What's new

Homebrewers - Whats Fermenting?

Lorax429

Dagum
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
741
Location
out there
My porter seemed to stall at 1.023 after 2 weeks. I tried to kick start it up again with a gentle stirring re-suspend some yeast and tried to make things a little warmer for it. It has been 6 days since I did that. Will check it again tonight. I was expecting it to get closer to 1.015-1.018.
 

JRL

Formerly known as Jeeper
Rating - 100%
81   0   0
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
3,200
Location
Utah
Ya the 1.023 seems a bit high. Let us know if you get any more out of it. If not what was your recipe.
 

JRL

Formerly known as Jeeper
Rating - 100%
81   0   0
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
3,200
Location
Utah
Sounds like it might be on its way. What temp is it at now?
 

Lorax429

Dagum
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
741
Location
out there
The airlock is showing a little activity which is encouraging. Before I tried to wake it up there were no bubbles at all so maybe they can get the job done without any more help. We'll see. Would like to see it get to 1.018 at least. Wouldn't want it to go any lower than 1.012 at most.
 
Rating - 100%
110   0   0
Joined
Dec 30, 2007
Messages
4,845
Location
Harrisburg, PA
Clogged drain pipe has been remedied the correct way. I thought I had got it with a plunger but that didn't do the trick. I had to pull the toilet today and run a sewer tape down the drain to push the blockage into the bigger 4" pipes and beyond. Just finished reseating the crapper and cleaning up. I was going to brew today but I figured a working crap depository was a higher priority. I don't need no stinking plumber! What a shitty day....haha!

On a happier note I'm going to transfer and juggle some fermentors to get this lambic into smaller fermentors before it gets viscous.
 

Lorax429

Dagum
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
741
Location
out there
Still stuck at 1.021. I have a packet of Red Star Pasteur Champange yeast. Is it a bad idea to pitch that to try and finish it off?
 
Rating - 100%
110   0   0
Joined
Dec 30, 2007
Messages
4,845
Location
Harrisburg, PA
It likely won't do anything. Champagne yeast is not really built for fermentation of maltose sugars and maltotriose. They lack the necessary enzymes to hydrolyze the sugar bonds to break them into single ring sugars. I've had luck with amylase enzyme powder in the fermentor when I had a Belgian not dry out enough.

Your other option if you are looking to just add more yeast is go pick up a tube of WLP099 super high gravity yeast. That yeast is scary strong and will ferment a few more points out for you. The thing is you need to give it some serious time to finish. Two times I ended up seriously overcarbonated beer due to using WLP099 and not giving it at least 4 weeks to finish up. I was too quick to bottle and the yeast was still very slowly fermenting.
 

JRL

Formerly known as Jeeper
Rating - 100%
81   0   0
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Messages
3,200
Location
Utah
If your kegging it you just might want to keg it and call it good. Sucks you didn't get it as low as you wanted but sometimes it happens. You can always get more yeast and go that route if you want to drop points. Might work might not, or maybe bring the temp up a little more give it a good swirl careful not to get oxygen in there and see what happens.

What was the recipe for it? Maybe there are some unfermentables that won't go. I could be way off on my thought also. Not an expert by any means.
 

Lorax429

Dagum
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
741
Location
out there
Orig yeast was Safale s-04. Already did the swirl and warm thing. Looked like it kick back in but it didn't. A taste test suggest it may be just fine as is but I thought I'd try what I could to get it a little lower before I keg.
 

Lorax429

Dagum
Rating - 100%
14   0   0
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
741
Location
out there
OK. Kegged the Porter tonight, abv 6.1%. I think it will be fine. This weekend I will brew up my Xmas Imperial Stout.
 
Last edited:

twenty5

BoM 11/09, 4/10 BoY '10
Rating - 100%
343   0   0
Joined
Mar 12, 2009
Messages
5,950
Location
NEPA
Bottled my IIPA last night, seemed a bit sweet but the ABV came in right on target, maybe its just weird to me being un-carbed, we will see in 2 weeks!
 
Top