Stuck fermentation and bottling

[johnstod]

Hi guys,

I have a stuck fermentation, 1.020 instead of 1.010, due to my heating dying while we were away so it dropped to 15c (59f) or maybe lower as that is where it was when we got home. I warmed the brew back up to 20c(68f) and roused the yeast with a nice big spoon. Hopefully this has done the trick but I can't see any activity. If it does not kick back off I'm going to bottle and hope the carbonation covers the sweetness up but was wondering if I should add more yeast before bottling and I'm guessing add less sugar to prime?

I have a packet of Coopers kit yeast that isn't too old in the fridge so I have some spare (I used us 05 for fermentation)

Edit
Recipe is in post 4

 

[leonardoreges]

If there’s more sugar available for the yeast to eat what you did is enough to get fermentation on again.
No airlock activity by no means show there’s no fermentation, it just shows that there’s no more co2 being produced by fermentation, which usually happens just in primary.

 

[flars]

US-05 will ferment at 59°F. The fermentation will be slow but it will ferment. The 1.020 may have been a measurement error with the hydrometer (??) or due to unfermentables sugars like lactose in the recipe. Can you post the recipe?

 

[johnstod]

3.4 kg marris otter
0.45 kg cara red
0.23 kg crystal 60l
60g roasted barley
250g maltodextrin
13g columbus @ 60
22.5g citra @ 5
30g columbus @ 5
30g columbus and citra 3 days dry hop

71c (160f) strike temp then 69c (156f) for 60 mins. I had to heat it once back up to 69c. This was a maxi biab so 21l (5.5 us gal) with a 20l (5.25 us gal) going into the fv

Biermacht shows fg should be 1.010, possibly could be mash temp being too high?

 

[johnstod]

If there’s more sugar available for the yeast to eat what you did is enough to get fermentation on again.
No airlock activity by no means show there’s no fermentation, it just shows that there’s no more co2 being produced by fermentation, which usually happens just in primary.

I thought as much, I am going off hydro reading only being 1 point lower after my 3 days away more than airlock activity. What would you suggest re priming sugar if it is the case of all the fermentables sugar being eaten up?

 

[johnstod]

US-05 will ferment at 59°F. The fermentation will be slow but it will ferment. The 1.020 may have been a measurement error with the hydrometer (??) or due to unfermentables sugars like lactose in the recipe. Can you post the recipe?

Recipe above, that temp was where it was at when we got home at midday outside temps have been in the minus (lower than 35f) here but shouldn't have got that cold.

I tested the hydro against some water and am getting 1.000 so hydro is correct

 

[flars]

Your beer may be at final gravity with the amount of crystal, roasted barley, and maltodextrin in the recipe. I would give the beer another week at around 70°F then check the SG again to make sure. Mash temperature should be okay unless you had some hot spots. The temperature of the beer may have dropped to low to continue an active fermentation.

Better to give the beer more time than have the fermentation finish in the bottles.

 

[johnstod]

Your beer may be at final gravity with the amount of crystal, roasted barley, and maltodextrin in the recipe. I would give the beer another week at around 70°F then check the SG again to make sure. Mash temperature should be okay unless you had some hot spots. The temperature of the beer may have dropped to low to continue an active fermentation.

Better to give the beer more time than have the fermentation finish in the bottles.

Thanks for the info will leave it until Sunday and see what it is like then. I looked into things a lot more after this recipe and have take maltodextrin out of my recipes completely

 

[jrgtr42]

Your beer may be at final gravity with the amount of crystal, roasted barley, and maltodextrin in the recipe. I would give the beer another week at around 70°F then check the SG again to make sure. Mash temperature should be okay unless you had some hot spots. The temperature of the beer may have dropped to low to continue an active fermentation.

Better to give the beer more time than have the fermentation finish in the bottles.

That's what I was thinking - adding in a high mash temp will also result in a higher FG. My guess it that it's about as low as it'll go, plus or minus a point or so.

 

[TurnipGreen]

If it’s at its final gravity and too sweet you could try blending it with a smaller batch of something dry.
I had mild success doing that once blending a sweet beer with a dry cider. Honey would go real well with all that marris otter.

 

[leonardoreges]

I thought as much, I am going off hydro reading only being 1 point lower after my 3 days away more than airlock activity. What would you suggest re priming sugar if it is the case of all the fermentables sugar being eaten up?

If you put some sugar now it’s just gonna increase your abv but isn’t gonna change your fg, it would keep at 1020. If all fermentable sugars have been eaten it’s time to move on to secondary and beyond.
I would let it sit for another week and then keep on going with clarification, if you do, then bottling.
Right now adding sugar just for priming.