What have I done WRONG?? Is my brew RUINED??

[Verb77]

I at the point where I think I need to throw my current brew away…

It’s been fermenting now for almost 4 weeks and I’m still only getting a gravity reading of 1012.

When I started the brew the sugar I used was 800g of Dextrose and 300g of Maltodextrin. With a starting Gravity of 1042

The room temperature started off at around 23 degrees C and dropped to about 19 degrees C due to the weather.
After two weeks of fermenting I moved it to a warmer room near a radiator. But two weeks later it’s still not ready. But I am still getting bubbles in the air lock. But it has slowed right down as of yesterday.

I went to my local home brew shop two days ago and was told to put some of the brew in a plastic bottle and add some sugar to see if the yeast wakes up. But nothing much has happened.

Can anyone help with some advice? :wha:

What has gone on / wrong??
What should I do next??
Is my brew ruined??
Was mixing my own brew enhancer (800g of Dextrose and 300g of Maltodextrin) wrong to do??
Should I give it longer, if so how long??
Where can I buy bulk beer yeast (for future reference) as I was advised to re-pitch the yeast??

Many thanks in anticipation.

Carl

:wha:

 

[adrianmole72]

I at the point where I think I need to throw my current brew away…

It’s been fermenting now for almost 4 weeks and I’m still only getting a gravity reading of 1012.

1049 - 1012 ? That sounds ok to me... 4.9% :thumb:

Stephen

 

[snail59]

Depends a little on the yeast used but 1012 sound about done to me. Was it a Kit or an AG or a part mash extract brew????.

 

[Verb77]

Will bottling now still be okay. Will it still carbonate???

:wha:

 

[snail59]

Will bottling now still be okay. Will it still carbonate???

:wha:

If you prime the bottles with a little sugar and a grain or three of yeast then all should be well.

 

[Verb77]

Sugar - Yes
Yeast - I wasnt planning on. Should I??

 

[snail59]

Sugar - Yes
Yeast - I wasnt planning on. Should I??

Only if you think that the yeast you have used is no longer active. You said you added some sugar to a small amount of the brew and nothing happened so adding sugar to the bottles will provide the same result. As a safety measure I would just re seed the bottles with a very small amount of yeast. That's my take on the situation and if im wrong im sure someone more knowledgeable then me will put you right :thumb:

 

[Verb77]

I have another brew to do straight after this one (or when ever the mood takes me...)

But if i was to do it straight away could a kick start the yeast in a bottle with some water and sugar and just add a small amount to my current brew when i do batch priming or am i best to add two or three yeast cells to each bottle.

 

[Dieseljockey]

Sugar - Yes
Yeast - I wasnt planning on. Should I??

Only if you think that the yeast you have used is no longer active. You said you added some sugar to a small amount of the brew and nothing happened so adding sugar to the bottles will provide the same result. As a safety measure I would just re seed the bottles with a very small amount of yeast. That's my take on the situation and if im wrong im sure someone more knowledgeable then me will put you right :thumb:

100%....I'll go with Snail on this...(but I may be wrong as well :lol: ) just seed the bottles..keep them at room temp for a couple of weeks if you can..give it time to work...then outside in the shed...hope it all gos well.. :pray:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

You can tell when the yeast has done, it'll start to get clear.... I never check the final gravity.

BB

 

[Verb77]

Thank you everyone. It’s been a great help. :clap:

I can’t believe I never worked out what the ABV was, knowing the starting Gravity was higher than normal; I wasn't prepared for the final Gravity to be higher. I was always waiting for it to drop to 1005. I defiantly won’t be making that mistake again.

Now one final silly question…

Knowing I’m to seed each bottle with a few Yeast cells, could I use a non beer yeast. I only ask as I have wine and cider yeast and the only beer yeast I have will be used on my next brew. Or could I take the yeast that I need from my next one. Or is my brew fine for a few days till I can buy a beer yeast sachet.

:wha:

 

[Aleman]

knowing the starting Gravity was higher than normal; I wasn't prepared for the final Gravity to be higher. I was always waiting for it to drop to 1005. I defiantly won’t be making that mistake again.

Not only that malto dextrin is completely unfermentable anyway it adds body and a bit of sweetness but raises FG as well.

Now one final silly question…

Which is the one you are not going to ask

Knowing I’m to seed each bottle with a few Yeast cells, could I use a non beer yeast.

How are you going to transfer individual cells into each bottle? . . . I take it you mean grains of yeast from a sachet . . .which are considerably bigger than a single yeast cell :lol:

Are you going to use a bottling bucket? If so just transfer a tsp or two of yeast sediment from the bottom of the FV and gently stir it in along with the priming sugar. I don't know what you are worrying about though I have often left beer in the Primary /secondary for 3 or 4 weeks (and Crash chilled to 2C), and have always had no problem with the beer carbonating . . . in fact my mild that I bottled just after Christmas had 10 days at temperatures down to -12 while it was in secondary, and that has carbonated fine (within 6 days from bottling) with no additional yeast.

 

[Verb77]

Are you going to use a bottling bucket? If so just transfer a tsp or two of yeast sediment from the bottom of the FV and gently stir it in along with the priming sugar.

My plan was to transfer my brew to another vessel (one with a tap) add the sugar in one batch and then bottle.

I gather I should go with this plan, But also add some of the sediment.

Will the sediment still contain some active Yeast to carbonate my bottles??

 

[Aleman]

Absolutely. Most of the sediment is not actually dead yeast, it sits there because there is too much yeast in suspension in the wort, so it can't go where it wants to be . . . as the sugar is used up, there is less CO2 produced which means the yeast are not held in suspension any more, and they settle out.