Northen brewer Black ipa stuck at 1020. Newbie help

PhilO · July 4, 2019, 4:20pm

Hi all,

Hoping you can give me some advice. I’ve got a northen brewer extract black ipa in secondary and it has stopped at 1020. It was in primary for 2 weeks with no activity or movement below 1020 after the first week. I moved to secondary and the gravity hasn’t moved in a week.

The og was 1064 and used US05 yeast.

Do you think I should have left in primary for longer?

Is it worth trying to add more yeast in secondary?

Reading on the page for the kit on northen brewer website it says in the faq it should brop to between 1013 and 1015. I dont want to risk dry hopping then bottling if it could make some bottle bombs.

Any advice or insight would be great.

Thanks
Phil.
Wales U.K.

brew_cat · July 4, 2019, 4:35pm

I’d go ahead and dry hop it actually may start it up. It may be done. Is it fermenting 2 weeks or 3 ? What the temperature?

PhilO · July 4, 2019, 4:40pm

It’s on its 3rd week and hasn’t moved gravity for 2 weeks. It’s been between 22 and 24 degrees C or its at 22 degrees now.

brew_cat · July 4, 2019, 4:51pm

The temperature is alright. Go ahead and dry hop it may get it going. Try swirling the fermenter also. If after a good 3 weeks no change go ahead and bottle.

squeegeethree · July 4, 2019, 5:06pm

What are you checking the final gravity with? I agree that it is most likely done. Waiting a full 4 weeks will help.

PhilO · July 4, 2019, 5:09pm

Thanks @brew_cat I’ll go ahead and try that.

PhilO · July 4, 2019, 5:10pm

Hi @squeegeethree I’m using a floating hygrometer

wilcolandzaat · July 5, 2019, 9:14am

Same here think it might be done

jmck · July 5, 2019, 5:20pm

It would be nice if it got lower, but you’re not tragically off the mark.

Others can chime in on how this theory sounds, but I’m thinking maybe you didn’t get good mixing of the extract in the kettle, and some of the extract got a bit caramelized, which would make it less fermentable.

If you were 1.030 I’d say stuck fermentation; 1.020 says unfermentable sugar to me.

Just in case though, after the beer is bottled and fully carbed, keep the bottles either in the fridge or a plastic tote. If the yeast takes off again, you wouldn’t want exploding bottles…

sneezles61 · July 7, 2019, 5:31pm

I would agree with mr J… Sneezles61

PhilO · July 7, 2019, 5:47pm

Thank you all for your input. I’ll dry hop it this Wednesday and then leave it for another 3 weeks then bottle. Gravity still hasn’t moved.

PhilO · July 7, 2019, 5:48pm

Thank you for your reply. I didn’t know that the sugar could not be fermented if it had caramelised. Learning every day and every brew.