Stuck Fermentation

[Crusader-Rob]

Smoked Porter. stuck fermentation at 1.028, I'm pretty annoyed.

I used S-04 formain yeast in a 11litre batch, 1 rehydrated packet.

I've roused and shaken the living hell out of it, and I ended up pitching a small starter of Us-05, which still hasn't moved it, been in for about a week and a half. raised temp to 24, to get things moving too.

OG 1.060

Current gravity 1.028

recipe as follows:

1kg maris otter

1kg weyermann smoked

0.2kg crystal medium

0.15kg pale chocolate

0.05kg black

0.15 torrified wheat

0.5kg brown malt

mash 60 mins at 70ish, Poor insulation ended at 63 degrees

small sparge step of 6 litres ad 76 degrees.

Any ideas on possible causes, and possible fixes, I'm so disappointed as it was going to be a competition beer, and it currently tastes awesome, but is still quite sweet, There ended up being a little about 1.5 litres of trub from the kettle, that hops and break material, which is high.

I also used a relatively coarse grain bag BIAB. I've since got a new one, which is much finer than this one.

I would prefer not to throw any sugar at it if possible, but its looking that way. What about Candi syrup/sugar? would this make any difference? otherwise dextrose is the one i'll be chucking in?!

[Crusader-Rob]

I don't think the yeast died as such, as the US-05 re-pitched in a small slurry on sunday didn't do anything either. I'll be racking over after easter, I'll check it again, but I doubt it'll do anything.

3711 would work douglas, but like you say the flavour contributions wont be what I'm looking for.

Smoked Malt: Use smoked malt for up to 100% of your grain bill if you want to be closer to the Rauchbier style, but smaller percentages should be used to add smoked character to styles like bock, helles, hefeweizen, porters, Scottish ales and brown ales. At 5-10% you will get a noticeable smoked character whereas 30-60% will be far more pronounced and suitable for darker styles like Stouts and Porters.
EBC: 5
Maltster: Weyermann
Origin: Germany (This is whats on the brewshop website)

Brown Malt I just figured out is in fact a specialty malt, I thought it was base, as they used to use in brown porter 100%. That's probably part of the issue, but I'd still expect to get 1020-22. 

anyone have any suggestions based on adding inverted sugar to the mix, this might help reduce the hot flavour that can be given by adding plain everyday sugar.? maybe 50-100grams?

[Grant R Baker]

I think racking might help.  My Scotch Ale (non-whiskey version) is a very heavy beer that is very slow to ferment out and often gets going again after racking to the secondary.

Read something a year or two ago re the dead yeast matter preventing further yeast activity... not sure about the science but I think there may be something to it.

That said...S04 is a very active yeast that needs no encouragement.

[Crusader-Rob]

So you rack and pitch more yeast? Might be worth a shot, but I think I'll get some of Zanes yeast and use that after racking.

[Grant R Baker]

I just rack... the suspended yeast just gets going again (very slow bubble on the airlock and all), but there is nothing wrong with using some more yeast or another strain.

There are quite a few beers out there that use more than one strain of yeast during their trip from fermenter to bottle.

[Hamish Jones]

I subbed out 1KG of Gladfield lager for 1KG of the brew shop smoked and was bang on the same gravity beer smith suggested I would get prior to swapping it out so in my opinion I don't think the smoked malt will have effected it, or it may have been a fluke

[Crusader-Rob]

I don't think its a fluke, I've read of people using smoked malt for 100% of their brews.

[Crusader-Rob]

The other thing I though of was splitting it out, 5.5litre each, and botling one part with whiskey as per grants whiskey beer recipes I've seen and asked about, let it age for a bit, and try it. then split the other half with somesugar?

[Crusader-Rob]

Zane, I think I might have to try one of those yeasts. I'm away this weekend, so if i get in touch after the weekend, PM me your number, and we will sort something out?

[Ralph]

Sweet as. Will send you my number on facebook. If you let me know what you think you want I can probably start it up for you so it is good to go after the weekend. The San Diego and 1272 are both in starters at the moment and so are the easiest for me to do.

[Scarrfie]

Rob I had a few problems with stuck mashes using SO-4 and S-23 and my solution was to throw some plain sugar in, although dissolved in hot water first. It did the trick nicely because these beers were a bit like yours in that they were overly sweet. I had good comments on a Schwarzbier problem child when I presented it as the Tahi Bar Beer Appreciation group.

You can work out the gravity reduction by using info readily found on the web. From memory 500gms of sugar will drop the brew 4 gravity points in 20L. So you may need half kilo or so for your smaller batch, but double check me on that. At the end of the day sugar is only going to dry it and not add any unwanted flavours, so you can add the sugar progressively to your tastes.

[Crusader-Rob]

Thanks scarrife, good advice.

And thanks Zane for the Yeast. I'm sure I'll find a use for it. However please see picture.... Aaarrrgghhh!!! I've just poured that down the drain.

I've pinpinted the infection to the introduction of US-05, I believe the cloth was not clean enough ,and as the yeast weren't doing their thing, the lack of cleanliness of the cloth took it. Stupid me!.Spent an hour last night, cleaning all my fermenters with sodium percarbonate.

there may also be a leaking issue? I need to test this... somehow, but the lids on the buckets have gholes for the airlocks....

I'll give the smoked porter another shot soon, but I better get into my next brew a NZ IPA.

[Grant R Baker]

ahh shet, bad luck there.

 

I think your right that the cloth would have been the culprit. My old fermenter ahas a slow leak around the gromit that hold the airlock that I usually seal with Bluetac, but occasional the kids nick the bluetac for the homework etc, still never had an infection.

Since I read the article about kitchen dish clothes being dirtier than toilet, nothing from the kitchen is used in my beer production (except maybe teaspoons). Paper towels are the only cloth I use these days when brewing.