When do I call this fermentation stuck?

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hufcat05

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Hey all,

This is my third batch ever and my second batch using the Tilt Hydrometer (meaning I can post a live graph of the beer for you to look at below). It's been 36 hours without a change in gravity and I'm starting to wonder if my fermentation is stuck.

Here's a link to the live graph of the beer: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...rY/pubchart?oid=1890832659&format=interactive

My question is, when do I call this thing stuck and try to fix it? Is it better to wait, or just say screw it and start making my starter to kickstart this thing again.

Recipe for reference:

Cavalier Cream Ale

Amount Item Type % or IBU
1.82 lb Briess Gold DME
1.75 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain
2.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain
1.75 lb Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) Grain
0.50 lb Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) Grain
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain
0.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain
1.50 oz Hallertauer (60 min) Hops
0.50 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (5 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (White Labs WLP-029) Yeast-Ale

Mash 60 Min @ 154 -- 2.8 Gallons
Batch Sparge @ 168 -- 2.31 Gallons

Boil 60 minutes

OG: 1.051
 
Its been in the fermentor for 3 days and the gravity is the same? Is that what you're saying? I don't know anything about a live graph hydrometer. Are there bubbles in the airlock? Do you have a regular old hydrometer?
 
Its been in the fermentor for 3 days and the gravity is the same? Is that what you're saying? I don't know anything about a live graph hydrometer. Are there bubbles in the airlock? Do you have a regular old hydrometer?

It's a bluetooth hydrometer that floats in the fermenter that sends a temperature and gravity reading every 15 minutes. I have it set up so that it posts to Google Sheets so I can monitor the fermentation in real time. If you click the link you'll see the graph of the fermentation.

It's been in the fermenter for 4 days. The yeast kicked off and went nuts for the first 2.5 days and there were bubbles in the airlock and the gravity dropped from 1.048 to 1.026. However, if you look at the graph, you can see the curve leveled back off and the gravity hasn't changed for the last 36 hours.
 
It looks like it has slowed. But it is only part way through day 5. I would wait at least another couple of days.

I am not really familiar with the Tilt but I would check with a floating hydrometer to make sure it is accurate.

I would swirl up the trub gently and give it a couple more days before adding more yeast.
 
It looks like it has slowed. But it is only part way through day 5. I would wait at least another couple of days.

I am not really familiar with the Tilt but I would check with a floating hydrometer to make sure it is accurate.

I would swirl up the trub gently and give it a couple more days before adding more yeast.

Yea, I'm too impatient I suppose, I just don't like the way that curve is trending, but I've only used this for one batch so far so it's not like I know all the kinds of curves I'll see with different kinds of yeasts.

The tilt is actually pretty darn accurate, I wouldn't use it to measure OG and FG, but it's really close and useful enough to tell when fermentation is done without ever needing to open up the fermenter.

I'll wait 2 days, give it a swirl and see what happens
 
Yea, I'm too impatient I suppose, I just don't like the way that curve is trending, but I've only used this for one batch so far so it's not like I know all the kinds of curves I'll see with different kinds of yeasts.

The tilt is actually pretty darn accurate, I wouldn't use it to measure OG and FG, but it's really close and useful enough to tell when fermentation is done without ever needing to open up the fermenter.

I'll wait 2 days, give it a swirl and see what happens



Couple of questions ...are you largering or doing an Ale
I have 50 Liters of a Grolsch style larger sitting at 18-19C and have been told that this Larger will take about two weeks before I crash it and bottle it (I have an all in one unit that carbonates and clarifies then do a pour from the keg or counter pressure bottle)
By the way whats the name of that unit that is in the fermenter as I would like to have a look at it ..

Cheers John
 
Couple of questions ...are you largering or doing an Ale
I have 50 Liters of a Grolsch style larger sitting at 18-19C and have been told that this Larger will take about two weeks before I crash it and bottle it (I have an all in one unit that carbonates and clarifies then do a pour from the keg or counter pressure bottle)
By the way whats the name of that unit that is in the fermenter as I would like to have a look at it ..

Cheers John

I'm doing an ale. The yeast performs best between 18-20C. I don't know much about how it performs over time, first time using White Labs. I'm just not sure why it would speed up and slow down so early. It's still dropping maybe 1 point every 26 hours or so. Maybe that's what the rest of the fermentation will look like, 1 point every 26 hours. I'm a statistician so curves like that make me nervous that it's grinding to a halt. <Nerdy Math Joke Incoming> Maybe I should be a little more Bayesian about this and less Frequentist. :ban:


Here's the link to the hydrometer: http://tilthydrometer.com/products/brewometer

frequentists_vs_bayesians.png
 
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