Is my fermentation stuck? What else can I do?

[DrPips]

Hi, I'm currently brewing a Muntons Smugglers ale. O.g. Was 1.051. It's been in the bin for 2.5 weeks and it's only got down to 1.017. Temp has been a constant 19 degrees, but I bumped it up to 20.5 at the weekend when I noticed it was t doing much still.

At the weekend it was 1.020, so it has dropped a bit. I gave it a gentle stir then and upped the temp from 19 to 20.5.

Should I add more yeast? Give it more time? Or just give up and bottle it?

Thanks

 

[Callumbo]

I trick I've used is to take 400ml then sprinkle a bit of yeast in it. Leave it 3 days then check the sg. If it's significantly dropped then you've got a stuck fermentation and need to either give it a stir or pitch more yeast. If it hasnt changed that much then that's all your going to get and time to bottle up

 

[Sandimas]

Brews normally stick higher than that, just sounds like the yeast is running out of steam. Keep it warm (I'd go for 22/23C at this late stage of the ferment) and leave it a little longer, a stir won't hurt it either, but I wouldn't bother pitching any more yeast as there's hardly anything left for it to chomp on.

Mine finished at 1012 which is higher than my brews normally come out, but I bottled it and it conditioned into a really lovely brew.

 

[DrPips]

If I stir it, should I disturb all the gunk at the bottom or steer clear of that. I know not to splash it to reduce any oxygen.

 

[cheapbrew]

yes stir up the gunk, is the beer above the gunk hazy or clear? if its still fermenting even slowly it will be hazy.

 

[DrPips]

Excellent, think it's sorted, tested today and it's down to 1014 or thereabouts. Only problem, I've noticed a crack in the lid of the fv, so I've racked it off to a new fv in case it got contaminated. I'd already bought the new fv to use as a secondary, but I don't know if it's finished fermenting yet. Can I add to priming sugar to the finished wort rather than the other way around? The second fv has a little bottler attached and I'm doing half to bottles half to a mini keg, so would be way easier to add sugar to the beer, rather than any other way.

 

[DoctorMick]

Excellent, think it's sorted, tested today and it's down to 1014 or thereabouts. Only problem, I've noticed a crack in the lid of the fv, so I've racked it off to a new fv in case it got contaminated. I'd already bought the new fv to use as a secondary, but I don't know if it's finished fermenting yet. Can I add to priming sugar to the finished wort rather than the other way around? The second fv has a little bottler attached and I'm doing half to bottles half to a mini keg, so would be way easier to add sugar to the beer, rather than any other way.

You'll be fine to bottle from the second fv, just try to avoid stirring up the trub when you add the priming sugar if you batch prime.

 

[DrPips]

Sorry, I'm a little confused, how will I be able to add the sugar without stirring it? I use a brew fridge as well, so should I crash cool for a couple of days before I add priming sugar?

 

[DoctorMick]

Sorry, I'm a little confused, how will I be able to add the sugar without stirring it? I use a brew fridge as well, so should I crash cool for a couple of days before I add priming sugar?

You'd have to stir just very gently. Yep, definitely worth crash cooling.

 

[DrPips]

Just took a sneaky sample and it is very tasty already. Just crash cooling (shouldn't take long in this weather!) then onto secondary in a couple of days.

 

[pms67]

Sorry, I'm a little confused, how will I be able to add the sugar without stirring it? I use a brew fridge as well, so should I crash cool for a couple of days before I add priming sugar?

I am probably the only one here who does this but i just sprinkle the dextrose in and wait ten minutes, i dont stir or mix with boiled water and i have no problems with carbonation.
It works.
Honestly........

 

[terrym]

I am probably the only one here who does this but i just sprinkle the dextrose in and wait ten minutes, i dont stir or mix with boiled water and i have no problems with carbonation.
It works.
Honestly........

Umm....interesting.
Shall I be brave and try it.:hmm:

 

[pms67]

You know you want to 😉
Don't blame me if you open your first bottle and nowt happens though 😨
Maybe all my bottles have wild yeast infections and i drink them before they turn into gushers 😂