|
How likely are blowoffs? I'm cooking up a Russian Imperial Stout from extract right now, but I have things to do tonight and no access to a tube that will fit either my airlock or the grommet. Am I better off staying in to make sure things go well, or will it be fine 12 hours after pitching?
|
#
¿
Sep 18, 2011 21:27
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:20 |
|
|
Uh oh. So I'm pretty sure my extract-brew Russian Imperial Stout has stalled out at a gravity of 1.030 for the past 4 days. From an OG of 1.072, that's not exactly what I was looking for. The directions list the FG as between 1.020-1.017. I was hoping to get around 8-9% alcohol out of this, but it looks like it's stuck at a measly 6% give or take. The beer has been at a steady 70 degrees since I transferred it to the fermenting area. Any idea what could be causing this? Is there anything I could do to correct this, or am I stuck with a weak-rear end stout?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 27, 2011 08:13
|
|
|
Apologies for the repost, but I think my problem got buried under the new page.Kraven Moorhed posted:Uh oh.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2011 03:56
|
|
|
Docjowles posted:Could you please post the full recipe and process (times, temperatures, anything you feel went wrong), both hot and cold side? It's one of those things that could have like 10 different explanations. Gotcha. I used an extract kit (Brewers Best) so it's imprecise about the varieties of ingredients. Next time I'll write them down. Fermentables: 6.6 lb. Dark LME 2 lb. Dark DME 8 oz. Maltodextrin Specialty Grains: 8 oz. Caramel 60L 8 oz Roasted Barley 8 oz Black Patent Hops: 1 oz Bittering .5 oz Aroma Yeast 1 Sachet 1.072 OG 1.030 Current Gravity 1.017-20 projected FG Process: Sanitized everything first, of course. I started off boiling 2.5 gallons of jugged drinking water. Steeped the specialty grains at 160 F for 20 minutes. Brought the wort to a boil and added extracts + Maltodextrin. Stirred the wort intermittently (I didn't do it constantly, though. Mostly stirred towards the beginning and a bit towards the end. Just enough to scrape the bottom and make sure nothing burned.) Once it returned to a boil, I added bittering hops, waited 40 minutes, then added aroma hops. Waited 20 minutes after that. Now, the boil may not have been strong enough. There was surface activity, but not a whole lot of bubbles. It was more of a simmer than a boil for about half the time. After this was done, I cooled the wort in an ice bath (kept it covered) before transferring to the fermenter, where I added in chilled water until it reached 5 gallons and was 70 F. I then sprinkled the yeast packet in and gave it a good stir before capping the fermenter, putting in the airlock, and moving it to the fermentation area. The fermentation area is my basement bathroom, which stays at 70-72 degrees without added cooling. I could add cooling, but it's a portable AC unit/dehumidifier, so it shuts off regularly when the water basin fills up. Other issues: The packet specifically said not to do a starter, as did the directions. Not sure if I should ignore that. The cap to my airlock got thrown away, as it looks just like the cap to one of the jugs of water I was using. We used saran wrap in its place, with holes punched in the top. It may have been secured a bit too tightly, though, and may have impeded airflow for about a day. After we loosened it up, the beer bubbled merrily away for some time. But for the past 5 days, my beer has been stuck at about 6% ABV. From what I've said above, is there anything you folks could think of that might restart fermentation?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2011 07:28
|
|
|
So it's been 1-2 months since I bottled my botched Russian Imperial Stout, which is now more of a Bittersweet stout thanks to some trouble with the wort. It actually came out still drinkable, and a few people of told me they really enjoyed it; however, I can't help but notice a sort of banana-y taste to it that comes along with the sweetness. It has been getting slightly more pronounced over time, but it's not necessarily an "off" flavor. Just unexpected, especially since the recipe was rather simple. Any idea what this could be? I haven't gotten any uneven or excessive carbonation so far, so it doesn't seem like an infection. Edit: Here's the recipe: Kraven Moorhed posted:6.6 lb. Dark LME Kraven Moorhed fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Jan 12, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jan 12, 2012 02:47
|
|
|
tesilential posted:What temperatures did you pitch and ferment at? Pitched at 70 and fermented between 68-72-ish. Fluctuation didn't happen too often and it was gradual as I kept it in a bathroom in my basement. As for the yeast, I must confess that I don't know. The sheet for the kit simply lists it as a sachet of yeast, and by the time I realized I should've recorded it the packet was long gone. It was a Brewer's Best Russian Imperial Stout kit if that helps at all.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 12, 2012 05:53
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 01:20 |
|
|
tesilential posted:If that is actual wort temp then it is just a little high. Anything over 68* and dry yeast is pushing it. I like to ferment most neutral ales at 62-66*, maybe hitting 68* after 24 hours of visible activity. The temp I listed was for the fermenter via a stick-on thermometer. I also had another thermometer for ambient temperatures, and it was generally a few degrees colder. You do raise a good point though. My brew before this was kept at 65-ish for most of the time and came out perfectly. My cooling system was a pain in the rear end (needed to dump the water reservoir on the AC unit every 4-ish hours) so I did without it this time, hoping the weather would be cold enough to keep it low. Didn't think the change in temp would do as much as it did. This kit was a gift, whereas I normally get stuff from my local store which keeps a fridge stocked with yeast cultures. I'll try that next time in addition to tinkering with coolant systems. Swamp cooler might be the way to go. Speaking of next time, I'm currently trying to decide what to do for my next batch. Doing a barley wine is something I've always wanted to try and, since they take some extra time to age, I'd rather do it sooner than later; on the other hand, I still haven't made the jump to all-grain brewing. Would it be a wasted effort to try for one doing partial grain? If not, does anyone have an example of a recipe I could work with? The local store doesn't have a barley wine kit, only a toned-down English strong ale. They do, however, have quite the selection of ingredients. Kraven Moorhed fucked around with this message at 09:44 on Jan 12, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jan 12, 2012 09:42
|
|