Stuck - or to be expected?

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Meatymc
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Stuck - or to be expected?

Post by Meatymc » Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:25 pm

I mistakenly recently ordered a batch of roasted wheat instead of pale wheat (for head retention). Being atight-arse I thought I'd give it a go in a stout (mainly to get rid) so went with 4kg maris, 750g roasted wheat and 250g crystal. Result was black as hell obviously at 1050 post boil.

Set it off with a PJ scavenged yeast and down to 1020 in 4 days - but still there further 3 days later. Smells good but is obviously very bitter to taste. This doesn't bother me too much as the intention is to add vanilla pods and coffee beans to secondary - a lighter roast on the beans so as not to further emphasise the bitterness - to end up with a vanilla coffee stout.

My question simply is, is it the odd grain bill that has stalled it at 1020 (1st stalled fermentation for me with this being brew 43) or should I add another batch of yeast - say re-hydrated S-05, to see if it will come down more or would that simply spoil what's already there? Intending moving to secondary (vanilla/coffee) tomorrow.

Thoughts?

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Jocky
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Re: Stuck - or to be expected?

Post by Jocky » Tue Oct 16, 2018 8:29 pm

I don't think it's your grain bill. Could be the yeast, could be too high a mash temp. Some fresh yeast in a starter with nutrient might help.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

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Meatymc
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Re: Stuck - or to be expected?

Post by Meatymc » Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:22 am

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Decided to throw in some more yeast last night but hadn't time to get a starter going - just rehydrated the one packet of dried yeast I had in stock. Whilst that was getting underway thought I'd transfer the wort into secondary but when taking the fermenter out of the brew fridge (and noticing the probe had fallen off at some point after the previous night), was rather gob smacked to see the back of the fridge was coated in ice! The controller said 18C. Checked the temperature of the wort and it was at 10C

Thinking the controller was suspect I put a glass of cold water in there with 2 thermometers and the probe side-by side - readings all the same. Changed the water twice - one hotter the other water at 5C having chilled in the freezer, and again, all readings the same.

Only thing I can think of is the probe dropped off the fermenter at some point after Tuesday evening, fell onto the heater which is under a perforated board under the fermenter and which is therefore a bit 'enclosed'. That set the fridge to chill resulting in the drop of the wort in roughly 20 hours to 10C. The presence of the actual ice itself is a result of this plus some over enthusiatic star san spraying. Don't think it explains the stuck fermentation though as I'm fairly sure all this happened in a day.

Anyway, gave the fermenter a warm bath gradually getting it up to 17C and pitched the rehydrated yeast - now sat at the required 18.5C. I'll be keeping a close eye on temperature and will just have to see what happens - infection probably!!

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Jocky
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Re: Stuck - or to be expected?

Post by Jocky » Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:31 am

#-o

That would do it.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

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Re: Stuck - or to be expected?

Post by Meatymc » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:10 pm

Dropped another 3 points so added 2 Vanilla Pods and 250g Brazilian coffee beans addition. Bit down on % but very happy with the aroma and the taste - wheat hasn't taken prominence so will probably try something similar again!

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Re: Stuck - or to be expected?

Post by Meatymc » Wed Nov 14, 2018 3:40 pm

Just thought I'd finish this post off with the comment the Coffee Vanilla Stout has turned out to be a stonking brew - more or less a very good cold alcoholic coffee

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