Newbie Stuck Fermentation
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Great!
So now that you know that the SG is accurate I suggest that you leave it alone for a couple of weeks before checking the SG again.
If mine still showed 1.028 at that stage I would:
- Transfer it to a PB (i.e. something with a pressure relief valve).
- Add 1.0g to 1.5g per litre of Brewing Sugar.
- Move it to somewhere warm and dark for another couple of weeks.
- Take a sample to test the SG and to check that it had carbonated.
Wilco535
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If mine still showed 1.028 at that stage I would:
Looking back at all the things you've done for this brew, at that stage I would probably adopt a "no matter what" attitude, leave it for another month (somewhere cool and dark) and then start drinking it.
- Transfer it to a PB (i.e. something with a pressure relief valve).
- Add 1.0g to 1.5g per litre of Brewing Sugar.
- Move it to somewhere warm and dark for another couple of weeks.
- Take a sample to test the SG and to check that it had carbonated.
Ok cool, so a mini keg with one of these would work as a pb?
https://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.u...ini-Keg-Bung-with-Pressure-Valve.html#SID=196
Was thinking of putting my batches in mini kegs anyway so this is a good excuse to get hold of one and try it out!
Wilco535
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So it's been 2 weeks since I last pitched...
It still read 1.028 on the hydrometer aunsure....
So I have transferred it to a 2 gallon PB (the smallest I could find) so there is a lot of headroom which probably won't hurt, I've primed it, now to wait a bit longer and see how it tastes.
It has lost a lot of the tropical aroma it initially had from the Citra dry hopping but it has been sat in the fv for a long time. On tasting the sample it seems all good, quite bitter and a bit citrusy, like a reasonable session IPA but flat as it hasn't been carbed yet. It's cloudy as hell so I will try and chill it somehow in a couple of weeks in the hope it will clear a bit, I like Hazy beers but this brew isn't a NEIPA.
On to the next brew, I'm going to try pretty much the same recipe but lose the early boil hop additions to reduce the bitterness and use just Citra. I'm also switching from Maris Otter pale malt to Golden Promise just because I always read it on the cans big of Magic Rock IPAs that I really like.
Things I'll be watching more closely are my mash temp, going to use a 10l cooler as a mash tun rather than play with the gas to maintain temp. And also my pitch temp, if it takes longer than 20 minutes to cool I'll just have to wait, want that yeast to be happy! I'm going to stick with Safale S-04 for now but might try another yeast if I have the same trouble on the next batch. And will definitely rehydrate when pitching this time to proof the yeast.
Thinking of doubling my batch size now I have the 10l PB
It still read 1.028 on the hydrometer aunsure....
So I have transferred it to a 2 gallon PB (the smallest I could find) so there is a lot of headroom which probably won't hurt, I've primed it, now to wait a bit longer and see how it tastes.
It has lost a lot of the tropical aroma it initially had from the Citra dry hopping but it has been sat in the fv for a long time. On tasting the sample it seems all good, quite bitter and a bit citrusy, like a reasonable session IPA but flat as it hasn't been carbed yet. It's cloudy as hell so I will try and chill it somehow in a couple of weeks in the hope it will clear a bit, I like Hazy beers but this brew isn't a NEIPA.
On to the next brew, I'm going to try pretty much the same recipe but lose the early boil hop additions to reduce the bitterness and use just Citra. I'm also switching from Maris Otter pale malt to Golden Promise just because I always read it on the cans big of Magic Rock IPAs that I really like.
Things I'll be watching more closely are my mash temp, going to use a 10l cooler as a mash tun rather than play with the gas to maintain temp. And also my pitch temp, if it takes longer than 20 minutes to cool I'll just have to wait, want that yeast to be happy! I'm going to stick with Safale S-04 for now but might try another yeast if I have the same trouble on the next batch. And will definitely rehydrate when pitching this time to proof the yeast.
Thinking of doubling my batch size now I have the 10l PB
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Stick with mash temps between 63 en 65º, to dry it out. Some go to 60º.
And start thinking about Mangrove Jack yeasts. A course mate of mine and I shared an ale wort and we pitched different yeasts. I had an S33 (top of my head) and he had an MJ. Mine landed on 1026 and his below 1010. MJ really can be a chewer!
And start thinking about Mangrove Jack yeasts. A course mate of mine and I shared an ale wort and we pitched different yeasts. I had an S33 (top of my head) and he had an MJ. Mine landed on 1026 and his below 1010. MJ really can be a chewer!
I've chilled before carbonation and after carbonation and they both work ...
... but "Time + Gravity" is still needed!
Just been drinking a couple of pints of my first AG attempts ttonight. S-04 yeast straight from the packet got me down to 1.005 from approx 1.050 on two brews that were mashed at about 62°C. Though this low temperature was a mistake because I lost heat from my cooler mash tun, it just shows what S-04 can do given the right conditions. Both brews were 10l and fermented in a temperature controlled fridge at 20°C for 2-3 weeks. There's nothing wrong with the yeast you're using.
martynlynch
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I noticed you made the brew with bottled water. A question for the more knowledgable members, could the mineral content of the water have any bearing on the fermentation?
Wilco535
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Hi guys,
Just over two weeks since transferring to PB and had a little taste to see how things are coming along and it seems it isn't carbing up at all, am I a bit hasty? There is quite a lot of headspace in the pb as there is just over 4l in a 10l pb, could this have an adverse effect on the carbonation process?
Hoping to do batch number two soon...
Just over two weeks since transferring to PB and had a little taste to see how things are coming along and it seems it isn't carbing up at all, am I a bit hasty? There is quite a lot of headspace in the pb as there is just over 4l in a 10l pb, could this have an adverse effect on the carbonation process?
Hoping to do batch number two soon...
Not really. I think you may have a leak!
I test my PB's after one or two days just to make sure that the PB isn't leaking; and frequently find that it is!
The last occasion was less than a month ago! I forgot that I had dropped my Wilco Keg when cleaning out the previous brew. It had landed on the lip of the cap screw and put a dent in it that hadn't sealed properly. I had to transfer the brew and repair the damage to the lip of the cap. It is now sealing okay.
I think you should regard this current batch of yours as a "very steep learning curve" ...
... it will all be worthwhile, eventually!
I test my PB's after one or two days just to make sure that the PB isn't leaking; and frequently find that it is!
The last occasion was less than a month ago! I forgot that I had dropped my Wilco Keg when cleaning out the previous brew. It had landed on the lip of the cap screw and put a dent in it that hadn't sealed properly. I had to transfer the brew and repair the damage to the lip of the cap. It is now sealing okay.
I think you should regard this current batch of yours as a "very steep learning curve" ...
... it will all be worthwhile, eventually!
Wilco535
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Not really. I think you may have a leak!
I test my PB's after one or two days just to make sure that the PB isn't leaking; and frequently find that it is!
The last occasion was less than a month ago! I forgot that I had dropped my Wilco Keg when cleaning out the previous brew. It had landed on the lip of the cap screw and put a dent in it that hadn't sealed properly. I had to transfer the brew and repair the damage to the lip of the cap. It is now sealing okay.
I think you should regard this current batch of yours as a "very steep learning curve" ...
... it will all be worthwhile, eventually!
I'll have a look at it and see, if I can sort it great, if not i'm happy to move on at this point!
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