Fermentation stuck or complete?

brewmanchu · July 28, 2013, 4:46pm

I brewed the hosts Brunch Stout all-grain kit 2 weeks ago and pitched s-04 at 68*. Had bucket in swamp cooler and kept the ferm temps around 62*. I transferred to secondary yesterday and took a gravity reading just to see where I stood and it was still 1.034. My OG was 1.072. Is this beer finished fermenting or is it gonna do some more work in secondary? Should I pitch another pack of yeast? I’m probably just unnecessarily worrying but this was my first stout kit and biggest OG I’ve hit. Please help!

:cheers:

nighthawk · July 28, 2013, 4:57pm

Hydrometer reading or refractometer?

brewmanchu · July 28, 2013, 5:10pm

hydrometer

goldenchild · July 28, 2013, 6:02pm

Sucks that you transferred to secondary just because you left allot of yeast behind.

brewmanchu · August 22, 2013, 9:55am

I let it sit for 2 more weeks in secondary and still the same gravity readings so I went ahead and kegged it. Still curious as to what may have happened (or didn’t). Hosting a fantasy football draft party the next 2 saturdays so I’m sure I will get some feedback from the beer geeks that will be attending. I have another stout kit on deck this time using liquid yeast…gonna make a starter for this 1.

dmtaylo2 · August 22, 2013, 11:07am

A couple things… S-04 is kind of a crappy yeast, a low attenuator, AND you racked before the fermentation was done. Both facts hurt you in this case. Next time use a different yeast and don’t rack if the fermentation seems stuck.