Disappointing BruBox Weisse Beer all grain kit.

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Matt Edwards

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So I tried an all grain Brubox...bought from the jungle online. Despite following the recipe to the word, and sanitising like a surgeon it seems to have developed a stuck fermentation. Initially, it went like the clappers having dry pitched it but after 1 day it has halted. My first thought was to add some yeast nutrient and give it a gentle agitation (shake the bugger)...after some initial activity, it's petered out again. Any thoughts?...temp was consistent. I've got some Hefe Yeast - Mangrove Jack inbound and plan on rehydrating first and adding to jump start it.
 
I'd ask what temperature you mashed at, and also if you know the ratio of the wheat to base malt? If your mash was a touch warm it might have produced more unfermentable sugars, making for a sweeter beer with a higher FG. I'd also ask how you are sure it's stuck? Have you taken the specific gravity with a few days gap to check? I ask, as airlock bubbling isn't always the best way to know. I had an FV bucket that after about the 2nd use started leaking gas like a sieve, so after the initial very active fermentation the airlock would stop dead. I retired it in the end after a brew (one of my last kit brews) developed a pellicle, often a good sign that you have air getting to the beer.

If it's been less than about 2 weeks, you might want to wait a bit longer, then take 2 SG readings a few days apart, then compare, if you haven't done this already. It's perfectly possible your FV is just leaking CO2, so when you rouse it the pressure increases and you get bubbles, then when it calms a bit again the pressure drops so the CO2 just slowly exits the FV by other routes.

Do forgive me if you have already checked the SG. I can only make a guess based on the information presented, no numbers posted suggests you may not have.

Cheers
 
Hi Ade. I think the issue might actually be down to the ambient temperature in the room. I noticed this morning that the thermostat hadn't kept it ticking over in the night. When I went in both this batch and the Fermentasaurus were totally dead and the thermometer on each unit was at 12-14c. I believe there was an issue with the BruBox out of the gate, I'll come back with SG. I'll hunt out some heat belts and ensure that they're being kept at a consistent temp independent of the heating.
 
I would suggest that you get some yeast appropriate to the style and plenty of it, bring the temperature up to match the yeast strain and re-inoculate.

Although just bringing it up to temp might be enough to restart it.

I managed to get WPL002 to stick like glue because the temperature was too low so I'm careful now.

aamcle


PS I lost the batch
 
Yeah, that's seriously low, especially for a wheat beer. Most wheat yeasts I've seen actually like things quite warm.
 
Yeah, that's seriously low, especially for a wheat beer. Most wheat yeasts I've seen actually like things quite warm.

I'm planning on getting some fresh yeast (M20 Mangrove Jack) tomorrow and hydrating before pitching. Would adding more nutrient lead to any off flavours, given I've already added some already?
m20.jpg
 
I've yet to use a yeast nutrient to be honest in a beer, always goes fine without. I only use it in mead, as honey just doesn't have the nutrients the yeasties need.
 
I just wanted to follow up prior to the re-pitch. The Fermentasaurs extract kit (Richies Festival German Weisse) had an SG of 1.042 and is currently stuck at 1.018, which is 3.15% ABV. Tastes pretty decent all be it flat. The Brubox had an SG of 1.032 and is currently stuck at 1.026 which is by my crude maths around 0.80% ABV. I'll keep everyone posted.
 
1.032? Ouch, not a good mash then. Looking at what your brews are doing on you, yeah I reckon you're right that they're too cold. I fermented my wheat beer at about 23-24 degrees C when I did one. Greg Hughes' Witbier recipe from his book . Usually a lot cheaper to do it that way than buying an all grain kit, and not particularly difficult either. Also you can adjust the amount of grain for your own efficiency and mashing method.
 
So I've re-pitched with hydrated yeast using the M20 M'Jacks stuff. Also fitted both vessels with a heat belt, the Demijohn has cautiously started to bubble again as the temperature went up. Currently, it's at 24-26 and has a continual bubble every 12 seconds...not super vibrant but at least it's playing ball. The Fermentasaurus which has about 4 x the fluid in it has been harder to get the temperature up on. Despite the heat belt, the volume is working against me. It's floating around 18-20 and I've been trying to get it to a similar temp as the demijohn. I've got an oil filled radiator next to it and also wrapped it in a fleece sheet. Fingers crossed!
 
18-20 will at least ferment, you just might not get as much banana & clove esters, so might end up tasting a bit "clean". You might find you prefer the taste that way though, as mentioned my wife went right off the witbier I made when it started tasting of banana... lol

At some point though, post up the process you used on that Brubox AG. I am quite sure the folks here can help you to get better results on future brews, with a better OG. It could possibly just be that they were skinflints with the malt in the box, but we'll never know or be able to help if you don't whack up all the details of your brew day. :thumb1: My first brew I got a pathetic 59% efficiency, then thanks to help here and elsewhere, and lots of reading around, my efficiency these days hover around the 80% mark.:cheers7:
 
Cheers Ade. So I'd lined the backroom fireplace, which is empty, with foil insulation sheeting. After about 15 mins of adding some heat...both of them started going like the clappers. In terms of bubble activity. It started at every 20 sec and literally rose to continual bubbling. Went to bed, with the oil filled heater/heat belts maintaining about 26-28. Came down this morning and the Demijohn which I'd pretty much given up all hope was still merrily going along but the Fermentasaurus is bubbling inconsistently every 30-50 seconds. So I'm still a bit stumped. I made both last Saturday...so will take a gravity reading tomorrow and report back. Lots of head scratching.
 
Right, thought I'd give a bit of double update. The Brubox, following re-pitch is now continually bubbling away nicely. I've not wanted to disturb and haven't taken another gravity reading. The fermentasaurus seems to have actually had a good full day. When i came in earlier the bubbling had pretty much stopped, but the kids told me she's been pretty consistently going all day. I had a taste it was pretty decent. I checked the gravity and it's now hit 1.012, so we've squeezed a bit more ABV from her. The instructions state that the SG is 1.011, so I'm transferring to my barrel for secondary fermentation along with the brewing dextrose. Happy to share the tech used for the Brubox...Let me get it all finished and post my full brew methodology. (I'm currently sipping a Cherry Head stout from Marstons)...and feel my best is behind me! Night all.
 
Right well the BruBox finished bubbling yesterday and today I planned to bottle it. Having taken the gravity. It's only managed to scrape down to 1.022 from 1.032...It tastes pretty gross and extremely sour. I've decided to add some spraymalt, approx 30G to see if that evens out the taste, but truth be told I think it's had it. The festival kit in the fermentasaurus continues to go from strength to strength. Having added it to a pressure keg with brewers sugar. Had some earlier and despite still having a few days to go, it really does taste amazing. Like I think Ade stated above, there was just not enough fermentable sugar in my initial attempt.
 

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