Stuck Fermentation?

[Col224]

So I'm making a Coffee Blonde Ale after having one that was extremely delicious. However, my fermentation seems to be stuck at FG: 1.034 - resulting in a too sweet beer. I used Safale 05 but we had a cold snap the day after I brewed (I live in Florida so the house was down in the low 60s) and I'm wondering if a big enough ferment didn't occur.

Do I re-pitch? any other ideas? I'm trying to get this down to about 1.01 - 1.015

 

[yourlastchance89]

Just wait it out. Assuming you pitched at the proper rate, if you don't encounter another cold spell fermentation should pick back up.

 

[tri_clamp_ninja]

So I'm making a Coffee Blonde Ale after having one that was extremely delicious. However, my fermentation seems to be stuck at FG: 1.034 - resulting in a too sweet beer. I used Safale 05 but we had a cold snap the day after I brewed (I live in Florida so the house was down in the low 60s) and I'm wondering if a big enough ferment didn't occur.

Do I re-pitch? any other ideas? I'm trying to get this down to about 1.01 - 1.015

Port Orange/NSB here, my house has been in the high 60s during the day but 40s at night haha. Fortunately I get to play with my glycol jacketed conicals at work and don't really homebrew much anymore.

What was your OG?
What was your base extract?

You very well may have hit the total attenuation allowed by your recipe. For example: If you use Briess golden light or pilsen light for your base malt you typically could expect attenuation between 75-85%, then adding steeping grains for flavor and color (this is a stout after all) could keep you on the low end of that attenuation range. If you used an amber or dark base extract then you would typically see 70% or possibly lower. Another issue could be your pitch rate, if you pitched 1 single pack of s05 into 5 gal of even a low gravity ale that typically is too few cells to fully attenuate. I'm going to assume it's a combination.

 

[Beer-lord]

2 weeks ago I brewed a Chocolate Milk Stout and mashed at 156. I always have problems when mashing that high but I made sure to overpitch and I also oxygenated well and even adding more yeast and sugar, it's not moved below 1.030. This has happened to me before so from now on I mash no higher than 154 but in my case, this tastes pretty good, I keg so next weeks it's going to be kegged as it is.

 

[Col224]

What was your OG?
What was your base extract?

I'm an Orlando guy myself. My OG was 1.063 so I've come down a bit. I used Golden light DME for this one. This actually isn't a stout but a coffee blonde ale - it's a unique brew and at least the one I had at a brew house the day before I brewed was AWESOME.

I'm guessing I underpitched - I really need to start doing starters.

Thanks all for the replies!

 

[BoomGoestheTNT]

Did you use just one packet? I like to use 2 when OG > 1.050 or pump up with a starter. Curious as to benefits/risks of repitching dry yeast if you are indeed stuck at 1.03. How long have you been in fermenter? Also curious to see if a slow temp rise would affect fermentation at this point.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

If it has been more than 10 days at 1.030, I would re-hydrate a new packet of S05 and re-pitch - especially if your grainbill is as light as a blonde ale would normally be. Ever since I got my Tilt hydrometer, I am coming to the realization that fermentation is typically pretty fast - my 1.090 quad hit FG in seven days (Belgian yeasts are monsters) and my faux-pilsner ale finished in six.

 

[Calder]

Just want to check. What did you measure the FG with? An Hydrometer, or a refractometer. If it was a refractometer, did you correct for the alcohol. I ask, because often refractometers will give an FG reading of around 1.030, when it really is about 1.012.

Refractometers do not read correctly in the presence of alcohol, and you need to use a calculator to get a more accurate 'estimate' of FG.

Did it taste sweet?

 

[tri_clamp_ninja]

Also, don't forget to use a temp adjustment calculator to adjust your grav reading. For example: My hydrometer is calibrated at 60f (it will say on the side) so if I pull a sample at 71.5f I'll end up having a different reading after I use a temp adjustment calc. Here is the one I usually use:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/

 

[Col224]

Did you use just one packet? I like to use 2 when OG > 1.050 or pump up with a starter. Curious as to benefits/risks of repitching dry yeast if you are indeed stuck at 1.03. How long have you been in fermenter? Also curious to see if a slow temp rise would affect fermentation at this point.

I did only use one package. Been in fermenter 3 weeks now

 

[Col224]

Just want to check. What did you measure the FG with? An Hydrometer, or a refractometer. If it was a refractometer, did you correct for the alcohol. I ask, because often refractometers will give an FG reading of around 1.030, when it really is about 1.012.

Refractometers do not read correctly in the presence of alcohol, and you need to use a calculator to get a more accurate 'estimate' of FG.

Did it taste sweet?

I used refractometer, I'd never heard about the issues with alcohol in there. It was definitely still too sweet

 

[GoeHaarden]

I used refractometer, I'd never heard about the issues with alcohol in there. It was definitely still too sweet

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is your issue!!!!

Use this...https://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/

If you do. It calculates your FG as 1.013

 

[Calder]

If you used a refractometer for your FG, then you are done. Your FG is abut 1.012; with an OG of 1.063 you have about 80% attenuation.

 

[Myron17]

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[Col224]

GoeHaarden/Calder, thank you guys! I had honestly never heard about that before but this is only my second brew since I "upgraded" to a refractometer (vs. hyrdo).