Stuck Fermentation - May Have Ruined Batch

[de_ronde]

I was using WLP550 Belgian Ale Yeast on a Biere de Garde that is basically the Extract / Steeping Grains version of the Trois Monts Flanders Recipe from the Szamatulski Clone Brews Book.

Pitched straight from the White Labs tube when wort was about 78 degrees. High Original Gravity 1.080

Good active fermentation in Primary at 72 degrees.
Racked to secondary on 8th day. - S.G. 1.042.
Checked 5 days later - S.G. 1.032

Things looked Ok, but started slowing.

8 days later, the S.G. is still 1.032 - Still tastes like things are alright. No noticable off-flavors at this point...

But, panic set in.

I went to my LHBS hoping to find some similar strain of yeast to jump-start.
Didn't find anything remotely close. Decided better something than nothing.

Pitched DanStar Nottingham Ale Yeast this afternoon.

I am wondering just what this batch will taste like.

*sigh*

 

[ArcaneXor]

Well, you did a few things wrong that didn't help your cause. Why didn't you make a large starter for a beer of this high gravity when using liquid yeast? Why did you rack to secondary for this beer while it was still fermenting?

It may well turn out ok (most likely will), but I would make some adjustments to your brewing procedure for the future.

- Maker appropriate starters
- Don't do secondaries at all, or if you do, then wait until the fermentation is done and the yeast has had some time to clean up after itself

 

[de_ronde]

This was my first high gravity beer, so I was a bit out of my comfort zone. I knew that a starter would be helpful, but I was out of town on business and got back just before brew-day. I had hoped the Liquid Yeast would be alright, but realize now that the starter is the way to go.

As far as racking to the secondary...I was following the recipe. It recommended to rack to the secondary after 5-7 days or when the fermentation slows. I have done this with my other Extract / Steeping Grains recipes and have had some really great tasting beers.

I'm just getting back into the hobby after a several year hiatus and still have lots to learn. My next batch will be something less challenging.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[ifishsum]

It will probably turn out okay - but keep in mind that you basically started your primary over in your secondary vessel so adjust your schedule accordingly - as if today is day one. Arcane gave good advice - when you're going to secondary, make sure the beer is finished before doing it. The hydrometer is the only judge of when it's ready - there's just too many variables that can affect the time it takes to drop to FG - yeast strain, temperature, gravity etc. - that you can't go by any set schedule. I secondary most of my beers, after 10 days I check the gravity and if it's done I rack it, if not it stays put for a few more. You need that high yeast count in the primary to get the gravity down where it should be before moving to secondary.

 

[david_42]

Since the batch was at 60% attenuation when you pitched the Nottingham, the flavor profile should be ok. Would have been better to leave it in the fermenter, but ...

 

[steelerguy]

IF you are feeling lazy and don't want to make a starter you can also pitch 2 or 3 packages of yeast in there also. Need to have a lot of yeast in there to fully ferment a big beer like that.

 

[rocketman768]

And if you usually save any yeast, don't do it on this batch. Yeast you brew with usually reproduce asexually by budding, but when you combine two strains, they can start sexually reproducing with each other, making a yeast that is different from either of the parent strains.

 

[de_ronde]

I was not planning on saving any yeast from this misadventure.
I am also no longer even hoping that this will taste like a Biere de Garde.

At this point, I am just hoping that all of those lovely ingredients still turn into
a drinkable beer.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I was not planning on saving any yeast from this misadventure.
I am also no longer even hoping that this will taste like a Biere de Garde.

At this point, I am just hoping that all of those lovely ingredients still turn into
a drinkable beer.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

It probably will - if not right away, then with some aging. Some of my biggest screw-ups have turned out to be my best beers to date. They didn't always taste the way I anticipated, but out of my 25 or so batches, there was only one I dumped and two more that I found subpar compared to most commercial swill out there.

 

[FxdGrMind]

It will be the best brew you have made TO DATE!.... Unfortunately probably not repeatable and subsequently you have the only few tasty Gal ever made.....

Enjoy them, because you can't make them again. =)

Cheers

 

[kcstrom]

Did you beer ferment down after you pitched the Nottingham? I have a beer stuck at a similar gravity, but only started out in high 50's and have been wondering about pitching some Nottingham or S-04 (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/stuck-1-030-a-98079/).

I was wanting to save the yeast though, so I might buy another activator pack and make a starter with it and pitch it.

kcstrom

 

[de_ronde]

I think i pitched the Nottingham in a panic and didn't pay any attention to the temperature of the yeast. It seemed to have no effect. The Belgian strain seems to have continued to work rather slowly and it has just finished fermenting in the last day or so.

I am taking a gravity reading tomorrow, and likely bottling soon before it goes bad, because there is a bit of headspace in the secondary.

 

[de_ronde]

I bottled this yesterday before the Super Bowl. It finished at 1.022. No off flavors, decent color, and the most dominant flavor / aroma is of sliced, fresh apples or pears. I am hoping for the best.