Brewed a Belgian Dubel on June 22 and pitched 1 pouch of Wyeast 1214 with 1.080 OG (I know 1 pouch was not enough, my mistake) everything was going fine and 4 or 5 days later fermentation shutdown. Took a gravity reading and it stalled at 1.040. Went to LHBS, no wy1214, but they had wy1762, so I added that and no activity. Tried to oxygenate again with air pump and added Safbrew S-33 and no activity. All the while gravity is still at 1.040. Out of desperation I ordered an oxygen regular and bottle of oxygen etc. Gave it a good 45 seconds of oxygen and pitched another wy1214 last night and still no activity. All appropriate sanitation procedures followed and no infection present as far as I can tell. I have it in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy and maintaining about 68 to 70 degrees. Not sure what to do next. Is it a lost batch? Any Ideas how to get fermentation going again?
Recipe?
Bad news, that beer is likely toast. All that oxygen so late was a bad move. Sorry.
Did you use a refractometer or hydrometer for specific gravity?
Used a hydrometer for readings, I have taken four and all have been 1.040. This one may go down as a learning experience. Any other advice would be appreciated.
Here’s the recipe, I know this is not traditional, but LHBS didn’t have exactly what I wanted so I punted. This is what led me to buy a grain mill. We have a great LHBS but they can’t carry everything and sometimes i don’t plan ahead enough.
5.50 gal Missoula Montana Water 1 -
1.10 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -
12 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 3 76.2 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 4 9.5 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (75.0 SRM) Grain 5 6.3 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.2 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.6 %
8.0 oz Candi Sugar, Dark (275.0 SRM) Sugar 8 3.2 %
0.75 oz Goldings, B.C. [5.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 10.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Goldings, B.C. [5.10 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 10 5.4 IBUs
0.28 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 11 -
0.50 oz Willamette [5.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 2.8 IBUs
Any thoughts on the recipe?
Pull a sample and do a FFT to see what happens. It is helpful.
If there’s further to ferment based on the FFT, rouse the yeast. Warm it up. Give it some time.
Nothing in the grain bill is too concerning. What was the mash temp? 10% acid malt is quite a bit, is your water very hard?
Mash temp wash 156. Acid malt was to add a slight sour note. Missoula Montana has a has hard water and the latest water report I saw it has a PH of 7.4 with a distinct chlorine taste. I now filter my water with a charcoal filter. Thanks for the advice Joe Sr. will try that.
5.2 stabilizer is pretty much useless from what I’ve seen and 10% acid malt likely dropped your ph way lower than optimal range. That wouldn’t explain the stuck fermentation 100% but I had a batch where I came in way low on my mash ph and got much lower attenuation than I had in past batches of the same recipe.
Aha! I think we have found the culprit. Missoula water is known to be contaminated with extremely high levels of patchouli. That would certainly inhibit any right thinking Trappist yeast… ;D