Stuck Fermentation?

[Som1else]

Hello everyone,

So i'm on my second brew and decided that i wanted to do a belgian using extract and some grains. I made a starter for this one and let it sit for 2 days before pitching using a white labs belgian yeast.
My OG was 1.084 and i am wondering if my fermentation may be stuck since it has been 3 weeks now and my SG is still way above the finishing gravity. Last week it was 1.052 and this week its 1.049. I am using a refractometer for the readings.

Another related question i have is, do you put your sample in the fridge to get the yeast and other stuff to drop out before taking a reading with the refractometer? I was thinking that it may make the reading higher if there was a bunch of stuff in suspension.

 

[djfriesen]

Are you correcting for the alcohol that is present? Refractometers are not accurate when there is alcohol present, without correcting for it.

 

[osagedr]

You can't use a refractometer to get accurate readings once fermentation has begun. There are data out there that will give you adjusted readings, but you should really be using a hydrometer. If you don't have one...GET ONE!

Nobody can really help you until you get a proper gravity reading. Even then, you would have to give a lot more details in order for us to help you figure out what's going on. Batch size? Grain and extract amounts? Exact yeast variety? Starter size? Fermentation temperature? What else can you tell us about your batch that might help us diagnose the problem?

 

[Som1else]

I found a conversion equation and its more like 1.046
It had a thick krausen for 2.5 weeks that has now dissipated
I can still see bubbles popping on the surface and the airlock is still bubbling.

Temp 68-72
Batch size is 5 Gallons.
Starter 2 cups
White Labs Belgian Ale WLP550
Extract: 8 lb Liquid Malt Extract, 2 lb Honey, 1.25 lb Specialty Grains, 1 lb Candi Sugar

 

[SouthernCross]

BUbbles+airlock bubbling+numbers dropping=no stuck ferment. Ride it on out. You have a lot of fermentables there, and the yeasties are running wild still. It's like a vegas buffet...

 

[Som1else]

Thats what ive been thinking.
My first brew was done in 4 days but i let it sit a week longer just in case before transferring to a secondary for a week then bottling.

I realize that this is a pretty big beer but i didnt think that it would take quite this long, and by the looks of it its going to take quite a bit longer still.

 

[SouthernCross]

Yeah, you did jump head-first into a big beer. Awesome choice for brew number 2! Have you pulled a taste test yet?

 

[JuanMoore]

I found a conversion equation and its more like 1.046

As osagedr said, you really need to use a hydrometer for any readings after fermentation has started. The correction calculators for refractometer readings with alcohol present have a huge margin of error, and should not be trusted.

What was your exact process for making the starter, and why is it only 2 cups? How did you aerate?

Since there are still visible signs of activity, and you don't really know what the gravity is, you don't really know for sure that it's stuck. I say take a reading with a hydrometer, and give it some time.

 

[Som1else]

I took a reading with a hydrometer and it's 1.026. I'll check again Friday. Hopfully it is still dropping. I still see activity both on the surface And the airlock so it's not done yet.
On a side note it looked a little carbonated when it was in my sample tube for the reading ie it had a couple small steady steams of micro bubbles kind of like what you see when your pour one into a cup.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

1.026 from 1.084 is 70% attenuation, so you will have a few more points perhaps, but if it stops here then it is done. The little bubbles could be residual CO2 from fermentation, though could be yeast but that would be very active. Time answers almost all brewing questions. Keep us updated!

 

[Calder]

The wort/beer is too cold. You want to bring it up to at least 75 F, maybe even 80 F, and that should help the beer finish.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

The wort/beer is too cold. You want to bring it up to at least 75 F, maybe even 80 F, and that should help the beer finish.

I would have to disagree. Low 70's should be fine. Don't mess with the temp until you know if it is actually stuck. If it is still at the current gravity in a few days then warm it up a few degrees.

 

[asterix404]

10 to 1 you didn't pitch enough yeast and the yeast was not oxygenated enough. This causes a very slow initial ferment. Give it some serious time to ferment out all the way. Also what temp are you fermenting at?

 

[Calder]

I would have to disagree. Low 70's should be fine. Don't mess with the temp until you know if it is actually stuck. If it is still at the current gravity in a few days then warm it up a few degrees.

He said it was 68-72. 68 is the low end for this yeast. If he is telling us the room temp, the beer could actually be lower, since it will take on the floor temp rather than the air temperature.

This beer will love 75 to 80 F. It's a Belgian yeast! When I use this yeast, I start at 75, and ramp it up to close to 85 F at finish.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

True, I tend to pitch low and let it self-rise there and let it do its thing. But no harm pushing it up too fast, and no harm waiting a couple days to seeif it actually is stuck or not.

 

[Som1else]

Thanks for all the recs. I'll post back in a few days with a new reading.
As far as the temp is concerned it is from a strip I have on the carboy.
The fermentation started quickly in the beginning at around HHS 6hr mark. And I had a huge 2" for two weeks. So if this is any indication I don't think I underpitched.

 

[Som1else]

Thanks for all the recs. I'll post back in a few days with a new reading.
As far as the temp is concerned it is from a strip I have on the carboy.
The fermentation started quickly in the beginning at around HHS 6hr mark. And I had a huge 2" for two weeks. So if this is any indication I don't think I underpitched.

Hah stupid iPhone. It was the 6hr mark.....and a huge 2" krausen for two weeks.

 

[beergolf]

Here is a quote from Brew Like a Monk

"Let the fermentation finish, perhaps at a higher temperature. It may take as long to get the last few points of attenuation as it did for the first 80%"

Give it some time and maybe raise the temp a little. Belgian yeasts can take some time to finish. I usually leve my Belgians int the fermenter for 5-6 weeks.

 

[Som1else]

Should I try and transfer it to a secondary to finish? Or just leave it in the primary then bottle.

 

[asterix404]

Actually something that I haven't seen yet is your gravity readings. If they are close to 20, you have something like 75% apparent attenuation. How much do yuo think you should get from this?

 

[Som1else]

OG 1.084
Last sat 1.026

 

[asterix404]

So you are at about 70% apparent attenuation, I would expect it to maybe get to 20 very slowly which would be about 76%. After a while you do run out of fermentables. Also, what specialty grain are you using, those can add dexitrins which will not be fermented out. That paired with an underpitch and not enough o2 might cause this. It's not stuck... that is quite clear. What were you expecting it to get to?

 

[Som1else]

New reading is still at 1.026 after another week. It must be finished. Should I just move to the secondary and wait longer? Or just bottle. I have another brew to do and need that primary back.

 

[Som1else]

The final gravity was supposed to 1.018

 

[djfriesen]

That may be all you can do. If you have brought it up to 75° or so, and the SG still hasn't come down, I would think you're done. I recently brought a fermentation temp up about 4° and saw a 4-point drop in SG over the course of 2-3 days. This was a porter, so apples to oranges somewhat, but it can have a real effect on your numbers.

 

[Som1else]

I've transferred it to a secondary and will bottle this next weekend. I'll check the gravity one more time to be sure

 

[Som1else]

The gravity didn't budge so I bottled it. Now it's time for some patience.