Stuck Fermentation

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Permalink Reply by Crusader-Rob on March 28, 2013 at 11:24am

I don't think the yeast died as such, as the US-05 re-pitched in a small slurry on sunday didn't do anything either. I'll be racking over after easter, I'll check it again, but I doubt it'll do anything.

3711 would work douglas, but like you say the flavour contributions wont be what I'm looking for.

Smoked Malt: Use smoked malt for up to 100% of your grain bill if you want to be closer to the Rauchbier style, but smaller percentages should be used to add smoked character to styles like bock, helles, hefeweizen, porters, Scottish ales and brown ales. At 5-10% you will get a noticeable smoked character whereas 30-60% will be far more pronounced and suitable for darker styles like Stouts and Porters.
EBC: 5
Maltster: Weyermann
Origin: Germany (This is whats on the brewshop website)

Brown Malt I just figured out is in fact a specialty malt, I thought it was base, as they used to use in brown porter 100%. That's probably part of the issue, but I'd still expect to get 1020-22. 

anyone have any suggestions based on adding inverted sugar to the mix, this might help reduce the hot flavour that can be given by adding plain everyday sugar.? maybe 50-100grams?

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Permalink Reply by Grant R Baker on March 28, 2013 at 2:21pm

I think racking might help.  My Scotch Ale (non-whiskey version) is a very heavy beer that is very slow to ferment out and often gets going again after racking to the secondary.

Read something a year or two ago re the dead yeast matter preventing further yeast activity... not sure about the science but I think there may be something to it.

That said...S04 is a very active yeast that needs no encouragement.

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Permalink Reply by Crusader-Rob on March 28, 2013 at 2:56pm

So you rack and pitch more yeast? Might be worth a shot, but I think I'll get some of Zanes yeast and use that after racking.

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Permalink Reply by Grant R Baker on March 28, 2013 at 3:46pm

I just rack... the suspended yeast just gets going again (very slow bubble on the airlock and all), but there is nothing wrong with using some more yeast or another strain.

There are quite a few beers out there that use more than one strain of yeast during their trip from fermenter to bottle.

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Permalink Reply by Hamish Jones on March 28, 2013 at 4:22pm

I subbed out 1KG of Gladfield lager for 1KG of the brew shop smoked and was bang on the same gravity beer smith suggested I would get prior to swapping it out so in my opinion I don't think the smoked malt will have effected it, or it may have been a fluke

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Permalink Reply by Crusader-Rob on March 28, 2013 at 4:39pm

I don't think its a fluke, I've read of people using smoked malt for 100% of their brews.

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Permalink Reply by Crusader-Rob on March 28, 2013 at 11:31am

The other thing I though of was splitting it out, 5.5litre each, and botling one part with whiskey as per grants whiskey beer recipes I've seen and asked about, let it age for a bit, and try it. then split the other half with somesugar?

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Permalink Reply by Crusader-Rob on March 28, 2013 at 1:28pm

Zane, I think I might have to try one of those yeasts. I'm away this weekend, so if i get in touch after the weekend, PM me your number, and we will sort something out?

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Permalink Reply by Ralph on March 28, 2013 at 1:31pm

Sweet as. Will send you my number on facebook. If you let me know what you think you want I can probably start it up for you so it is good to go after the weekend. The San Diego and 1272 are both in starters at the moment and so are the easiest for me to do.

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Permalink Reply by Scarrfie on March 29, 2013 at 9:10pm

Rob I had a few problems with stuck mashes using SO-4 and S-23 and my solution was to throw some plain sugar in, although dissolved in hot water first. It did the trick nicely because these beers were a bit like yours in that they were overly sweet. I had good comments on a Schwarzbier problem child when I presented it as the Tahi Bar Beer Appreciation group.

You can work out the gravity reduction by using info readily found on the web. From memory 500gms of sugar will drop the brew 4 gravity points in 20L. So you may need half kilo or so for your smaller batch, but double check me on that. At the end of the day sugar is only going to dry it and not add any unwanted flavours, so you can add the sugar progressively to your tastes.

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Permalink Reply by Crusader-Rob on April 1, 2013 at 8:43pm

Thanks scarrife, good advice.

And thanks Zane for the Yeast. I'm sure I'll find a use for it. However please see picture.... Aaarrrgghhh!!! I've just poured that down the drain.

I've pinpinted the infection to the introduction of US-05, I believe the cloth was not clean enough ,and as the yeast weren't doing their thing, the lack of cleanliness of the cloth took it. Stupid me!.Spent an hour last night, cleaning all my fermenters with sodium percarbonate.

there may also be a leaking issue? I need to test this... somehow, but the lids on the buckets have gholes for the airlocks....

I'll give the smoked porter another shot soon, but I better get into my next brew a NZ IPA.

Attachments:

• photo (3).JPG, 36 KB

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Permalink Reply by Grant R Baker on April 1, 2013 at 10:31pm

ahh shet, bad luck there.

 

I think your right that the cloth would have been the culprit. My old fermenter ahas a slow leak around the gromit that hold the airlock that I usually seal with Bluetac, but occasional the kids nick the bluetac for the homework etc, still never had an infection.

Since I read the article about kitchen dish clothes being dirtier than toilet, nothing from the kitchen is used in my beer production (except maybe teaspoons). Paper towels are the only cloth I use these days when brewing.

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