Brewferm Diabolo Stuck

[jonnyv]

Hi,

My first post, but I have (hopefully) read enough about stuck fermentations to ask a couple of questions that I can't seem to find an answer for.

This is my third brew. The first, Coopers Australian Lager, turned out very well and I was very happy with it. Fermented fine, bottled, secondary fermented and left for a few weeks outside.

Second, Hambleton Bard's Lager, fermented fine but failed to secondary ferment and was particularly flat (just about drinkable). I tried inverting the bottles to rouse the yeast, but nothing worked.

Now my third brew, Brewferm Diabolo (9 litres) is stuck at 1.012. FG should be 1.010 according to the instructions.

I've tried rousing the yeast, which had no effect after 48 hours. I've also tried pitching some yeast I had, which was Young's Lager yeast. After I pitched it last night, I thought this morning that if it was a lager yeast it should be at a lower temperature, right? Well it's been another 24 hours at a constant 20 degrees and the hydro's still reading 1.012. I don't have the capacity to lower the temperature to ~10 degrees.

So, do I just bottle it with a bit less priming sugar and hope that it carbonates - or do pitch some cider yeast in (the only other yeast I have in the house), in the hope that might get it going? Can there be any problem with pitching three sachets of yeast into a brew?? Seems a bit excessive but as long as it clears, it should be ok right?!

The last thing I want is another flat brew. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Jonny

[MightyMouth]

Its probably just done a little high, I'd bottle it as is with the right amount of priming sugar.

[MickyD]

I'd go with MM. Bottle and prime as normal.

[jonnyv]

Thanks for the quick replies - much appreciated.

Do I risk it not carbonating if the yeast has died prematurely?

Next time, I'll ready myself with some Safale 04 and some yeast vit.

[HantsGaz]

What did your Coopers Australian taste like? Was it like any commercial lagers for comparison with? I've got some conditioning at the mo, made with 1kg DME (Light Spraymalt) and used one sachet of S-23 (will use two next time). Mine looks quite dark for a Lager, but I’m hoping the taste will be good.

[jonnyv]

HantsGaz,

I was very happy with it - I wouldn't compare it to a commercial lager but it did have a crisp hoppy taste to it. Considering it was my first brew, I thought it was good.

I used 1kg of beer enhancer with mine. I have another in the cupboard which I bought afterwards which will probably be my next brew (since it's the only one that hasn't caused me problems yet!).

Jonny

[MightyMouth]

Thanks for the quick replies - much appreciated.

Do I risk it not carbonating if the yeast has died prematurely?

Next time, I'll ready myself with some Safale 04 and some yeast vit.

The yeast wouldn't die it would just go dormant. Once you add the Priming sugar it will wake up.

[jonnyv]

Thanks everyone - I'm in the process of sterlizing my bottling bucket & bottles to bottle it tonight.

With regards to temperature correction - my hydro states it's 'accurate' at 20 degrees - current room temperature is 22. How do I go about making a correction?

Also could anyone enlighten me to the most common reasons why a brew wouldn't secondary ferment in bottles? I've always been careful about sterilizing and using the correct amount of priming sugar. Although I have been hasty in the past by only leaving it a week in the warm.

[jonnyv]

Thanks DaaB and everyone else. It's all bottled up now so fingers crossed it'll be fine.

[discodave]

1012 is BANG ON for that kit.

Give it time to mature before drinking though...Patience will be rewarded!

Dave.

[jonnyv]

To make sure secondary fermentation happened this time around, I opened up a bottle last night to check (after six days in the warm).

Must say, I am impressed with this kit - it had great head retention and tasted pretty good. I'm now leaving the rest out in the cold for the recommended six weeks to mature.

Thanks to everyone that replied, bottling at 1012 worked out great

[mgb9]

hi,

how was the diablo? I've just taken a reading tonight of my diablo and it was at 1.0.12 and just wondering whether to bottle it tomorrow.

I'm also doing a brewferm framboise, shall i bottle that if its showing a similar reading as the diablo?

mark

[Mogwyth]

Check again tomorrow if no change then consider bottling mine went down to 1008 and took 8 days.

Had my first on Sunday just shy of six weeks is all I can say.

Cheers

Bill

[mgb9]

its been 10 days now so i might jut bottle it tomorrow. i'm also doing a brewferm framboise, shall i bottle that at 1.012 after 10 days?

thanks

[Mogwyth]

It's not so much as whether it reaches a the advertised or suggested fg, it's whether it's finished fermenting. So you want a constant fg over 2 or some say even 3 days the danger being is that if it's not fermented out and you bottle the combination of the unfermented sugars and the priming sugars could result in beer bombs

Cheers

Bill