I'm kind of stuck on this one...

[N0mad]

Brewed on Sunday September 22nd
Post Boil SG: 1.076
Yeast: White Labs WLP570 (Golden Ale Yeast)
Carboy Volume: 3 Gallons
Wort Volume: 2.8 gallons (10.5 liters)
Pitched yeast at 66°
Fermented first 3 days at 68°
Recipe Link
Built an adequate starter for the volume of wort

I have a controlled fermentation environment with thermowell and InkBird controller and after 18 hours a nice high krausen developed for several days but was not excessive and did not blow out through the blow off tube.

After 3 days bumped the temp up 1° per day until it reached 74° then moved it into the house where it averages 74° - 75° in the back room as to make room for another brew in the fermenter.

Checked gravity today on 10/13 (3) weeks in using my Hydrometer and it's only dropped to 1.038 (expected 1.014 - 1.012) only dropping 38 points although it appears to still be working; assumption based solely on (airlock activity). NOTE: wort sample taste great although sweet with no sign of any contamination.

Now this is not my first high gravity brew on Sept 9th I brewed a Belgian Blonde (Strong) hitting all my numbers and after 3 weeks in fermentation it dropped to 1.006 (different yeast) it's now racked to a secondary purged of O2 capped and conditioning in the big beer fridge in the garage. Last year I did a Saison @ 8% that was fantastic after 3 months conditioning.

Over the last year I've had nothing but great success with all my brewing and bottling but this is the first time I've used this yeast; my expectations are that this would be done fermenting by now being at the desired FG.

First thing I did today before pitching more yeast was to give it a good rouse to bring the yeast up off the bottom to see if I can get this thing going.

Suggestions??

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yep rouse raise temperature and wait you've got some points left to go in that big girl. My barley wine I did awhile back stalled at 1.026 I racked it onto whole yeast cake of American Ale yeast and dropped it only another 6 points to 1.020.

Good luck itll get there get that other brew going to take your mind off that one for awhile.

 

[N0mad]

Thanks @Trialben for the vote of confidence rousting the yeast a bit seems to have speed things up... before I made that post the air lock would chug every 25 seconds... after the rousting it went to 19 seconds between chugs... now later this evening they are 16 seconds apart so for now I won't add anymore yeast... I'll pull a sample next weekend (4 weeks) and see where it's at

 

[N0mad]

Update on stalled fermentation

I did NOT add any additional yeast just merely rousting the yeast up off of the bottom of the carboy does work to some extent as of this morning the airlock activity is 5 seconds apart

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

two things can happen here the yest still eating get trapped under other yeast that are not and those drop to the bottom when full so rousing helps bring them to the top also not enough oxygen before you start can cause half the yeast to drop or die, nothing you can really do about that except restart the fermentation with new oxygen and yeast, most people don't want to wait or chance it

 

[N0mad]

Thanks for the reply your breadth of knowledge is much appreciated... With the renewed airlock activity I have today (now 3 seconds apart) I think I'm just going to hang tight for another week and see where it lands... It would seem shaking the devil out of it yesterday was just what it needed.

two things can happen here the yest still eating get trapped under other yeast that are not and those drop to the bottom when full so rousing helps bring them to the top also not enough oxygen before you start can cause half the yeast to drop or die, nothing you can really do about that except restart the fermentation with new oxygen and yeast, most people don't want to wait or chance it

 

[N0mad]

Update: Sunday 10/21/2018 4 weeks in with gravity at 1.034 did a CO2 closed transfer to a clean (sanitized) carboy trying to avoid O2 as much as I can... added new starter yeast blend MJ M31 Belgian Triple & WLP570 Golden Ale (original yeast) both were from existing leftover starters I think this qualifies as an experimental brew (xBmt) now...

I waited until the starter was at high krausen (0.5 liters) then pitched it... The next day Monday 10/22/2018 it developed a new krausen in the carboy and fermentation has been very active all week long...

Today 10/27/2018 (5 weeks) pulled a gravity sample and its at 1.010 and still working... The nose has significant fruity esters with moderate spiciness reminds me of fermenting pears with a very clean and a pleasant sweetness... The sample I tasted did not present any evidence of O2 contamination and also tasted very reminiscent of lighter fruits such as pears with a little citrus maybe (orange) and some spicy peppery notes and of course alcohol...

I can see this going down to at least 1.008 - 1.006 (9+% ABV) maybe as there is still a small krausen and significant air lock activity... after it's done I'll rack it off of the yeast, cold crash, purge the O2 and seal the carboy for a 90 day conditioning before bottling... could be a very tasty beer after all.

-- Mark

 

[Ward Chillington]

I had been hoping to be posting to "What did you do in homebrewing today" but it looks like I have a stalled batch of porter.

I brewed a couple of weeks ago and put a little over 5 gallons into the fermenter and had been rolling along at a good flow and good tempature control ( 68 F +/- 1; see my other post on my cheapo chamber). So today was going to be bottling day as I had ASSUMED that the gravity would have continued to drop after checking it about 5 days ago where it was at about 1.032 from an original SG of 1.058. After ASSUMING that I was headed in the right direction, I shut off the heat belt and let things ride. This morning the beer tempature was a steady 55 degrees (F) , completely still, but after a little reading of the forum, I think I am in the same boat that NOmad was.

I'm sitting at 1032 still and I have noticed that when I moved the carboy upstairs about 2 hours ago and I am still seeing bubbles in the lock again about every 35 to 40 seconds.

So, what's the suggested tact here folks? Right now I have a batch of 3% brew that I could bottle or should I let it sit in the warmer house temps ( about 65) for a couple more day or am I risking a development of some off flavors?

Oh yeah, I used Safale 05 that I rehydrated with a little honey

 

[GFHomebrew]

I had been hoping to be posting to "What did you do in homebrewing today" but it looks like I have a stalled batch of porter.

I brewed a couple of weeks ago and put a little over 5 gallons into the fermenter and had been rolling along at a good flow and good tempature control ( 68 F +/- 1; see my other post on my cheapo chamber). So today was going to be bottling day as I had ASSUMED that the gravity would have continued to drop after checking it about 5 days ago where it was at about 1.032 from an original SG of 1.058. After ASSUMING that I was headed in the right direction, I shut off the heat belt and let things ride. This morning the beer tempature was a steady 55 degrees (F) , completely still, but after a little reading of the forum, I think I am in the same boat that NOmad was.

I'm sitting at 1032 still and I have noticed that when I moved the carboy upstairs about 2 hours ago and I am still seeing bubbles in the lock again about every 35 to 40 seconds.

So, what's the suggested tact here folks? Right now I have a batch of 3% brew that I could bottle or should I let it sit in the warmer house temps ( about 65) for a couple more day or am I risking a development of some off flavors?

Oh yeah, I used Safale 05 that I rehydrated with a little honey

Right as has been said before keep it warm rouse it a wait 1.032 ain't finished yet and you will surely have some fizz granades on your hands once them bottles warm up!

 

[Ward Chillington]

Checking in on things this morning while getting ready for work, we can see that the beer is getting warmer, 61.2 F, and the burps have settled down to about once every 4 1/2 minutes.

Right as has been said before keep it warm rouse it a wait 1.032 ain't finished yet and you will surely have some fizz granades on your hands once them bottles warm up!

Yeah, after I calmed down and did some more research that fact came to mind as well. No need for glass shards in the house.

What's the frequency that I should be give the little guys a rousing? Once......twice or 3 times a day?

 

[GFHomebrew]

Checking in on things this morning while getting ready for work, we can see that the beer is getting warmer, 61.2 F, and the burps have settled down to about once every 4 1/2 minutes.



Yeah, after I calmed down and did some more research that fact came to mind as well. No need for glass shards in the house.

What's the frequency that I should be give the little guys a rousing? Once......twice or 3 times a day?

A good rouse once it's warm should get things going in there.

 

[Ward Chillington]

A good rouse once it's warm should get things going in there.

At what point should I think about repitching?

 

[Head First]

At what point should I think about repitching?

Unless you do something really out there temp wise your yeast is still in there. "Just a guess" but manufacturers recommendation is to use water to hydrate. You added sucrose. The little buggers woke right up and ate their fill and went back to sleep, even more so as they cooled temp wise. Warm them up, they say optimum temp is 68 to 71f. Rock that fermenter like you mean it. 2 weeks should have made beer. Look over your process, something is missing. Oxygen, yeast nutrient, stable temp, something made the yeast lazy. Keep brewing you will figure it out.

 

[Nosybear]

^^^^Roger that.

 

[Ward Chillington]

ook over your process, something is missing. Oxygen, yeast nutrient, stable temp, something made the yeast lazy.

I think I under pitched! Please check my math on the pitch tool here on BF. OG of 1058, 5.5 Gallons of wort. 11.5 grams of safale 05 with a cell density of 6, and a target of .75...I'm way short! 154 Billon shy!

Thoughts????

 

[Nosybear]

I think I under pitched! Please check my math on the pitch tool here on BF. OG of 1058, 5.5 Gallons of wort. 11.5 grams of safale 05 with a cell density of 6, and a target of .75...I'm way short! 154 Billon shy!

Thoughts????

An underpitch should still ferment the beer through, although you might get some off-flavors. No, it's something else.

 

[Head First]

I think I under pitched! Please check my math on the pitch tool here on BF. OG of 1058, 5.5 Gallons of wort. 11.5 grams of safale 05 with a cell density of 6, and a target of .75...I'm way short! 154 Billon shy!

Thoughts????

Only a bit short according to manufacturers recommendation @35. How did you oxygenate?
Did you use any yeast nutrient?
I would rock the fermenter a couple times a day and try to keep it close to 70f for a few days. Will possibly help and really won't hurt anything. Patience will help too.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yep forget about it brew another batch and come back to this one later time ain't gunna hurt it.

 

[Ward Chillington]

How did you oxygenate?
Did you use any yeast nutrient?

I shot a minute's worth of pure oxygen through an air stone before pitching and no additional nutrient.

HeadFirst...what variable is that @35 referring to?

 

[Head First]

I shot a minute's worth of pure oxygen through an air stone before pitching and no additional nutrient.

HeadFirst...what variable is that @35 referring to?

In yeast pitch calculator choice of MFG recommended 0.35 (Ale fresh yeast only). Bare minimum yeast pitch basicly.