Another Stuck Fermentation

[BigStripeyCat]

I'm on my second brew (Muntons Gold IPA, kit yeast replaced with safale s-04) and the fermentation appears to have stuck.
Yesterday, five days in, no activity, SG 1020 so I added 1/2 a teaspoonful of yeast nutrient and roused the brew.
Today still at 1020 .

My first brew was Woodforde's Wherry (using kit yeast) and it did exactly the same thing at this time, I managed to get it started again with some nutrient, a rouse and another sachet of yeast (Youngs I think). It’s been maturing for five weeks but it does have a yeasty taste though.

My question is should I add another sachet of yeast, safale s-04 or other? I'm trying to avoid the yeasty taste again and I hoped there would be more that enough safale s-04 yeast from the original pitching.

[StrangeBrew]

If all else fails then try Brupaks Dry Beer Enzyme. It should kick fermentation in to touch and possibly lower the gravity beyond where it should stop.

Whatever happens don't loose heart and persevere, it'll all come right in the end.

[BigStripeyCat]

SB
does that mean you would try the Dry Beer Enzyme rather than adding another sachet of yeast?
What's the chances of my brew ending up too dry? I've read quite a few threads about Dry Beer Enzyme and I'm slightly nervous about using it. Am I worrying too much?

[nil_fhios_agam]

If all else fails then try Brupaks Dry Beer Enzyme. It should kick fermentation in to touch and possibly lower the gravity beyond where it should stop.

Whatever happens don't loose heart and persevere, it'll all come right in the end.

I would be very careful about adding DBE to any stuck fermentation. From my experience the results are not worth the hassle. Basically, the DBE will break down and ferment unfermentable dextrins in the brew. This will obviously break and continue to ferment the fermentable sugars that weren't eaten but also break down the ones that usually don't get touched by healthy yeast - the ones responsible for body etc. I would try re pitching at this stage to be honest(re hydrate first). Did you pitch dry to start? What tempeture was the primary at? Failing that, 1.020 is a little high to bottle with priming but if you hand a keg you could keg it and force carb it. Do you have a keg?

[StrangeBrew]

To be honest I do understand your concerns about dry thin beer although I must say that when I've used dbe, even though the fg finished lower than normal, I haven't expirienced this effect. Obviously try repitching first but as I said before, 'if all else fails' the dbe option is there.

[BigStripeyCat]

I went for the extra yeast rather than the DBE. I re-hydrated a sachet of safale 04 and re-pitched, it went berserk. Within a minute I had about an inch of foam and lots of bubbles passing through the air lock. 15 mins later and it's all quiet again, no bubbles, is this normal? My Wherry didn't do this when I re-started that.

On the DBE front, is it not possible to put a little bit in so that it doesn't break down all the non-fermentables? (May be a silly question)

[Blinky]

Well, I've got the same problem!
(was going to post to the forums, then came across this thread!)

Muntons Gold IPA with Safale 04.
stuck at 1020 for 3 days (after 7 days).

I roused, but didn't use yeast nutrient.
also bumped the temp up to 22 (18ish here at the mo).

Still nothing after 2 days.

Re-pitched - again nothing ( same as 'cats post- It went on a mission for 15 minutes then went dead) .
Gutted.

I *may* throw it away /cries: forgive me!!.

One thing is for sure- I will not be using the Muntons family again .

This is the second its happened to me ( I did manage to resurrect one brew however), although I have no problems with last 4 kits I have used.

I've read all the 'stuck' threads pertaining to Muntons on this forum., there is something definitely wrong with the fermentables within the 2 can kits.

Dont get me wrong, it's good beer when everything clicks, but I cant afford to throw away good money.

think I'll stick to I know what kits works!

[Ditch]

I *may* throw it away /cries: forgive me!!.

DON'T!!! Here's my story ..... As I type this I'll be Enjoying my second pint of Cuntons " Wherry " of the evening. It's right in front of me now. Stuck like the proverbial to a blanket, at 20. DBE and YV did nothing. So I did. I kegged it.

That was about a week ago. Now I quite Look Foreward to getting in amongst it of an evening! It's this or buy cans and thus starve for the rest of the month.

I just held my glass up to the screen. Frankly? I wish I hadn't! I'm Drinking this shit?! Oh, and it has a slightly 'metallic' catch at the back of the throat ~ if ye stop to think on it. I (and a good mate) also found it rather too 'Fruity' for our tastes - Hell, we're Guinness drinkers; What could we expect?! But; If I had an identical 5 gallons standing by and found it had fallen, burst and gone down the drain? I'd be heart broken!

My advice? It's better to drink completely under par beer than throw it away. It may not Look great. It won't Taste great. But it'll help ye sleep What I'm saying is; Downing it will be more fun than slinging it. It'll also give ye a better appreciation of ye first Perfect Pint. The psychological drain of it going down the drain is, in my humble opinion, greater than the effect of drinking a pint and thinking, " Damn, this one Really went wrong! Still ..... "

One thing is for sure- I will not be using the Muntons family again .

Ah. Now There I agree whole heartedly. Bugger is that my next kit is also one of theirs! I bought it before the Wherry debacle. I really have no option now. But I'm already put Right off their stuff.

Only, here's the twist: I have a Coopers Irish Stout in the FV right now. Been there a week. Guess what? Stuck at 20!!! Tomorrow, when I'm sober enough ( ) that too is going in the keg. I'm through with messing around. And that too will be sunk early. I just can't afford cans right now. Hey ho.

So now ye've had my story and my twist. Here's the 'Advice': That London Dockland Porter is all set to follow the exact same route as those other two. Right? Thus it'll probably stick at 20 like them. Only this time I'm using the appliance of science. I got me a Fish Tank Heater/Stat. It's laying there, in a bucket of water. Set to a perfect 19c. That's going in with my Porter

See, the one thing apparent in all this is the inconsistency of FV temp's. My Min / Max thermometer tells me my wort's ranged from 15 - 22c. Is It the kits??? Muntons have a Vile reputation for crapping out on people. Coopers are worshipped. BOTH of them screwed up on me ..... Or did I screw up on them? Either way, I'm through with leaving it to chance. £15.00 for a FV Heaterstat? I just Know that was money well spent

Now, keg that shit and just don't inflict it on ye circle of friends. It'll at least occupy ye whilst ye have another crack - with a rock steady FV temp.

Kick off tomorrow and we can check each others progress! What ye say?

[alefric]

I've made a few of the muntons and woodfordes kits and usualy get down to 1.012/1.014 using kit yeast or Nottingham......Did you make a starter?.......and did you oxygenate the wort?

Andrew

P.S Ditch do you think the mettalic bite could be chlorine.......have you tried the old half a campden tablet treatment ?..........nice to see the waste not want not kicking in!

[Ditch]

Ditch do you think the mettalic bite could be chlorine.......have you tried the old half a campden tablet treatment ?

Yes, mate. I actually destroyed my maiden brew (Coopers Irish Stout). By not adding Camden to the Quite possibly knackered and over used Brita Filtered tap 'Dead Cow Juice' from my tap. Now I'm faithful to the Crushed (Half) Cam.

'Interestingly', the "Quality Control " tasters of the Coopers also seem to have gone up and down with the temperatures of the FV. Maybe with a 'slight shift of said FV across the kitchen?

BE 'Long winded and Verbose', gentlemen. Mention those itty bitty details which the Elite here may be able to spot the flaw in.

F*ck it. That's my principal anyway. 'Take them there'. I suspect the devil, so often, lurks in the detail.

[BigStripeyCat]

alefric,

I didn't make a starter but I did re-hydrated the yeast and yes I did oxygenate the wort.

Good news, although there still appears to be no activity, it's now at 1014.

[alefric]

alefric,

I didn't make a starter but I did re-hydrated the yeast and yes I did oxygenate the wort.

Good news, although there still appears to be no activity, it's now at 1014. :lol:

Good news!....some kits don't seem to get much lower than this anyway......for the future its still worth making a starter,just like bread making it proves the yeast so you know its o.k BEFORE you pitch....check out 18000feet.com or if you can get your hands on a copy,the Graham Wheeler books.

Happy brewing

Andrew

[Blinky]

well, mine is completely knackered now.
it's still 1020 after 12 days or so.
After I have re-pitched it looks and tastes a bit iffy now- not sure if there is an infection.

Good to see 'cat has got in down to 1014- I would call that a result.

Oddly enough - looking back on the 'cats, I had a Muntons that I thought was stuck and it dropped 6 points in 24 hours with little airlock activity towards the end.

[Ditch]

Keep The Faith, lads! Try a Coopers kit. Made in Australia so Cuntons can't exercise their Ming the Merciless like megalomania over that stuff.

Alternatively, just plug on with the rubbish being ~ apparently ~ foisted upon ye by the HB answer to Bill Gates, but do as I did; Once it sticks at it's customary 20? Keg and be damned!

I have my second pint of just such Wherry in front of me right now. Time I've sunk that (Cloudy. Tangy. Typical school boy HB of the seventies though it may be like) I'll be smiling and giggling at the Dogs regardless!

NOT what I came back to HBing for. I'd hoped to make Good beer at less hair raising gravitys. I want to keep my throat wet all night, without risk of waking up in this chair with my strides wet!

I'll get there. So can you

[BigStripeyCat]

Blinky, Sorry to hear that you've not been able to shift your brew from 1020. Like you I don't think I'll be trying another 'Muntons' kit in a hurry. Having read many threads on stuck fermentations it's appears as though the Brupak kits don't tend to suffer from this problem. So I think my next kit will be from Brupak's Pride of Yorkshire range and if that's ok I might go for one from their Brewer's Choice range.

I don't want to rub salt in your wounds but I've just done another reading and mine's down to 1012.