saxman1036
Well-Known Member
Alright, here's the deal...
Saison, 5gal batch
OG 1.064
Wyeast 3724, 2 packs no starter
Fermented at 75-78deg
I measured the gravity at bottling 2.5 weeks later to be 1.030 (was hoping for something closer to 1.013). To me this indicated a stuck-fermentation, which I heard 3724 is notorious for.
I consulted my recipe, which suggested using a dry champagne yeast to finish the job if the beer doesn't attenuate enough. This was confirmed by my LHBS, where I bought a 5g pack of dry Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast. I added this straight to the fermentor, without hydrating from fear of oxidizing the beer. 36 hours have passed and nothing appears to be happening... no bubbling, no kruesen (should there be any with this yeast, or this far into fermentation?).
My questions...
1) should I have hydrated the dry yeast before pitching it?
2) because I didn't hydrate the yeast, should I expect to wait longer for indications of active fermentation before needing to worry?
3) Since the gravity was so low when I pitched the finishing-champagne yeast (1.030), is it possible that fermentation is occurring without bubbling and kruesen?)
4) Is the whole packet of dry yeast (5g) not enough to finish the job? I have a hard time believing it would be too much...
5) is it time to toss the batch? That would be a shame, because the sample I took for my gravity reading tasted AMAZING already, and it was still at 1.030.
This is my first time dealing with a stuck fermentation, which I feel pretty fortunate about. At the same time I feel left rather clueless. Any input is appreciated!
Saison, 5gal batch
OG 1.064
Wyeast 3724, 2 packs no starter
Fermented at 75-78deg
I measured the gravity at bottling 2.5 weeks later to be 1.030 (was hoping for something closer to 1.013). To me this indicated a stuck-fermentation, which I heard 3724 is notorious for.
I consulted my recipe, which suggested using a dry champagne yeast to finish the job if the beer doesn't attenuate enough. This was confirmed by my LHBS, where I bought a 5g pack of dry Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast. I added this straight to the fermentor, without hydrating from fear of oxidizing the beer. 36 hours have passed and nothing appears to be happening... no bubbling, no kruesen (should there be any with this yeast, or this far into fermentation?).
My questions...
1) should I have hydrated the dry yeast before pitching it?
2) because I didn't hydrate the yeast, should I expect to wait longer for indications of active fermentation before needing to worry?
3) Since the gravity was so low when I pitched the finishing-champagne yeast (1.030), is it possible that fermentation is occurring without bubbling and kruesen?)
4) Is the whole packet of dry yeast (5g) not enough to finish the job? I have a hard time believing it would be too much...
5) is it time to toss the batch? That would be a shame, because the sample I took for my gravity reading tasted AMAZING already, and it was still at 1.030.
This is my first time dealing with a stuck fermentation, which I feel pretty fortunate about. At the same time I feel left rather clueless. Any input is appreciated!