Stuck fermentation.

Northern Brewer General
1

This is my first attempt at brewing Samiclaus Bier. It is a high OG beer with an OG target range of 1.138 – 1.144 and an FG target range of 1.028 – 1.034. My wort OG was 1.142. The recipe called for two fermentations. The first using a Munich lager yeast fermenting at 60 degrees for 2 weeks and then at 47 degrees for 6 weeks. Everything went fine with this first fermentation. After 8 weeks the recipe called for the second fermentation using a champagne yeast and fermenting at 65 degrees. I used one package of dry yeast which I rehydrated before pitching. Nothing happened. A week later I pitched 3 rehydrated packages with some yeast nutrient and aerated the wort. I aerated the wort because some brewers at a local beer festival suggested it. I have since been told by a certain supply store that at this point in the process I should not have aerated the wort. That aside, still no indication of fermentation after 24 hours. The gravity of the wort is currently at 1.08. There should still be enough sugar for the champagne yeast, right? Any ideas as to why the second fermentation with the champagne yeast is not happening and how to get it going?

Thanks for your ideas!

2

IMO, you were given bad advice about aerating after fermentation started. This can lead to the beer staling and getting a cardboard flavor.

That it’s done and can’t be undone. Hopefully getting fermentation going again will lessen any issues.

I don’t know why one would lager the beer before finishing fermentation.

As for the question on getting the gravity down, you are only at ~8-9% ABV. A long way from the alcohol tolerance of the champagne yeast. Introducing the yeast in an alcohol environment may be the issue.

Do you have some DME? Add the dry yeast to a pint of 1.030 wort. About 1.5oz of DME to 1 pint. When fermentation is going dump it into the beer.

That might get things going.

3

Thanks Nighthawk. I will give this a try. The only other time that I made a high alcohol beer the recipe called for pitching the champagne yeast immediately after the first fermentation slowed/ended. Everything worked fine with this process. Oh well, here is to learning and thanks again for your response.