Stuck! Well, almost...

ftlstrings · Mar 16, 2008

I hae been fooling around with what is essentially a high-gravity Tangerine Wheat beer idea for a while. Well, I got it brewed up, shook the hell out of it (cause I have arms and I don't have an O2 tank) and pitched a 2 pint starter from dry yeast that had started up pretty well. My OG was 1.117 (1.112 when measured at @ 90 F). Fermentation went okay, but at 2 weeks my gravity was 1.050. I waited a bit and pitched a starter of well shaken sugar-water and a yeast comfortable up to 18% alcohol, and it didn't really impress me with it's fermentation. I left this for a week or better, then made a 2 pint starter from 65 grams of dried yeast! This seemed to help things along, but not enough. I just got back from the hospital ( My wife had our first child on the 15th!) and I am only down to 1.030-1.035! It isn't stuck now, It is bubbling along every 10-20 seconds.

I have read that aerating post fermentation can be bad, but could a small aeration with O2 help break this sticking?

(Also, I used yeast nutrient and a tiny bit of olive oil with the original starter, and a small amount of nutrient with the second. I wanted to give the yeasties as much of a foot up as I could at the time...)

Thanks,
Mike.

cubbies · Mar 17, 2008

Good lord that is an absurdly large beer. Whatever floats your boat though.

Couple of things.

You don't need starters with dry yeast. It is actually detrimental to them.

A two pint starter is fine, although probably a little small for what you are trying to accomplish, but you shouldn't use sugar water. Your yeast will get used to the sugar and then possibly not be interested in the maltose

Introducing oxygen now not only will cause of flavors, but it isn't going to do anything for your yeast. The oxygen is just used during the growth phase. Once your yeast are munching on sugars, they are not interested in oxygen.

If it is still bubbling away, I would just let it be. at 1.030, you are probably not far from being done anyway. You are at 74% attenuation. I don't know what yeast you used, but you are likely nearing it's end.

mr x · Mar 17, 2008

cubbies said:
You don't need starters with dry yeast. It is actually detrimental to them.

If you are going to pitch into already fermented beer, you will need to make a starter for liquid and dry yeast. If you pitch either without having accustomed themselves to a fermented environment, there is a very good chance they will not do anything. Pitch at high krausen.

cubbies · Mar 17, 2008

Huh. I have read and heard differently and have pitched dry yeasts into fermented beer with good results. I guess go with whatever works for you.

Gedvondur · Mar 17, 2008

ftlstrings said:
This seemed to help things along, but not enough. I just got back from the hospital ( My wife had our first child on the 15th!) and I am only down to 1.030-1.035! It isn't stuck now, It is bubbling along every 10-20 seconds.

I have read that aerating post fermentation can be bad, but could a small aeration with O2 help break this sticking?

First off congrats on the birth of your first child. Well done.

You simply are not waiting long enough. This is a HUGE beer. It might take six or eight weeks to ferment out. Stop messing with it. Stick it into a corner and don't touch it again for four weeks, other than to keep the airlock topped off.

Don't pitch any more yeast. If it's bubbling its going. Big beers take time. Give it time. Make another batch of something with a smaller ABV to keep you occupied in the mean time.

The last thing is check the alcohol tolerance of your yeast. Make sure you are using yeast that will survive in the beer you have created here. Some yeasts don't do well in very high alcohol content beer.

I would also plan on not drinking this beer for like six months or more. Its going to need to age big time.

Just relax and let it go. Ignore this beer for at least a month now. It won't hurt it.

Good luck and congrats again.

Gedvondur