Is it stuck?

[DaveyT]

Hello
Six days ago I started a batch that started to bubble on day two then petered out completely on day three. Is it stuck?
The gravity has been at about 1.016 at 23 degrees since then; is this a sign that it could be stuck?
However, the colour and the flavour have been changing and the samples look quite active (eg with bubbles and sediment moving about) which suggest things are going well.
There are no bubbles at all coming out the air lock unless I press the lid. It had a possible fluctuation in temperature on the second night (it´s wrapped in a wet towel to keep it cool and it was in a draught that night).
I´m planning on sticking it into a secondary tomorrow. Shall I leave it in the primary? Will giving it a stir make things worse if it´s still fermenting? I could take the towel off, but the ambient temp is 25; would this be too high?

Thanks in advance
DaveyT

[DaveyT]

OG was 1045 and the yeast was S04.
Is it too much to expect it to drop further? Would a stir help?
Would secondary bring things down?
Sorry for all the questions, like... Only my second brew.

[DaveyT]

Thanks; I´ll give it a whirl and keep you updated.

[OldSpeckledBadger]

It's normal for S-04 to start off fast and slow down after a few days. It sounds like there's still activity going on. I'd let it carry on. BTW, are you sure your hydrometer is accurate?

[DaveyT]

The hydrometer is an ongoing learning curve. It´s a standard Stevenson.
I´m in Spain where the ambient temperature is 25 so it´s a battle to keep the temp down but not too low. The reading this morning is 1.014 (1.012 at the top of the whatsit that curves upwards) which suggests things are continuing. The temp was 24 degrees so I guess I´m looking at 1.015.
The colour is still changing as is the taste (the alcohol is coming through now).
I stirred it yesterday afternoon and there´s been no bubbles. I think I wanted to stir it more than it needed stirring.
Should I wait until it hits a certain gravity before secondary fermanting it? Or should I stick it in the secondary and wait for it to hit 1.010 in a week or so? Got a handful of hops I want to chuck in.

[OldSpeckledBadger]

The yeast's clearly still working so there's nothing to worry about. Just be patient.

[DaveyT]

Nice one; it´s down to 1.012 now and has been since yesterday.
I´m going to stick it in the secondary, but won´t get the chance until Wednesday.
Should this be OK? Could squeeze it in earlier, but schedule´s a bit tight.
Thanks for the help.

[floydmeddler]

Yep, it will be fine. All my brews with s04 drop to 1010 so you may have a few points to go yet. I'd keep it in primary for 3 weeks then secondary with gelatine for 1 week then bottle.

[DaveyT]

That´s great. Thanks for that. The instructions that came from the shop in Madrid said I had to separate the beer within 24 hrs or it would go off. Nice to see I´ve got a larger window of opportunity.
As an aside, I noticed you´ve got a Hophead on the go. Any tips on how I can make that with extract? My choice in Spain is limited but I´ll be in the UK soon to stock up. I´ve also got a limited brewpot (10l). I´ve heard this means a re-calculation of the hops.
Sorry to bombard you with questions, like. Thanks again for the advice.