Possible Stuck Fermentation?

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
Wez

Possible Stuck Fermentation?

Post by Wez » Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:13 pm

You guys must be bored by now of hearing about Muntons kits 'sticking' :cry: . I've been brewing their kits for 18 months without a real problem however.....i have a smugglers on the go at the moment (Started Tue 20th) it dropped to 1018 by Saturday and has stayed there since. Would you consider this stuck and should i go ahead and add the dry beer enzyme or a sachet of Safale 04 yeast or just give it a few more days to see what happens. I used the yeast which came with the kit (as i always have but following DaaB's advice on a different post will no longer do).

BIGTRACTOR

Post by BIGTRACTOR » Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:50 pm

i started a smugglers sunday, i havent checked the gravity yet, but i'm getting worried !! :( :( :(

why oh why did i forget to buy some safale 04 ? :oops: :oops: :x

with all these people having problems with muntons and woodefords you would think they'd be able to sort the problem out and put some decent, reliable yeast in their kits, particularly as they are both at the expensive premium range. :twisted:

Wez

Post by Wez » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:23 pm

Don't be too concerned, i've done quite a few smugglers without a problem, i think i may be panicking unduly with this one and only actually became aware of the 'stuck fermentation' issue after looking at this forum. The advice here is excellent and from people who have brewed for years, you really can't beat experience!!

Not sure if you have used the smugglers kit before, if you haven't you won't be dissapointed - the guy at my LHBS told me that even muntons competitors have had to 'tip their cap' at it =D>

I will be taking the advice and using a different yeast in future brews and really looking forward to seeing the difference.

Has your fermentation started yet?

BIGTRACTOR

Post by BIGTRACTOR » Mon Feb 26, 2007 9:30 pm

yeah its fermenting well, will give it a couple more days and take a reading. i'll write the results on this thread.

everyone really rates the smugglers so i'm looking forward to trying it

i'm gonna get a few sachets of safale and use this in the future, at least it will spare the concerns

BIGTRACTOR

Post by BIGTRACTOR » Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:00 am

well what a surprise !. :twisted:

looks like its stuck. been at 1.022 for last 2 mornings now and there are no discernable bubbles rising :evil: :evil:
temperature has been a constant 20oc because i use an adapted aquarium heater

i've given the yeast a gentle stir, will be off into my local HB shop tomorrow morning to get some dry beer enzyme (hope they stock it) and some safale

i vow NEVER going to use yeast supplied with the kit again, (i'm bloody angry with myself for forgetting to buy some safale last week) :oops:

shame on you muntons! :roll: all these people can't be all be doing the wrong thing, maybe its time you recalled all your yeasts ?????

ps. my other half likes lager so i thought i'd meet her half way and buy a woodefords great eastern this weekend, (with safale of course) good choice?

BIGTRACTOR

Post by BIGTRACTOR » Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:08 am

wez, how did yours get on mate? :?:

The Cardinal

Post by The Cardinal » Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:50 am

Funnliy enough I've had exactly the same problem with my Muntons Irish Style Stout. In the first two days it dropped from 1040 to 1014, but for the last 2 days that's exactly where it's stayed - no bubbles, no foam...nothing!

I turned up the radiaotor and moved it nearer the heat, then added a bit more yeast and gave it a stir, but still nothing. Where do I go from here? Can I bottle it at this gravity? Also, for the first time I used Spray malt instead of sugar - do you think this has caused it? :?:

sparky Paul

Post by sparky Paul » Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:30 am

Should he be too worried about bottling at 1014 though?

Using DME certainly ups the FG. All my brews using 100% DME with a kit seem to turn out around 1012, so 1014 isn't too far out - I reckon I would be bottling it if you're sure it's finished... 8)

I usually use Safale to get the 1012. I've just done an identikit brew to one I've done with Safale, but used Munton's Gold yeast - and it's finished at 1009-ish.

The MG yeast certainly behaves very differently, it took a few days to get going properly, and it's taken longer overall - It'll be interesting to see what the difference is in the taste...
Last edited by sparky Paul on Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

The Cardinal

Post by The Cardinal » Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:31 am

Thanks for that info Daab, will it be too late to add the Yeast on Monday? I'm unable to get hold of any before then.

sparky Paul

Post by sparky Paul » Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:35 am

I'm not sure you will get any more yeast action at 1014, there will be too much alcohol about for it to get started.

If you're really worried, you could try dry beer enzyme - I'm no expert, but I'd bottle it at 1014.

prodigal2

Post by prodigal2 » Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:27 pm

I agree with SP 1,014 is as near as damn it. Both my Wherrys droped to 1014. If that is the reading youve got for a couple of days, it should be fine to move to your prefered choice of conditioning. 8) 8)

Wez

Post by Wez » Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:15 pm

The Smugglers went down to 1015 and stayed there...so i kegged it last night. Already had a good pressure build up this morning, think all will be well, not had a cheeky taste of it yet though, though 7am was a bit early :lol: in my opinion toothpaste isn't the best beer companion.

The Cardinal

Post by The Cardinal » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:17 am

Well, here we go. After stirring more Yeast into the Stout, sticking it in the airing cupboard and waiting patiently I finally gave up and bottled it earlier with a Gravity of 14.

Tasted OK, and I've no doubt with a bit of fizz in it a short spell in the fridge it will be ok but probably won't get me as pissed as I'd like, cos the alcohol content will only be about 3.7 %.

In a bid to up it somewhat, I bunged a load of sugar in each bottle when I was priming - out of interest, does anyone know how much extra alcohol strenght a good priming will up the brew by? Or is it insignificant? :? :?

BIGTRACTOR

Post by BIGTRACTOR » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:59 am

i managed to get my smugglers fermenting again by adding a sachet of safale, it stuck at 1.020 and this morning there's a foam on top and its at 1.018, so fingers crossed it will go down now.

ps, If wez or anyone who has done a smugglers kit is reading this, what do muntons reccommend the final gravity to be? only i threw the box with the instructions on in the bin! :?

tubby_shaw

Post by tubby_shaw » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:17 pm

The Cardinal wrote:Well, here we go. After stirring more Yeast into the Stout, sticking it in the airing cupboard and waiting patiently I finally gave up and bottled it earlier with a Gravity of 14.

Tasted OK, and I've no doubt with a bit of fizz in it a short spell in the fridge it will be ok but probably won't get me as pissed as I'd like, cos the alcohol content will only be about 3.7 %.

In a bid to up it somewhat, I bunged a load of sugar in each bottle when I was priming - out of interest, does anyone know how much extra alcohol strenght a good priming will up the brew by? Or is it insignificant? :? :?
I am a little concerned by the phrase
I bunged a load of sugar in each bottle when I was priming
How much is a load of sugar, in what volume of beer and what kind of bottle ?
Are we talking comedy foam fire extinguisher PET bottles, or dangerous potential glass bottle bombs :?
I'd hate to think of somebody being hurt by a beer :!:

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