Taking ages to ferment

[zippy40]

Hi All

A bit of advice if you please:thumb::thumb:

I am brewing a porter kit at present. This time I used a full kilo of dark spray malt instead of brew enhancer/sugar. It has now been two weeks in the FV and still bubbling away.

Is this normal? Most of my previous brews have finished brewing after a weekish but this one has no sign of stopping.

Could this be because of me using only spray malt instead of sugar???

Or is there something sinister going on:whistle:

 

[MyQul]

What temp have you got it fermenting at? If it's coldish it'll take longer

 

[Dutto]

As MyQui. :thumb:

Don't worry. Doubtful that it's anything other than yeast working like mad to get every bit of sugar.

Also, look on the bright side, at least it isn't "stuck"! :lol:

 

[zippy40]

it has been fermenting beside the radiator. 20-24 degrees.

I have done this kit before in colder weather and it hasn't taken this long to ferment. I wonder if it is the use of only spray malt for the extra sugar??

 

[Pfeffer]

Can be, it is harder to metabolize as it will need to be broken down first. Also, large temp swings from the radiator can be stressing the yeast. Do you turn your heating off at night?

 

[Tau]

Might be wrong, but experimentally beer yeast prefers Malt (maltose) to any other sugars. So should be converted to alc' easier, Yes?

 

[Pfeffer]

No, maltose will need to hydrolyse to monosaccharids (glucose) first. Spray malt also contains maltotriose and maltodextrin which are harder to metabolize. If you use basterd, inverted syrup or candi sugar it already broke down to monosaccharids (and will therefore completely metabolize giving it a dryer taste). As he mentioned having relatively large temp swings, the yeast is stressed and does not metabolize properly.

 

[Tau]

Another A level wasted ....lol:lol:

 

[zippy40]

Can be, it is harder to metabolize as it will need to be broken down first. Also, large temp swings from the radiator can be stressing the yeast. Do you turn your heating off at night?

Yep radiator is off at night. Stressed yeast may be the reason but why has it never happened before? I brew this kit often, at all times of year, but this is the first time it has taken so long to brew. The only difference from other times is my over judicious use of spray malt.:whistle:

 

[Pfeffer]

Move it a bit further away from the radiator so that it does not get the temp spikes as bad. The malt is harder to "digest" so everything adds up. You should be fine though, it's still bubbling so you should survive.

 

[Clint]

My Youngs AIPA is on day 28 at a constant 20°c....and still gives a good bubble every 10 minutes or so and has a slightly bulged lid on the fv. I was hoping to dry hop later today...I will take a gravity reading though to see where I am with it. On the other hand the fv sitting next to it has a pumpkin beer in it that went absolutely mental for around 4 days and now has settled to just a few bubbles popping the surface but no airlock activity. There doesn't seem to be two brews the same!

Cheers

Clint

 

[Sandimas]

The only difference from other times is my over judicious use of spray malt.:whistle:

There's nothing wrong with using spraymalt, it's the best thing you can use with a 1-can kit and you'll get a better result than using sugar or enhancer. Just be patient, I've had some brews finish in 5 days and others in 21, no identifiable reason for it, it just happens sometimes.

 

[zippy40]

great advice gents! thanks for your input:thumb: