Sent from my FroyoEris using Home Brew Talk

 

[Yooper]

A stout at 1.020 seems about right to me! It really depends on the recipe, as my oatmeal stout has more unfermentables than maybe your dry stout, but I think if it doesn't drop, I'd call it done and bottle it and enjoy it!

 

[MrPostman]

A stout at 1.020 seems about right to me! It really depends on the recipe, as my oatmeal stout has more unfermentables than maybe your dry stout, but I think if it doesn't drop, I'd call it done and bottle it and enjoy it!

thanks man! Also, it was an exctract kit, so no mash.

 

[MrPostman]

Also, question related to this brew; I know that no bubbles doesn't equal no fermentation, but is there a reason it'd bubble without it fermenting? It bubbled (albeit rarely, about a bubble every day and a half) for a couple weeks and so I assumed it was still slowly chugging along. I saw the carboy's airlock bubble earlier and don't want to get my hopes up again!

 

[Gfei]

Even without fermenting the CO2 in the beer will outgas and cause bubbles.

Sent from my FroyoEris using Home Brew Talk

 

[Yooper]

Also, question related to this brew; I know that no bubbles doesn't equal no fermentation, but is there a reason it'd bubble without it fermenting? It bubbled (albeit rarely, about a bubble every day and a half) for a couple weeks and so I assumed it was still slowly chugging along. I saw the carboy's airlock bubble earlier and don't want to get my hopes up again!

Sometimes changes in the weather cause an airlock to bubble, like warmer temperatures or a barometric pressure change. Sometimes it's just a little bit of built-up co2 that finally has enough pressure behind it to send a "blip".

 

[MrPostman]

Sometimes changes in the weather cause an airlock to bubble, like warmer temperatures or a barometric pressure change. Sometimes it's just a little bit of built-up co2 that finally has enough pressure behind it to send a "blip".

Makes sense. Fall has finally, uh, fallen, around here. I think I'm going to let the beer mellow in secondary for a couple weeks, then prime it with brown sugar and bottle it up.