Stuck fermentation (not a high OG beer)

[bbksv]

This is my 4th brew...it is a Honey Brown Ale from Brewers Best. Now I brewed it almost a month ago and went out of town for a few weeks. The OG was 1.041 and it is sitting at 1.018 right now. I used the dry years that came with the kit and pitched at about 66 degrees. I oxygenated the wort by shaking before pitching. So right now almost a month later it is sitting at 3.018%ABV and hasn't moved in over 2 weeks. I read sometimes not pitching enough yeast might cause it to stall out on high OG beers but this isn't high OG. Should I pitch more yeast? Stir?

Thanks in advance

 

[jekeane]

Sounds like an extract kit. So there are a few possible issues.

1. The yeast was not in great condition. In general it seems it is best to not use the yeast that comes with kits. Did you by chance check your expiration dates on your kit.

2. Did the beer get below 60° degrees after pitching?

3. Extract can get old or have un-fermentable sugars in it. there is a thread somewhere about "the dreaded 1.020" stuck fermentation while using extract.

You certainly can try warming the beer up to 68° and giving the yeast a gentle stir with a sanitized spoon to see if they will get going.

You could also try rehydrating some US-05 or Nottingham and tossing that in.

Before all that I would ask how does it taste now? Is it to sweet? If it is a drinkable beer you may just let it alone and bottle.

 

[bbksv]

I didn't check the expiration but I learned that lesson. I have 3 kegs now and this one so it will be a little bit until I brew my next one but I think my next step will to do a BIAB brew.

It has been sitting at about 68-70 the entire time.

I did taste it and it definitely tastes too sweet.

I think I will just go the US-05 route and pitch some more and see how it goes.

 

[bbksv]

Well...following up with this. I tried everything to get it the fg down. I ended up ruining it with beano and just dumping it. Did my next batch and the fg came out too high again. Turned out my refractometer was reading way off. Fg was fine with the hydrometer....so I am pretty sure the first batch was fine. Ugh!