Another one with a stuck brew

[wheazy_joe]

I have documented this problem on the Beer Kit review page but thought I would seek help in a specific post.

Brew Details:
Youngs BrewBuddy Bitter, original SG 1.042. After ten days at 20C it had come down to 1.020 with no signs of life. Left it a couple more days and no movement so I pitched some more yeast (6g Gervin added to about 400ml of boiled and cooled water/sugar solution and mixed it in well. Covered with clingfilm and let it kick off. Yeast started bubbling away and formed a nice big head, when it was ready for overflowing out the glass I added to the FV). This unfortunately didn't get things moving so yesterday I cracked the lid and gave the beer a gentle stir, making sure I disturbed the trub and mixed it through the beer.

This doesn't seem to have done the trick either so I am now at a loss of how to get this back on track.

Any other advice?

 

[McMullan]

Stir it carefully once or twice a day until you notice the gravity moving again. Then leave it for a week. Things just seem to slow right down when it gets stuck at the dreaded 1.020, but it should get there with time.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Cheers McMullan I will give it a gentle stir daily as suggested. This is my first stuck brew, the thought of pouring it out is heartbreaking! Hope you are right and a bit of TLC and patience will get it over the line.

 

[McMullan]

Cheers McMullan I will give it a gentle stir daily as suggested. This is my first stuck brew, the thought of pouring it out is heartbreaking! Hope you are right and a bit of TLC and patience will get it over the line.

We've all been there, mate. It's the last thing wanted after the effort and anticipation. More often than not they get there with some extra time.

 

[LarryF]

2x tsp of yeast nutrient and a gentle stir. With the yeast in the FV that should get it going at 20 -21c

 

[wheazy_joe]

Larry I've got some yeast nutrient at home, will drop a couple of tea spoons in tonight and give it a gentle stir, sit back and watch it kick into life!

 

[Sandimas]

Can you get the temp up a bit? 22-24C won't hurt it at this stage and may help get it moving again, helped by a good stir.

If it hasn't moved in a week's time keg or bottle it, it'll still be beer just not very strong. Just had a stuck brew myself, happens from time to time and usually this time of year when the house is cooling down.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Have added the yeast nutrient and will move it closer to the radiator to see if I can get the temp up a bit.

 

[mickthetrick]

a gentle stir and try to get the heat up a few degrees and it should drop some more. the main part of your ferment is done so ramping the heat won't give it any undesirable flavours.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Still no sign of action with this, very strange.

Would be nervous about bottling with SG of 1.020.

 

[McMullan]

When this happens, things slow almost to a stop. There's a good chance the yeast'll revive themselves with a little time. Give a week or so. Then take a reading. If there's no change transfer to another vessel. This sometimes starts things off again, but leave it as it is for now.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Checked again tonight, still at 1.020 so pitching more yeast, stirrning regularly and lifting the temp hasn't helped. Have double checked hydro in room temp water and it is working fine so that isn't the problem.

Am tempted to bottle this, against my better judgement, with about half the usual priming sugar and see how it goes. Would use plastic bottles only just in case!

 

[McMullan]

Check it in a week, mate. Adding more yeast won't work. There's not enough sugar in there to get fresh yeast up for it. Wait for the yeast already in there to wake up again. They know what sugars are left in there and they'll respond at some point. Out of interest, did you add anything to your brewing water?

 

[wheazy_joe]

Didn't add anything to the water, never have. Just made this as every other kit. SG has been steady at 1.020 for a week now, by weekend that will be 10 days.

 

[McMullan]

Give it at least a few more days. Do you have any yeast nutrients? Get some if not. You could try the following. Prepare some sugar solution, as though you were going to bulk prime for bottling, and include 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrients. Pour it in the FV and give it a thorough stir. Then check it in a week. If it doesn't change, call it finished. If you're not happy with the beer, which might be a bit sweet, try blending it with a dryer/stronger beer.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Added a couple of teaspoons of yeast nutrient already. Will give the sugar solution with yeast nutrient a go, nothing to lose! Cheers for the advice guys.

Couple of queries:

1. If it doesn't start fermenting again and I bottle, will they carb up?
2. If the answer to 1 is yes, then am I asking for trouble by adding more sugar just now and into the bottles, i.e. seriously over carbed bottles?
3. Could I just bottle it at 1.020 with a tiny amount of priming sugar, and hope that the residual sugar in the wort plus the small amount of priming sugar would be sufficient?

Cheers again!

 

[McMullan]

Depends really. Dextrose (glucose) is about as simple as sugar gets. If they can't metabolise that, then probably not. But never say never when yeast are involved. Adding a little simple sugar might poke them back into action. Failing that, why not rack to a secondary (off the trub) and wait it out? Should be safe in a secondary FV for quite a while. I think if you bottle now, there's a risk of over carbing the beer. I'd rather drink flat beer, TBO.

 

[wheazy_joe]

Cheers McMullan. Think I might do a bit of both: add a sugar/water solution to a clean FV and transfer the stalled beer onto in.


At same time I'll get another brew cracking to keep things ticking over. Knew I should've gone into the brew shop and got another Youngs AIPA when I was passing today. Never mind I've got a John Bull IPA to get going with some dry hop additions planned.

 

[MyQul]

Haven't got anything to add to get the brew going again as McMullen seems to have covered everything you could do. I take it you've had a wee taste? Is it to sweet? If so you could add some hop tea at bottling time having boiled some hops in some water. It will of course dilute your beer a bit but you only need to use 1L, I think

 

[wheazy_joe]

Yeah have tasted it and to be honest it doesn't taste overly sweet, it's just the SG reading that's concerning me.