SP 1.018 - time to bottle or stuck fermentation?

Stu6363 · Nov 9, 2017

Hi

I've recently made a Woodfordes NOG kit, I brewed this short from 40 pints down to 32. I have an immersion heater for maintaining fermenting temps, which was working wonderfully until I discovered it had been unplugged at some point during the 2 weeks in the primary FV. At this point it was around 14c. I measured the gravity and it came out at 1.018

I did take a gravity reading before fermeting but in my infinite wisdom thought that I would remember this... of course I don't (thinking it was around 1.060)

I've since plugged the heater in and it's having it's 3rd week in primary, hoping for the SP to drop a little.

If the SP remains at 1.018 after this third week what would be the advice....?

1. Bottle it
2. Pitch more yeast
3. something else

Thanks

Graz · Nov 9, 2017

Potentially it is a bit high for bottling. Have you tried giving it a gentle stir to rouse the yeast. Don't suppose you took an initial gravity reading and if so what was it?

RichK · Nov 9, 2017

I'd try a gentle stir & warm first

user 18729 · Nov 9, 2017

If the OG was around 1060 then finishing at 1.018 sounds about right. I'd bottle it personally [emoji106]

Stu6363 · Nov 9, 2017

Thanks for the advice, hadn't thought to give it a stir. Will try that with some heat for a few more days and see where we end up. (then I'll bottle it regardless)

terrym · Nov 9, 2017

OG 1.060 to 1.018 is about 70% attenuation, so there is some potential to go lower.
I suggest you try raise the temperature to about 21/22*C, dissolve about 100g sugar in boiling water and when cool add that, and finally give it a gentle stir.
With those measures you may be able to squeeze another few points out of it. If not you have done your best, but when you bottle use PET for one bottle then you can monitor how things are progressing in case it does want to restart after all.

Pavros · Nov 9, 2017

Stu6363 said:
Thanks for the advice, hadn't thought to give it a stir. Will try that with some heat for a few more days and see where we end up. (then I'll bottle it regardless)

Stir with a sterilised spoon but do it gently and try not to splash about - it's more of a gentle swirling motion that's needed at this stage.

Pavros · Nov 9, 2017

Another question: did you use the kit yeast? If so, the small packet may not have had enough to cope with an OG of 1.060, so you may need to add some more.

Stu6363 · Nov 10, 2017

It's had since Monday evening with the increased temperature at 21c, so I plan on taking a gravity reading this evening. If it's not dropped, I'll add the 100g of sugar as advised with a gentle stir and another week at 21c. Hopefully that'll do the trick :-) If not like you said I've done my best.

On this kit I've been trying to get rid of a certain flavour that I've had with previous kits, so I used the Wilko 11g yeast and rehydrated this rather than the kit yeast, together with bottled water to see if these made any difference. If it still has the strange flavour it will just make me get into AG faster!

Everywhere that I read it was recommended to pitch a full 11g sachet with a 5 gallon brew so it seems odd that the woodfordes kits only come with a 5 or 6 g sachet.

Anyway thanks again for all the advice and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Paydoogs · Nov 19, 2017

Hi Stu,

How did you get on with the 'stuck' brew?
My Scotch Ale kit has done the same.

Stu6363 · Nov 21, 2017

Well it had 4 weeks in the FV, also added a pack of dried yeast, only later to read that I would've needed to make some sort of starter, so the yeast probably died!

Took a gravity reading on Thurs/Friday/Sunday (4 weeks in FV) and it was down to 1016. I figured this is probably as low as I'm going to get it after warming it, rousing the yeast, adding sugar. I did make the kit up short initially so maybe this didn't help either or perhaps it's where it should be. I need to take SG readings in future and write them down!

Bottled it up on Sunday evening - had a couple of glasses whilst bottling and for a very young brew it tastes ok, better at this stage than my Nelsons revenge.

The plan is to get my first 'Ditch's Stout' in the keg quick so I can leave this brew conditioning for a few months and with a little luck and patience I'll have a good drop ready for my birthday :thumb:

SP 1.018 - time to bottle or stuck fermentation?

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