sugar conversion

[burntchef]

So I made a EF clone on Memorial day using the recipe from the ef thread front page. I pitched some sloppy slurry left over from my brown porter. Mash temp and time was spot on, Pitched the wort at 66 degrees. OG was 1.060. Fermentation started 4 hours after pitch.
Here on day 6 and1/2 I pulled a sample and it is at 1.030 with no more visible activity in the fermenter. Will it go to estimated FG 1.015 in another 7 days? My brown porter tasted good buy was light on %.
I read that the same hydrometer reading 3 days in a row means it is finished. Worth trying to re pitch or should I just age and drink and look for reasons for low % in my process?
Thanx in advance
Eric

 

[Smellyglove]

Let it sit, even maybe bump the temp. That's the easiest way to see a lower SG after maybe four more days.

 

[catdaddy66]

Bump your ambient temp a few degrees and swirl the primary to rouse the yeast. Then it should attenuate down but who knows how far.

Some added sugars may kickstart it as well but it will also dry it out and increase abv%.

 

[JimRausch]

Have to ask the standard 1st question for a stalled fermentation Q: Are you using a refractometer?
Shoot-I reread your post and see that you're not.
So, a real stalled ferm. Try warming it, but I would probably get some new yeast, create an active starter and pitch at high krausen stage.

 

[burntchef]

Thank you for the replies.

Disclaimer, this is only my second batch of beer ever. I still have a lot of questions about the process.

I plugged my numbers into the abv calculator and came up with 3.9 and change. At 4% it is beer and I will drink it, rather than re-pitch.

1. Is there a way to measure sugar content in partially fermented wort to see if you are leaving abv on the table, or if all the sugars are gone?

2. Temps for fermenting stated at 66 when pitched. Over the next couple of days the daytime temp rose to a high of 77 and nites were in the 68 range. Currently I am back in the mid sixties. At 77 could the yeast have been stressed? Climatecontrol is the next thing on my btew haus list of to do's.

Thanx in advance
Eric

 

[Northern_Brewer]

So I made a EF clone on Memorial day using the recipe from the ef thread front page. I pitched some sloppy slurry left over from my brown porter. Mash temp and time was spot on, Pitched the wort at 66 degrees. OG was 1.060.

By EF I take it you mean Edmund Fitzgerald?

By "some" slurry do you mean a teaspoon or a gallon?

This is sounding like unhappy yeast - commercial yeast come with lots of food reserves, but if you're repitching then you have to be much more careful about cell count, aeration and yeast health. Did you aerate at all?

It's not ideal as 1.060 is the tipping point at which you need to start taking extra precautions to cope with the higher gravity, and the temperature spike won't have helped the yeast feel happy, even if it's not enough to kill them.

It's never ideal trying to fix a problem once it's happened - although at 6.5 days it's probably a bit soon to say for certain that it's stalled. But it wouldn't hurt to do what you can to help the yeast at this point.

 

[burntchef]

Yes it was the Edmund Fitzgerald

I pitched 2 quarts of sloppy slurry wlp 007 left over from the brown porter. I pulled the slurry from the fridge at 8am and pitched around 1pm ish. It was showing visible signs of activity at 1 ish. I feel confident that it will be drinkable beer, I am just trying to " get some legs " under my leap straight into all grain.

I think I am going to ride out this batch, save and wash the yeast, and make a starter for my next batch. I drank the sample I got from the thief for the hydrometer and it tasted good.

If fermentation has stopped, will it hurt to leave the beer in the fermenter for another seven days prior to testing again? At 3.9 I am happy with this batch.

Thanx for the ongoing answers!
Eric

 

[JimRausch]

If fermentation has stopped, will it hurt to leave the beer in the fermenter for another seven days prior to testing again?

No, it won't hurt at all. At times, while waiting to accumulate empty bottles, I've left finished beer in a bucket for 5-6 weeks without problem.

 

[burntchef]

Thank You Jim.

 

[burntchef]

So to update my situation. I ignored it yesterday and went out to the brew haus this afternoon to drink some commercial beer, and it burped. All the liquid in the airlock had been pushed around the corner to the exhaust side after re-setting it on day 6.5. So I am not stopped, still working slower. I got a healthy burp every two songs on the radio, more or less. I will let it run the full 21 days and see what happens. The only drawback is after 10 gallons of home brew, the store bought is not really doing it for me. lol
Eric

 

[burntchef]

So it had officially stopped, so I kegged it today. I missed my fg by 50% but I know now that I under pitched. I will make a starter for the next go and see the difference. It tastes great now so carbonation and age will only help!
Eric