Another Stalled Stout?

[KBH]

Just wondering if I can get someones opinion.

 

I put down this brew:

 

Original Series Stout

1.5kg Can of Roasted Dark Malt

500g Dark Brown Sugar

2x Kit Yeast (orig series)

15g Goldings added dry to FV before yeast

20 Litre Fill

 

The OG was 1057 just before adding yeast last wednesday the 27/Oct and now it is sitting on 1020, and has been for at least 3 days. I know this would work out to be roughly 5.6% ABV, but I would have thought that approx 2kg of sugars plus the extract kit would have made a brew of higher ABV.

 

I do plan to bottle in glass not PET, so I'm a bit sketchy about bottling unless I know its safe to do so.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated,

 

KBH.

[PB2]

G'day KBH,

you use the word 'another' - has this happened to you on more than one occasion? If so, how often and what was the outcome?

 

With 500g of simple sugar (brown sugar) I would expect the FG to get down closer to 1012 ish.

 

What was the date code on the yeast sachets?

 

What does you hydro read in water?

 

What temp are you fermenting at?

 

 

[KBH]

Hasnt happened to me, however I have spoken to a few other brewers who have said that they struggle the most with stouts. This is infact my first stout.

 

I do not remember the date codes on the yeast sachets, I do remember 1 of them being a 2009 batch and another being a 2010 batch. Or at least thats what I guessed from reading what I assume must be a Julian date.

 

I have tested the hydrometer and it reads correctly, and my measurements were adjusted accordingly when taking a SG reading.

 

The temperature is one issue that troubled me. I had to pitch the yeast at 30*C, however the FV was placed in a shallow tub of water, with a towel around it to wick water up the sides of the FV and a fan placed infront of it. I managed to drop the temp to approx 28*C, I tried to keep the temps down during initial ferm, but I struggled to get the temp below 27-28*C.

 

Would this perhaps put the yeast in shock, by the rapidly increasing alcohol, or perhaps kill it all together?

 

Not sure what to do at this point, is it a throw out, or is there something else that can be done?

 

-KBH

[PB2]

Yep, our yeast sachets carry a 5 digit code representing the day and year of packaging.

 

Throwing the brew out is the last resort. [pinched]

 

Give it a couple more days and check the SG, have a smell and a taste of the sample. If the SG is still high (this recipe should get down to 1010-1012) but it smells and tastes okay, bottle into PETs or bottle into glass with the plan to check the level of fizz after 2 weeks in the bottle - if the beer is too fizzy, you will need to remove the seal from each bottle to release the pressure then re-cap. It's this sort of scenario where PETs come into their own[love]

[KBH]

Well currently the smell is of a perfect stout, that lovely earthy mushroom smell. The taste is also quite spectacular, if a little young. Not as dry as say, Guinness, but not exactly a 'Cream Stout'. Strong licorice flavours, backed up with a bit of coffee and chocolate. All in all, very pleased with the flavour, I just wish it would ferment out properly.

 

I do have PET bottles here waiting, but they are intended for my other brew which should be ready to bottle either tomorrow or saturday.

 

I will watch it for the next 2 days, and see what happens.

 

Thanks again,

 

-KBH.

[GrahamB2]

Ingredients

 

1.7kg Original Series Stout

1.5kg Can of Roasted Dark Malt

500g Dark Brown Sugar

2x Kit Yeast (orig series)

15g Goldings added dry to FV before yeast

20 Litre Fill

 

Just checking PB2, but are you definitely sure this will stop at 1.010-1.012. The ingredients total 3.7kg with 2o litres of water. I would have thought that 1.020 would be fine.

 

Cheers

 

[PB2]

I haven't made this recipe exactly but the 500g of simple sugar should pull the FG down to the 1010-1012 mark. Having said that, don't be concerned if it finishes a few points higher.

[GrahamB2]

With a stout that settles at a "higher than expected FG", it can be wise to reduce priming sugar to, say 3-4g instead of 6g per long neck, as stouts don't always need the same carbonation level as the other lighter coloured beers.

[Luke]

I've heard that the yeast will consume the simple sugars first and then might not tackle the more complex malt sugars resulting in higher fg's. Is that true? If so, the brown sugar should be added after high krausen for an after dinner snack for the yeast!

Yeast health is a biggie as well I reckon on this problem.

[PB2]

On the contrary, simple sugars are added to the wort prior to pitching the yeast to help the yeast attenuate the brew = lower FG [wink]

 

Yeast health is a biggie as well I reckon on this problem.

agreed [biggrin]

[Luke]

On the contrary' date=' simple sugars are added to the wort prior to pitching the yeast to help the yeast attenuate the brew = lower FG [wink']

 

Cool, good to know, 'cause this morning I was mixing up an extract lager and was short on dry malt, so out came the good 'ol table sugar to make up the shortfall...[innocent] (It was a Morgan's Golden Saaz Pilsner I got off my bro.)

 

[KBH]

Well I bottled this brew, some in PET and some in coopers longnecks. Its been over a week, so I tried one of the PET bottles, just to see if its carbonated properly. Despite the flavours being very young, it has still turned out to be a rather nice drop. I'm looking forward to this one after at least 6 months conditioning. Might have a few this winter.

 

Thanks for everyones input.

 

-KBH