Stuck Pilsner? What to do?

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 6:25 am

Hi Fellas

I've got a Morgan Australian Pilsner going. It's been fermenting for 2 weeks. Because of the colder temperatures it's been fermenting at around 14-16C, which I thought would be ok.
but it appears to be stuck at 1018. The last time I did this brew it finished at 1012...so I'm pretty sure it's not ready!
I've managed to get the temp up to 20C hoping that would finish it off..but it's still not going anywhere.
what should I do? heat it up some more? Leave it even longer?

Thanks!

David

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 6:33 am

just in case it helps....I used the kit yeast and a bag of extra malt from my local home brew shop...looks to be a mix of malt and dextrose...couldn't tell you what ratio...og was 1044.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 8:43 am

If you have the ability, you should rack. That usually gets things going again. Aside from that, try gently rolling your fermenter on it's base to stir up the yeast again. Be careful to avoid splashing the beer.

chris. · Post by **chris.** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 9:30 am

I don't see how removing the beer from the yeast is going to help it ferment out.

Has it stopped or just slowed?

mobydick · Post by **mobydick** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 9:33 am

I racked a stuck beer a week or two ago (at Chris' suggestion). Fermentation did take off again.

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=6033

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 4:59 pm

it seems to be stuck! it's been at 1018 for 4 days!
I think I'll try putting it on it's side and giving it a turn.
I can't rack because I don't have a secondary.

shane_vor · Post by **shane_vor** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 5:05 pm

chris. wrote:I don't see how removing the beer from the yeast is going to help it ferment out.

Has it stopped or just slowed?

You can remove the beer from yeast simply by racking?????

Ain't forums wonderful things!

You're obviously using an hydrometer...if that puppy stays constant that may indicate fermentation is complete.

I'd rack it (becuase that's what I do, but not to remove the yeast!!!) Leave him out in the cold for a bit longer then bottle...

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 5:13 pm

shane_vor wrote:
chris. wrote:I don't see how removing the beer from the yeast is going to help it ferment out.

Has it stopped or just slowed?
You can remove the beer from yeast simply by racking?????

Ain't forums wonderful things!

You're obviously using an hydrometer...if that puppy stays constant that may indicate fermentation is complete.

I'd rack it (becuase that's what I do, but not to remove the yeast!!!) Leave him out in the cold for a bit longer then bottle...

I'm starting to think that maybe it has finished....but my problem with that is the last time I used this exact same brew it finished at 1012.
thats why I have the feeling that it's stuck because of the colder temps.
I gave it a turn...so now I'll just wait another week and see what happens!
with all this gravity testing I'm losing all my beer!!!!!

Trough Lolly · Post by **Trough Lolly** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 5:18 pm

Your lager is obviously close to finished....you may have the same recipe, but the yeast is a different thing - it may be stressed, and not prepared to go all the way as it did last time. Don't heat it up, all your doing there is encouraging the yeast to covert the more dextrinous elements into estry compounds that turn a fine lager into pear juice.
I'd whip the lid off, grab a sterilised long spoon and rouse the beer - mix the yeast cake off the bottom of the fermenter and don't splash / oxygenate the beer otherwise you'll add cardboard flavours to the beer. A rousing should drop a few more points of gravity - your yeast, if it's true lager yeast, is on the bottom of the fermenter so rousing it will get the yeast back into suspension and hopefully finish off the beer.

Cheers,
TL

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Sunday Jul 01, 2007 9:02 pm

DavidP wrote:just in case it helps....I used the kit yeast and a bag of extra malt from my local home brew shop

did you use the extra malt last time when it got down to 1012? just clarifying, because if there's more malt in it, it'll finish higher as it's not 100% fermentable.

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 2:34 am

Trough Lolly wrote:Your lager is obviously close to finished....you may have the same recipe, but the yeast is a different thing - it may be stressed, and not prepared to go all the way as it did last time. Don't heat it up, all your doing there is encouraging the yeast to covert the more dextrinous elements into estry compounds that turn a fine lager into pear juice.
I'd whip the lid off, grab a sterilised long spoon and rouse the beer - mix the yeast cake off the bottom of the fermenter and don't splash / oxygenate the beer otherwise you'll add cardboard flavours to the beer. A rousing should drop a few more points of gravity - your yeast, if it's true lager yeast, is on the bottom of the fermenter so rousing it will get the yeast back into suspension and hopefully finish off the beer.

Cheers,
TL

ok thanks! I might just give that a shot!

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 2:38 am

KEG wrote:
DavidP wrote:just in case it helps....I used the kit yeast and a bag of extra malt from my local home brew shop
did you use the extra malt last time when it got down to 1012? just clarifying, because if there's more malt in it, it'll finish higher as it's not 100% fermentable.

yep used the same extra malt as last time!
everything except the temperature was the same.

thanks for the suggestions and advice fellas!

chris. · Post by **chris.** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 9:31 am

shane_vor wrote:
chris. wrote:I don't see how removing the beer from the yeast is going to help it ferment out.

Has it stopped or just slowed?
You can remove the beer from yeast simply by racking?????

Ain't forums wonderful things!

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 4:58 pm

I have it a good stir last night and it appeared to have some activity almost straight away.
looks like it might have gotten started again! I'll wait a couple of days before I take another reading!

thanks for all your help!

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 5:48 pm

You should be quite careful if stirring an unfinished brew for both infection and oxidation reasons. Doesn't mean it won't work though. It is all about getting some yeast back into suspension, as stirring will do.

As will racking strangely enough...

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 6:32 pm

Chris wrote:You should be quite careful if stirring an unfinished brew for both infection and oxidation reasons. Doesn't mean it won't work though. It is all about getting some yeast back into suspension, as stirring will do.

As will racking strangely enough...

I was carefull not to get any bubbles going and I used my brewing spoon which I sterilized with boiling water.
should be ok hopefully!

chris. · Post by **chris.** » Monday Jul 02, 2007 6:43 pm

Should be fine David. When you think about it racking has the same risks attached (ie. oxidation, & infection).

DavidP · Post by **DavidP** » Tuesday Jul 03, 2007 3:10 am

chris. wrote:Should be fine David. When you think about it racking has the same risks attached (ie. oxidation, & infection).

thanks!

Trough Lolly · Post by **Trough Lolly** » Tuesday Jul 03, 2007 2:51 pm

chris. wrote:Should be fine David. When you think about it racking has the same risks attached (ie. oxidation, & infection).

True - but when you think about it, you'd have to be pretty unlucky or slack with your brew hygiene if you introduced an infection in the beer when racking it - ok, I'm assuming you don't use any old hose for transfer and you've cleaned the gear that contacts the beer, yada, yada.
I get nervous moving unfermented wort around since it's begging for anything to have a go at it - try standing an open bottle of wort next to a bowl of fruit and you'll see what I mean. If your fermented / alcohol laden beer got an infection it would have to be pretty tough stuff to hang out with the alcohol in solution...

Cheers,
TL

chris. · Post by **chris.** » Tuesday Jul 03, 2007 3:24 pm

Trough Lolly wrote:True - but when you think about it, you'd have to be pretty unlucky or slack with your brew hygiene if you introduced an infection in the beer when racking it - ok, I'm assuming you don't use any old hose for transfer and you've cleaned the gear that contacts the beer, yada, yada.

I get nervous moving unfermented wort around since it's begging for anything to have a go at it - try standing an open bottle of wort next to a bowl of fruit and you'll see what I mean. If your fermented / alcohol laden beer got an infection it would have to be pretty tough stuff to hang out with the alcohol in solution...

It really depends on your environment. I've had issues with mould infections from brewing in dank environments. No matter how much I sanitised I'd still pick up mould which would continue to get worse, regardless of whether alcohol was present or not.

It's true that unfermented wort is more susceptible to infections, but having alcohol present isn't a guarantee against infection.