Stuck Fermentation - 4 weeks, 1.038

Grossy · Apr 1, 2012

I brewed a Left Hand Milk Stout Clone on 3/3/2012. After 4 weeks I am at 1.038 on the hydrometer.

Recipe: Left Hand Milk Stout

My OG: 1.062
Fermentation temperature: 66 F Degrees.

I brewed a 10 gallon batch, split it into two Ale pale fermentation buckets. Both are at 1.038.

(I dont know if this had anything to do with it, but I thought the recipe called for a lot of Milk Lactose, 2 lbs. I followed the recipe and added it.)

I made a starter, using Safale US-05 yeast.

I have never had a stuck fermentation before, I just brew it and forget it. What should I do?

stubbornman · Apr 1, 2012

You can try to rouse the yeast back into suspension and warm it up to 74-75.

pabloj13 · Apr 1, 2012

Any chance you were off on your mash temp?

Grossy · Apr 1, 2012

"You can try to rouse the yeast back into suspension and warm it up to 74-75."
A week and a half ago I did "swirl" the fermenter.

"Any chance you were off on your mash temp?"
Because my thermometer was off on the previous brew, I purposefully calibrated the thermometer before the brew. My Mash temp was 155F degrees.

eastoak · Apr 1, 2012

i see the original recipe calls for 1 pound of lactose not 2.

forces · Apr 1, 2012

+1 on mash temp. If you mashed too hot, then youre gonna have a lot of unfermentable starch/ polysccharides.

When you says you made a starter with Us-05, do you mean an actual starter with DME, a few liters of water, etc? Or just that you rehydrated the yeast in water for a little while before pitching? Beacause you don't generally want to make starters with dry yeasts like US-05 (or any dry yeast for that matter). Just rehydrate and pitch.

If you mashed too hot, add a teaspoon or two of alpha amylase.

If this is extract, or your mash temp was in the area of 148-158F then you might have a problem with the yeast that you pitched. Personally, I've never had a good experience with re-pitching. Other's may have though.