Worried....no panicking....no HELP!

[Petrolhead]

Well I’ve been brewing allsorts for about 18 months with no big problems but last night it looked like I had a stuck fermentation and it looked much the same tonight.

I’d decided that the best course of action was to pour in more yeast whilst shouting “Why me” loudly with various expletives.

Then the answer came in a flash of inspiration........ ask the guys on the forum before you do anything stupid. So here goes:

On Friday I did an 11 litre imperial stout from an ag kit bought from a reputable supplier using Mangrove Jacks yeast. Stuck it in my fv which has served me well, no co2 leaks, for all 18 months and shook well to aerate before putting in my brewfridge at 21 degrees.

It took a good day and a bit to get started but by Sunday lunchtime it was going like a steam train. I looked again last night and no action with water evenly filling the airlock, gave it a shake and left until tonight where again there was no sign of life.

I have given it an almighty great shake and come in to post this sad tail :)

Fortunately, I did take some gravity readings which believe it or not I have successfully avoided since the start as I’m happy whatever the strength. Perhaps now a lesson learnt.

When it went into the fv it was 107? And should have been 108? but was a little over volume possibly 12.5 rather than 11 litres. Yesterday it was 1048 istr and tonight 1042 but I used a cheap but zeroed refractometer so I doubt this is showing a fall. FV may be leaking but it hasn’t in the past.

So any thoughts or advice please.

 

[Rockuronium72]

Fermenting vessels especially plastic can warp over time, rendering the lid non air tight. I'd give it 2 more days, check the gravity again. Which Mangrove yeast incidently?

 

[Dutto]

I've had a few brews where the only sign of life has been a build up of trub in the bottom of the FV and/or a layer of krausen on the top.

I got quite worried the first couple of times but as the brews turned out okay I stopped worrying ...

... and just left them for a minimum of two weeks before checking the SG.

 

[Linalmeemow]

So it's dropped around 30 points in 4 days, it still appears to be dropping and you're panicking?

Take a deep breath, give it a couple more days and then check the gravity again. If it's still dropping everything is fine, if it's stalled again give it another good swirl and take a read in another couple of days. The time isn't going to hurt it, and it'll almost certainly get going again if it's even stalled at all.

 

[RichardM]

The refractometer should have been fine for checking the original gravity of the wort but now it is fermenting you need to use a hydrometer to check specific gravity. As @Dutto says, leave it well alone for two weeks before checking the gravity

 

[Clint]

Don't doubt Dutto...

 

[cushyno]

If you're desperate to see airlock activity, put vaseline around the sealing face of the FV lid.

However, I wouldn't bother.

You've already got alcohol and c02 in there to help inhibit infection and oxidation, so messing about with it may do more harm than good.

Check SG in three days time and if it's heading in the right direction just leave it for another week - you've got a sealing problem. I have the same problem with one of my FVs, doesn't stop me using it.

 

[Zephyr259]

I've ran the numbers through my refractometer sheet, assuming you started at 1.070 (17.3 brix) and your refractometer is saying 1.042 (10.5 brix) then your actual FG is around 1.021 for 6.35% at 68% apparent attenuation. These numbers are for my refractometer which has a 2% adjustment for wort. If you only brewed on Friday then leave it be as it's looking fine so far to me.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I've become so disappointed at lack of airlock activity that I've stopped using them, without any adverse effects.

 

[Bigcol49]

I've ran the numbers through my refractometer sheet

Hi @Zephyr259
Did you create the refractometer sheet, or did you source it elsewhere?
I read that it needs about 20 brews to calculate a good refractometer adjustment.

 

[Zephyr259]

I downloaded the adjustment sheet from Brewers friend then added some formulae below based on the working behind their correction calculator. I've attached my sheet to this post, enter data into the yellow boxes and the rest will calculate the results.

The more tests you do the more accurate it will become, I've had some trends show up but honestly I'm getting to the point where I trust the refractometer more than I do the hydrometer since it varies with temp and I'm not the best at getting a constant temp to check samples and my pre-boil to post boil figures match better using brix on the last few brews.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi @Zephyr259
Many thanks!

 

[divrack]

There should be a whole section for "help my airlock isn't showing any signs of activity, should I commit a double murder suicide now or throw a kilo of yeast and the blood of six Virgin's into my brew and stay calm?!!"

 

[Cwrw666]

Lack of airlock activity can usually be attributed to Global Warming. Ain't that right Gunge?

 

[dad_of_jon]

I leave anything of 1.060 or over (which for me is most stuff ) for 3 weeks once I have indication that fermentation has started. Where I do weaker brews I leave for 2 weeks.

Then measure before deciding to bottle and if its only a few points short of expected FG just put less priming sugar in. I'd say anything under 1.020 for a proper impy stout is there or thereabouts. I'd use a hydrometer for this measurement if you are have refractometer issues. test it in water at the hydrometers calibrated temperature (usually 20 Celcius) it should read 1.000. If not add or subtract the difference from your readings. mine is always .003 out e.g. water measures 1.003 so I take .003 off my readings.

example : king kong - OG 1108 - FG 1010 - mine normally finish around 1010-1018 depending on the yeast and fermentables used.

 

[Petrolhead]

Thanks for all the good advice and at least I was right in my need to come to you guys.

Tonight I was bottling 20 litres of another brew and curiosity got the better of me and I put the lid on with a couple of leaves of cling film underneath. This has never failed me in forming a seal.

After the bottling I was squeezing some of the bottles into the spare space around the imperial and even a touch of the fv caused it to belch. So there must be a bit of pressure inside. So as advised the well used fv has started to leak.

I will now follow your advice and ignore it for a week or two then take the gravity. Recipe asks for 1016.

Thanks again.

 

[terrym]

You folks with your new fangled refractoryometers needing californication every tenth heart beat. What's up with an ode hygrometer thingy that you dunk in your beer from time to time, well sorted I say. KISS to the edificated.
And I use cling film too.
Sort that beggar out

 

[Dutto]

"...... should I commit a double murder suicide now or throw a kilo of yeast and the blood of six Virgin's into my brew ..."

I was going to say roughly the same for a Refractometer except it would end ".... or should I just buy a Hydrometer?"

 

[Zephyr259]

Yeah, KISS principle is great but I like being able to check my FG with a single pipette of beer rather than 100 mls. :-)

 

[Petrolhead]

By way of an update I was down in the Brewshed this evening, rewiring my Inkbird, when I heard that lovely gurgle from the airlock. After a quiet week it seems to be moving along nicely.

Just goes to show leave these things alone.