Stuck/Re-pitched Irish Red

[colinski]

Hello! I'm new here, although I've been scouring the wealth of information in the post history. I've finally run up against something I can't figure out...

On 7-12, I brewed a partial grain Irish Red. The recipe was:
-1 lb Crystal Malt 80L
-.5 lb Caramunich
Both those steeped in 7 gallons of water for 30 minutes, then discarded.
-13.2 lbs Light LME (Muntons)
-2 oz Cascade Hop Pellets
Added those, brought to a boil for 60 minutes
-2 oz Cascade Hop Pellets
Added with 10 minutes left.

I split the cooled wort in to two 6 gallon plastic buckets evenly, then topped off to 5 gallons in each. OG came out to an expected 1.048 in each bucket. Pitched an 11.5g packet of SafBrew S-33 in to each, sealed up, and waited.

About 18 hours later, both were bubbling away nicely, but all activity stopped after 2 days. I waited until the 3rd day, took a gravity reading and found it was 1.020. 4th day, it was the same, so I added 1ts of yeast nutrients to each, gave it a stir (not too vigorous), and sealed them back. 2 more days, checked again, and no change.

So I repitched with SafAle S-05 in each, sealed it up. Today (now on the 8th and a half-th day), no change, just looks really yeasty. Temperature has stayed at around 65-70 degrees since the wort was cooled.

Soooo...now I'm worried I oxidized it by stirring, and I'm also concerned about creating bottle bombs by bottling it up. Good news (I guess?) is that I made these for a party of non-snobby beer drinkers that is supposed to happen in about 4 weeks, so even if it's a little oxidized,it may not show up before it's all drank.

Any ideas? I ran my recipe through the hopville calculator, and the OG was right and I should have the sugars to ferment out to around 1.013 or so. The S-33 is supposed to be hearty up to 11.5% or so ABV. I'm not opposed to bottling up and drinking a 3.7% ABV beer, just want to know if it's done or if I'm setting myself up for something unpleasant after bottling.

Thanks, and I know the ultimate answer is... chill out and stop sweating. HAHB.

 

[IXVolt]

I don't usually bother to take a gravity reading within the first week at the earliest. Did you rehydrate your yeast or pitch in dry?

Also did you aerate the wort before adding the yeast? Making sure to shake and splash to get O2 back into solution.

Note: Also drop your hydrometer in some water to make sure it's reading right. You might be closer to your target FG than you think.

 

[COLObrewer]

I expect you are done, with that much crystal malts, also alot of extract brewers seem to have the dreaded 1.020 FG problem. You really have no idea what the exact ingredients are in extract. I'd leave it on the yeast another week or two, then chill it and let the yeast drop, then see what you have. You can try to aerate well and use active yeast next time.

 

[unionrdr]

+1 on aeration. I pour the wort vigorously into the fermenter,dito with top off water. Then stir like a mad man for 5 minutes. I wind up with 3-4" of foam on top when I test & pitch.
I've been getting wort's of 1.050 down to 1.010 consistently.
Also,I wouldn't say "a lot" of extract brewers get the "1.020" problem. I don't see many of them stopping that high,although some do. I think too many people blow that one out of proportion. Maybe they don't like extract from some bad results they had,& blamed the extract. I've never had it even once. Like I've often said,blame the brewer,not the brew. It's not the one doing something wrong that messes with it's duties.

 

[colinski]

I aerated pretty well when it went in... very sloshy pour putting the wort and water in to the buckets, plus a few minutes of stirring and sloshing. Just pitched the yeast dry on top. I've had good success so far with that method, but perhaps I need to be more diligent with making a starter.

COLObrewer - I'll take them to the basement to settle and just call it done

Thanks all!