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Looking for a pointer please – this is my very first brew and I’ve been reading a ton for a week or more and getting lots of information… not sure what I should do for the best…


It looks like I may have stuck fermentation (or a long lag time down to amount of yeast / brew strength) . I started my brew on Saturday and whilst there is some bubbling in the air lock, not as much as I’d have expected.


Let me give you the details as I recall them:


Kit is a Belgian Tripel (https://www.home-brew-hopshop.co.uk...rupaks-botw-belgian-trappist-ale-tripel-.html) which makes up 10 litres of ~ 6.5% abv


I did not use the included yeast (which was a 6g packet), I substituted it for Mangrove Jack’s Belgian Tripel M31 - (https://mangrovejacks.com/collections/craft-series-yeasts/products/belgian-tripel-m31-yeast-10g)


I re-hydrated my yeast at the start of the process (possible problem no 1) whilst I started the brew. I used about 2/3 of the packet giving approx. 9g in about 100ml warm water. The book I’ve been reading recommends pitching slightly more yeast as opposed to slightly less and probably more yeast for higher ABV brews. The yeast was in a clean and sanitised wine glass, covered by a sanitised piece of cling film.


I put the kit extract in the fermenter ( 15 litre bucket) along with a couple of kettles-full of hot water.


I made up the volume of 10 litres from a sanitised tap, using standard, domestic tap water (possible problem no 2) and gave it a good swish using a couple of bursts from a handheld electric blender. O.G at this point was 1.050


I did not pitch until the wort temperature had reduced to about 24-25 deg c (possible problem no 3) , The (cleaned and sanitised) fermenter was covered with a (clean and sanitised) lid whilst I attempted to reduce the temperature, which took ages, probably over 1:30hours (possible problem no 4)


I fitted the lid, along with a sanitised airlock containing sanitiser. This has been left in the garage at an ambient temperature of ~18-20 deg c. The temp on the fermenter itself has been running at about 2 deg c higher although I have not seen how low it gets through the night (possible problem no 5) – but it’s been pretty mild and the garage isn’t that cold (yet)


I know that there isn’t a leak on the fermenter, as there is a nice constant bow on the lid and the water in the airlock is not level - there is positive pressure coming from the fermenter side.


Yesterday I moved the fermenter to an inside room which is pretty constant at 20 degrees c and I slowly warmed the bottom of the fermenter with a hot water bottle. The temp on the fermenter is now about 22 degrees, well inside the 18-28 degree range specified by Mangrove Jacks


It's now Wednesday and still very little on the bubbly-bubbly front. Since I started writing this post, I’ve tested a sample and its coming out at 1.010 – suggesting that (according to the original instructions) readings remaining static below 1.015, fermentation is complete. (I will check again tomorrow and Friday)


Should I wait some more?

Should I stir the wort (making sure I don’t splash and introduce oxygen)?

Should I warm it up some more?

Should I add some more yeast?

Or

Is fermentation actually complete? Could it have completed so quickly and without visible signs of bubbling though the airlock?


Or something else?

Sorry for the long post, I like to be as comprehensive as possible.

Thank you all in anticipation.
Phil

 
If your lid is bowed up - it's got co2 pressure in it. Just because your airlock isn't bubbling doesn't mean it's not doing something. Could be that the co2 is leaking out round the seal on the lid or the rubber bung that is holding the bubbler in place. Don't stress, I have done many a brew without any airlock and just a plug of tissue is the hole. Some Yorkshire breweries use open topped Yorkshire squares and leave it completely open!
Leave it another week without taking the lid off.
Do you have a hydrometer? If so, wait till next weekend and take a reading. It should be about 1.010'ish. if you don't have one, you have plenty of time to get one.

Patience is a virtue and all that!

It will be fine.

Beer WANTS to be beer
 
If the lid is bowed up but the airlock is not bubbling there is no pressure in your FV OR the airlock is blocked! Anyway your SG is dropping so all is well. Leave it until it has been in the FV for two weeks minimum. Three will do no harm. Some FVs have lids that look bowed.

Press down gently on the lid and see if the airlock bubbles. This will tell you either way.
 
Thanks all - much appreciated
To respond:

@Nicks90 - Yes - o.g. was 1.050 and it's now 1.010, but will continue to check. I think you're right, I suspect that there is another way the CO2 is getting out, but at least there is positive pressure in the FV.

@davidfromUS - A tad too high I assume? Certainly when I pitched the yeast, right?

@kelper - The lid is bowed up due to positive pressure in the FV. Airlock isn't blocked as there is _some_ bubbling (like once an hour at most), just not what I was expecting. If I press down, then yes, the airlock does bubble outbound.

Thanks again.
Cheers.
 
MJ31 attenuates very highly and 1.010 seems a tad high to me, on my experience of it. Would definitely leave it a good two weeks before touching it, by which time I would guess nearer 1.005.
 
With that yeast and the amount of wort you will be done fermenting easily within a week, probably only a few days, giving it two weeks means you have time to clear up any remaining sugar, taking a hydrometer reading the last few days to check it’s stable and finished is a good idea. As others have said it’s probably a leak somewhere, but your cleaning process sounds spot on, I bet it will be fine. Just make sure if you’re bottling you give the bottles and the wand a good clean and sanitize.
 
If the airlock is working, the pressure in the FV would be almost zero. Half-an-inch water gauge (WG)) equals 0.018 psi. About a small chuff.
 
It came down to 1.002 in the end - thank you.

More commonly known as b*tard dry and really quite strong then.

The moral of the story here is a) dont open the lid daily b) trust that its working even if you dont get the "bubbly bubbly" c) do as the instructions and all will be ok.

Best get that beer nicely bottled and ready to drink in a few weeks.
 
More commonly known as b*tard dry and really quite strong then.
Works out to 6.43% abv ish.
The moral of the story here is a) dont open the lid daily b) trust that its working even if you dont get the "bubbly bubbly" c) do as the instructions and all will be ok.

Best get that beer nicely bottled and ready to drink in a few weeks.
I honestly, 100% did not remove the lid, daily or other frequency. I am a good boy, hence my original concern about the airlock, but when you have nothing to compare it to, you don't know what to expect. I have a stout on now and it's absolutely rocketing along athumb..
 
So please ignore the original post - that was my first brew, and I didn't want to start a new 'Is it done?' thread, as there are enough of those already ;)

This is my 4th All grain and 6th brew in total.

Dry Porter recipe from Brew.
OG 1.066
FG 1.012

~9 litre batch and pitched an 11g packet of MJ M42 New World Ale yeast, temp controlled at 18c for two weeks.

SG readings as follows:
25/4/20 1.063
9/5/20 1.022 (two week mark)
At this point I gave it a gentle stir and raised the temp from 18c to 20c
12/5/20 1.018
15/5/20 1.018

So we're coming up to the three week mark and its not appearing to go down anymore.

I've read @terrym 's post Simple strategies for dealing with stuck fermentations

Do I go with what I have, it tastes ok - certainly not too sweet (for me anyway) or do something else? Maybe a bit more sugar and another stir? Up the temp a little more? Champagne yeast?

Thanks
 
It’s worth noting that some grain contains more unfermentable sugar, a higher mash temperature means more unfermentable sugar, and the yeast type and attenuation can all contribute to a higher finishing gravity. That’s why a recipe builder is useful because it will give you an idea of what to expect, maybe 1.018 is right. Giving it a poke, raising the temp and time are the usual tricks. If you have done all that and it still sticks at 1.018 I would package it.
 
It’s worth noting that some grain contains more unfermentable sugar, a higher mash temperature means more unfermentable sugar, and the yeast type and attenuation can all contribute to a higher finishing gravity. That’s why a recipe builder is useful because it will give you an idea of what to expect, maybe 1.018 is right. Giving it a poke, raising the temp and time are the usual tricks. If you have done all that and it still sticks at 1.018 I would package it.
This is good info - thanks
Mash temp was (should have been) 66.5c but did go up as high as 75c at the 20 min mark and only came down to 68c by the time 60 mins was up.
Relevant?
 
Yes I think so, I use a recipe builder, if you fiddle with the mash temperature it will change the expected final gravity, e.g 64c mash will be 5+ gravity points higher than a 68c mash. So a higher temperature will almost certainly have impacted your final gravity. At 1.018 you may well be finished, adding extra yeast will have no positive impact.
 
Welcome to my seemingly quarterly "Is it stuck?" series.

Latest brew is a HefeWeizen - OG was 1054 and currently 1020 after 14 days.

Mash temp on this one was pretty constant at 65c

According to the recipe in James Morton's Brew, he says to ferment for a week and then bottle after three successive steady readings.

Yeast is dried MJ M20 Bavarian Wheat Yeast which has an attenuation of 70-75%

SG after a week was 1020 - FG expected to be 1010-1014, but doesn't seem to be budging.

I've already upped the temp (after a week) from 19c to 21.5c and roused the yeast.

So - bottle as is - or pitch more yeast?

I have some open: either an S-04 (1.3g) and half a packet of the M20

Many thanks, Phil
 
Welcome to my seemingly quarterly "Is it stuck?" series.

Latest brew is a HefeWeizen - OG was 1054 and currently 1020 after 14 days.

Mash temp on this one was pretty constant at 65c

According to the recipe in James Morton's Brew, he says to ferment for a week and then bottle after three successive steady readings.

Yeast is dried MJ M20 Bavarian Wheat Yeast which has an attenuation of 70-75%

SG after a week was 1020 - FG expected to be 1010-1014, but doesn't seem to be budging.

I've already upped the temp (after a week) from 19c to 21.5c and roused the yeast.

So - bottle as is - or pitch more yeast?

I have some open: either an S-04 (1.3g) and half a packet of the M20

Many thanks, Phil

I never had a brew that was done fermenting after a week. But James Morton is not a rookie, soooo... I'd give it a nice and quiet rouse again, add the other half of the packet, and wait for 2 more weeks. MJ are quick yeasts but still need time. Is it AG, extract or a kit?
 
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