I brewed an oatmeal milk stout last weekend (full mash). OG was 1.062 and pitched with safeale-us05 (expecting 1.019 FG). It was bubbling crazy for about 2 days and then just completely stopped. I measured the gravity and it was 1.032. Waited 2 more days and it was about the same. The temperature in my basement is 62 so I brought it upstairs, which is about 70 degrees to see if I could get it to start fermenting again. It seems like it ferments a little when I put the carboy in hot water, so I kept it in the sink and periodically changed the hot water (maybe every 4 hours)…after 2 days of that I measured again and not much of a change at all. Should I just pitch more yeast?
What are you using to measure gravity?
Hydrometer…I’ve brewed prob 15 beers and always 1.020 or under…usually 1.02 is my magic number. Never had one this high
Lactose will add to the final gravity as it isn’t fermentable by US05. How much did you add?
US-04 will ferment in the 60s just fine. Sounds like it’s only a week in. I’d just swirl it a bit and leave it alone at around 68 for a couple more weeks
1 lb…this is the recipe i followed if that helps
It is a week it but no activity at all anymore. Would adding more yeast hurt? And it was safeale 05…not 04
Won’t hurt if you think you want to
Some of my slowest fermenting beer has been stout/Porter That style I pitch and put in a corner for a month and pay it no mins. Dark beer only gets better aged
Here is a case where I would rack to a secondary to rouse the existing yeast. All of your non-base malts and lactose add only about .002 by my calculations. So you probably are stuck. I would avoid bumping up temperatures if you cannot hold them at the bumped up temperature.
If using dry yeast, rehydrate, then as Squeegee sez, rack to a secondary fermenter very quietly…
gee whiz… I advocated for a secondary… I’ll hang my head low… NOT! In the name of making good brews… here is the place a secondary is needed… Good luck and keep this thread updated… Sneezles61
what I’m brewing now FG checks…
Feb 9, 1.022
Feb 16, 1.016
Feb 24. 1.014
If it truly is stuck boil up a little bit DME and put it in the bottom of your receiving fermenter and rack on top. Kinda like starter fluid
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@brew_cat has excellent advice. It’s difficult to restart a stuck fermentation. Your best bet is to have an actively fermenting beer to get it going again.
