Fermentation stuck....Muntons!!

[lazlo]

I always use Gervais yeast but the local brew shop said they had gone out of business and I had to use muntons, anyway my brew is stuck at 2 after 6 days, I've tried stiring it up and have stuck my brew belt on the bin to try and get temp up to see if that works.....what else should I do? (apart from not use Muntons again!!!)

Any help appreciated as I don't want to pour it all away, the hops had doubled in price since I last bought them!

[Matt]

Lazlo,

When you say stuck at 2 - can you clarify? Do you mean 1032/1022/1012?

Matt

[lazlo]

1.020 is where its stuck I need to get it to 1.000.

Thanks

[Aleman]

1.020 is where its stuck I need to get it to 1.000.

That isn't going to happen. An all malt kit beer will finish around 1.010-1.014 (generally) If you have added sugar then you might get it down to 1.006.

Muntons kits have had a habit of sticking at what could be considered a high gravity. I am not sure if this is a problem with the manufacture of the extract or a problem with the yeast, but you could try pitching a sachet of Nottingham yeast and stirring it all up, that will probably get it to a more reasonable gravity

[CrownCap]

Like Aleman says, pitch some more yeast.

You can find some more info in the FAQ thread here.

FYI, Gervin yeast was (according to most sources) just repackaged Nottingham yeast so you might want to try that.

Good luck!

[lazlo]

When I say 1.000 I mean as close to that as poss, I'm not usually that accurate as I've never had any probs in the past but this brew is well off the mark.

It's not a kit it's a grain brew from scratch with muntons yeast if that makes any difference, it's my dads recipe and he has written wait 5 days till bubbling stops and gravity reads 0.10 but its been 7 days and it reads 0.20ish......??

OK seen FAQ, I'll get some safale yeast tomorrow and give it a go.

Thanks

[Aleman]

Sorry misunderstood.

Grain beers can finish high for all sorts of reasons (I had a mild that finished at 1.022 recently) A high Mash temp is the common cause . . . just how confident are you that your thermometer is accurate (At mashing ranges). Having said that A pro brewer of my acquaintance, recently had a sluggish fermentation on 2.5BBL of Stout, which he sorted with additional yeast, a gentle rousing, and giving it a damned good talking to

Try some additional yeast, preferably Nottingham . . . I have heard that Muntons have changed their yeast from a Nottingham strain to something similar to SO4 . . . which has the nasty habit of finishing early unless you aerate the wort well before /just after pitching

[lazlo]

OK, I know my local brew shop only has youngs, muntons or safale which I could buy tomorrow and pitch in tomorrow night or should I mail order some nottingham which might arrive on Monday or Tuesday next week? Will it be OK left that long??

edit - just looking at yeasts and my muntons says it needs to be at 20c, its been at 18-19c so maybe the brew belt will kick it into action??

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Can't see 1c making a big difference.
Did if ferment vigorously to start with or has it always been on the sluggish side?

BB

[hoppingMad]

When I say 1.000 I mean as close to that as poss, I'm not usually that accurate as I've never had any probs in the past but this brew is well off the mark.

It's not a kit it's a grain brew from scratch with muntons yeast if that makes any difference, it's my dads recipe and he has written wait 5 days till bubbling stops and gravity reads 0.10 but its been 7 days and it reads 0.20ish......??

OK seen FAQ, I'll get some safale yeast tomorrow and give it a go.

Thanks

With respect, it would help if you got used to quoting your gravity figures acurately. Quoting 0.10 ... 0.20 is confusing.

[Matt]

You should be fine, there should be a C02 blanket above the wort from the fermentation so far. I'd snap the lid shut though I guess.

Was it an old packet of Gervin? What kind of lag time did you get lazlo? I wonder if it was past its best.

I've got loads of Nottingham at the mo, if you want a free pack, pm me.

[Buzz]

Grain beers can finish high for all sorts of reasons (I had a mild that finished at 1.022 recently) A high Mash temp is the common cause . . .

That's interesting Aleman. I'm also struggling with a sluggish beer at the moment. It was the stout recipe from the Autumn newsletter, mashed at 68deg, "The mash temperature is on the high side and I’d suggest that is one of the keys to the recipe. Don’t be afraid – keep the mash warm"

OG was 1058 and it's sat at 1018 for the last 3 days despite a rouse and some yeast vit. It is a sweet stout and, at 5.2% abv it will be respectable so I guess I may have to leave it as it is.

[maxashton]

if you want a sweet stout it has to finish high, otherwise it's not sweet.

[gonad]

Yeah it got going again, fizzed a bit more and went down a bit with the Safale added. It's in the keg now, I'll give it a week or so then start drinking it. I think it was fine anyway but I just wasn't used to the sluggish yeast action and I think Aleman may be right... my strike and mash temps may have been a bit too high!

Thanks for all the tips and advice, I'll quote proper gravities from now on, my hand written recipe quotes them like that, always confuses me too.
1.010 is where I was heading for just to clear it all up.....