Stuck Fermentation?

[mshell]

I brewed a 5 gallon batch (extract with specialty grains) of a "robust porter". OG at 1.060 (on target for recipe). Bubbles in airlock started about 20 hours after pitching yeast. All was well for next 48 hours, then it stopped. I waited another 24 hours, took a hydrometer reading 1.022 (FG should be 1.016). Added "yeast energizer", waited 48 hours, no change. Pitched another packet of original yeast (US-05) waited 24 hours -- no change. Now racked to secondary (PET carboy), hoping for some action, but not optimistic.

Any ideas?

thanks

 

[grem135]

Patience grasshopper. You should wait a couple of weeks or three before even thinking of taking a reading. The more you mess with it the better the chance of messing it up.
What temp is it fermenting at? Active fermentation could be from 3-7 days and then it takes time to "clean up". I give mine 3 to 4 weeks for average gravity beers.

 

[JLem]

I agree with grem - patience is the key here. In my opinion, you sampled too early, attempted to fix it too early, racked too early, and are worried too early. Check on it in another 10 days an then decide what needs to be done.

That said...what was your recipe and what temp are you fermenting at?

 

[Cyclman]

Racking to secondary will not help fermentation, the opposite, since you're in essence removing yeast. Swirl and warm, and wait.

 

[mshell]

Ferminting temperature is about 64. Recipe at:
https://www.beerbrew.com/ROOT/downloads/recipes/WhiteMountainPorter.pdf

I've fermented 2 previous batches in same exact spot (one with same yeast). No visible foam now, day after racking.

 

[philber]

Ferminting temperature is about 64. Recipe at:
https://www.beerbrew.com/ROOT/downloads/recipes/WhiteMountainPorter.pdf

I've fermented 2 previous batches in same exact spot (one with same yeast). No visible foam now, day after racking.

The krousen sometime will disappear after the first day with s-05. Just let it sit for 3-4 weeks. The bottle/keg it will be beer. Many time I will not see airlock activity after the first 2 days.

Raise the fermentation temp to 68f for a day or first week, then for weeks 2 on I drop to low 60's if I can.

 

[mshell]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Just want to be sure I understand. You are saying that despite the fact that there is no airlock activity and the beer/wort shows no foam/kreusen on top, fermentation is continuing and will eventually reach desired gravity?

thanks

 

[JLem]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Just want to be sure I understand. You are saying that despite the fact that there is no airlock activity and the beer/wort shows no foam/kreusen on top, fermentation is continuing and will eventually reach desired gravity?

thanks

It MAY reach the desired gravity. The is no guarantee that it will, but there is also no reason, at this point, to think that it won't.

 

[mshell]

Went down to the LHBS to ask about this (it was their recipe). Guy there told me he had something similar happen. His explanation; Possibly did not mix LME well before heating the pot, result is caramelization resulting in unfermentable sugars. Does this make sense? If so, waiting will not do anything.

thanks again

 

[Upthewazzu]

It seems like extract can get stuck at 1.020 fairly often. It's been talked about on this message board many times in the past and it's even happened to me on a porter recipe I brewed up in January (OG = 1.065, FG = 1.020). I could never get it to drop below that. I assume it's because I didn't make a starter, therefore there weren't enough yeasties to eat the sugar. Cracked open my first bottle yesterday and it blew me a way, best homebrew I've made so far!