Stout has stopped fermenting after three days, help me troubleshoot?

[CrazyPlato]

I started an all-grain RIS a couple of days ago using two packets of Safale-04. My OG was 1.080, and I had calculated an expected FG of 1.030 on the beer. However, I noticed after two days that my airlock wasn't bubbling. So I took a gravity reading, and the gravity I got was 1.050 (only 3% ABV, not nearly enough for me to shrug it off and stop fermentation early). I just checked again today, and the SG is holding at 1.050.

What can I do to get some of the extra gravity out of my beer? Would agitating the yeast have that much of an effect? Or could pitching a new pack of yeast help?

 

[GuldTuborg]

First, there's the obligatory question of how you're measuring. Hydrometer or refractometer? If the latter, there's no problem to troubleshoot. Also, knowing the recipe and fermentation schedule would help immensely.

If you measurement is accurate, and your recipe would seem to finish lower, I'd consider warming & rousing the yeast (though you haven't mentioned anything about temps) first. If that doesn't work, there are other steps.

 

[Jimbodaman]

I wouldn't have disturbed it so early in the fermentation especially for a big beer. I would've not touched it until at least 2 weeks. With that said you could aerate it for a few minutes and pitch another pack of yeast if it will help put your mind at ease.

 

[CrazyPlato]

Here's the recipe I'm using:

Fermentables

• 12# Pale Malt 2-Row
• 1# Flaked Barley (for head retention)
• 3# Chocolate Malt (for obvious reasons)
• 1.5# Roasted Barley (for a coffee-like flavor)
• 1.5# Crystal 80L (for a caramel flavor)

Hops

• 1oz Challenger (60min)
• 1.5oz Northern Brewer (45min)
• 1oz Target (10min)

I left the Target in to raise the IBU up to style standards for a RIS.

Flavoring

• 10# Strawberries, frozen/thawed and added to secondary for 3 weeks
• 6oz cocoa nibs, soaked in vodka and added to secondary for 3 weeks

OG: 1.100
FG: 1.030
IBU: 50
ABV: 9%

Currently the beer is reading 71F in temperature.

 

[BarrelAgedForrest]

curious to see what happens here. I have two RIS fermenting. and the 1 gallon cut out after only dropping 20 points. It was at 1.040 yesterday. way to high still. I put 2 teaspoons of cane sugar in and pitched the rest of the S04, didnt see anything. All afternoon and night last night, put some yeast nutrient in last night and today at noon I pitched half a packet of MJ Workhorse. Would like to see it drop at least another 10 or 15 points.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Here's the recipe I'm using:



Currently the beer is reading 71F in temperature.

Damn. Only 63% base malt? This is going to finish very high. How did you miss your OG by 20 points? Volume too high, or something else?

We're still missing that critical part of how you're measuring gravity.

 

[JonM]

And what was the mash temp/thickness?

 

[CrazyPlato]

Damn. Only 63% base malt? This is going to finish very high. How did you miss your OG by 20 points? Volume too high, or something else?

We're still missing that critical part of how you're measuring gravity.

I'm still figuring out mash, so I assumed I messed up my sparge or something. To answer your question, I've been using a hydrometer to measure gravity. I mashed at around 150-155F. I don't know what you mean by thickness.

 

[JonM]

Thickness means the ratio of water to grain. 1 quart of water to a pound of grain is a thick mash, 1.5 or 2 quarts to pound is a thinner mash.

Anyway, for big beers, low temperature (148-149) is ideal along with a thin mash.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Give it some time, unless it's been a while. You said you tested SG on day 2, but what day is it now?

Also, how did you treat your water? Any idea what your mash pH was?

 

[CrazyPlato]

I thought it was a sign that the yeast had stopped fermentation if the gravity stays the same for multiple days in a row. Would waiting longer really have an impact on the gravity at this point?

And I didn't do much with the water. I used purified water bought from Publix, which has worked well for me in other beers I've brewed.