Stalled w/S-04

[CyberBob]

I'm brewing a big beer, a winter warmer with O.G. of 1.080. Racked it to a secondary after one week and gravity was 1.024. It has been sitting in the secondary for 13 days now and I pulled a sample this morning, still sitting at 1.024. I used two packets of S-04 due to the high gravity but I'm wondering if its the temperature. I live in a mobile home and the HVAC system and insulation is not the best. The carboy is sitting in a spare bedroom. The temperature is probably in the mid to high 70's and fluctuates a bit. I've read that s-04 is a bit temperature sensitive. This beer should have an FG of 1.017 - 1.020. Would I be smart to try and dump a packet of some other kind of yeast in there to re-start fermentation or let it sit another couple weeks and see what happens?

 

[pdxal]

Could you post your recipe?
Mid to high 70's is way too warm for S-04 and should accelerate fermentation, not slow/stop it. Racking to secondary takes the still fermenting beer off the majority of the yeast, too, and may have impaired fermentation.

 

[CyberBob]

Hi Pdxal,
Thanks for the reply. This is a clone kit of Rahr's Winter Warmer.
Fermentables:
10 lbs. Briess Golden Light LME
Grains:
.5 lbs. Briess Caraplis
.5 lbs. UK Chocolate
.5 lbs. Pale Wheat
4 oz. Caramunich iii
4 oz. Briess Caramel 40
Hops:
1 oz. UK Target
1 oz. East Kent Goldings
Yeast:
2 packs S-04
Instructions said to rack to secondary after one week (sounds like a mistake?).

What do you think? Let it ride for another week or two and retest gravity?

 

[urg8rb8]

Sounds like you took it off the primary way too early. The instructions assumed fermentation would be done in a week. Let it ride to see if it gets lower.

 

[CyberBob]

Thanks! I'll give it another week or two and check the gravity again. If it hits 1.020 I'm going to bottle it.

 

[rlmiller10]

It very well might not get any lower. Extract tends to finish a little high. From the bill it is supposed to be a nice malty beer with some sweetness anyhow. You have quite a bit of grain that I assume you steeped to add flavor but no fermentables (but they will add some gravity).

I agree with letting it sit a bit longer, but I would be surprised if it goes any lower. I don't think it is stuck, I think it is done.

 

[pdxal]

Secondary may have been too early, there are a lot of unfermentables in the kit with 1.5# crystal and chocolate on top of extract. The wheat, if it is malted, could help convert/mash a small percentage of the steeping grains if held at 140-160, but if not all of those specialty grains will not be pretty much unfermentable.
Should make a big, malty, sweet, beer.
1.024 is about 70% attenuation, which isn't bad.
Are you measuring your gravity with a refractometer by chance? If so, you need to look up refractometer conversion calculators like Sean Terrill's to get the true reading of gravity in the presence of alcohol.
20 days in you should be at or near final gravity, but waiting absolutely can't hurt. If the gravity is still 1.024 in a week, it's done.

 

[CyberBob]

I'm checking gravity with a hydrometer. I guess if it's done, it's done. I do think I will let it sit another week or two though just it case. I did taste it and it's just a little sweet, not bad.

 

[urg8rb8]

What temp do you currently have it stored at? I would just leave it in the upper 70s or low 80s the rest of the way.

 

[CyberBob]

We've had the windows open lately as the weather has been nice here in North Texas. Temp in the carboy room has been fluctuating from high sixties to mid seventies.

 

[CyberBob]

Well, checked the gravity again last night. Still sitting at 1.024 so I'm calling it done. Went ahead and bottled today. I'll let it condition at least two weeks and put a few in the fridge for another couple weeks. So, a month from now or so I'll see how it turned out!

 

[NYShooterGuy]

I maked a pumpkin Pie Stout with a fresh rehydrated S-04 packet with an expiration date of 2/2016. O.G. was 1.067 and fermented at 74F in primary for 23 days. Was going to bottle today and was unpleasantly surprised at a F.G. of 1.042 (estimated was 1.012). Over 3 weeks and it only made 3.5% ABV. the sample didn't taste overly sweet either, and I even used 2 different hydrometers (just in case one was REALLY off).

Going to bottle and hope for the best. Just sucks that this stalled so long ago. Never had this problem before, but then again, I never used this yeast before either.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

1.042 seems like a lot of potencial fermentables to put into a bottle IMO...

 

[pdxal]

I maked a pumpkin Pie Stout with a fresh rehydrated S-04 packet with an expiration date of 2/2016. O.G. was 1.067 and fermented at 74F in primary for 23 days. Was going to bottle today and was unpleasantly surprised at a F.G. of 1.042 (estimated was 1.012). Over 3 weeks and it only made 3.5% ABV. the sample didn't taste overly sweet either, and I even used 2 different hydrometers (just in case one was REALLY off).

Going to bottle and hope for the best. Just sucks that this stalled so long ago. Never had this problem before, but then again, I never used this yeast before either.

Lots of variables besides yeast that could have caused this.
How about posting the recipe?

 

[NYShooterGuy]

4lbs. 15.4 oz Bel 2-row
12.4 oz. Flacked oats
7.2 oz. Crystal 80L
7.2 oz. Black Malt
Mashed 75 min BIAB @ 152
Splarged 170

11.0 oz lactose
1.70 lbs. Puree pumpkin
.55 oz Norther Brewer
All at 60 min.

.55 oz east kent goldings
At 30 min

.39 tsp all spice
.39 tsp cinnamon
.39 tsp nutmeg
All at 15 min

.50 tsp irish moss
.13 tsp yeast nutrient
Both at 10 min

Cooled wort to 72, aerated by pouring between 2 buckets.

Dropped safale S-04 rehydrated from 8 oz of sterile H2o into one bucket, poured wort on top of yeast.

 

[pdxal]

If you measured the original gravity after adding the pumpkin and lactose much of those ingredients is unfermentable.
You used a lot of pumpkin, and if you just add it to the boil you won't extract much of the potentially fermentable starch/sugars. If you had mashed it with the 2 row you might have made at least some of that starch fermentable.
Your beer, I hate to say it, is probably done.
Here is an article on brewing with pumpkin:
http://byo.com/mead/item/324-brewing-with-pumpkin-tips-from-the-pros

 

[Ozzy2001]

I have the same thing happening with the same yeast. I'm doing a RIS. Started at 1.081. Now at 1.031 for the last 2 weeks. Not sure what I should do. I dry pitched when it was 70F. It's a steady 68F in my basement. Thinking about moving it to a warmer spot in the house.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

If you measured the original gravity after adding the pumpkin and lactose much of those ingredients is unfermentable.
You used a lot of pumpkin, and if you just add it to the boil you won't extract much of the potentially fermentable starch/sugars. If you had mashed it with the 2 row you might have made at least some of that starch fermentable.
Your beer, I hate to say it, is probably done.
Here is an article on brewing with pumpkin:
http://byo.com/mead/item/324-brewing-with-pumpkin-tips-from-the-pros

pre boil gravity was 1.063 before the lactose and pumpkin.

thanks for posting the link! definitly going to heed the advice from the pros!