Wherry kit could be stuck

[PEACOCKSUIT]

All the kits Iv done before have foamed right up, some have frothed over the sided. This one seems to have started fermenting and then stopped. There is bubbles, I can see the occasional one rising up. It just doesnt look how it should. Im concerned.

[davidmpye]

How many days along are you? What's the SG?

[dedken]

What is the temperature? What are the other conditions?

[PEACOCKSUIT]

Iv been checking the temprature and it seems to be around 20 to 22 degrees. Iv got is underneath the combi boiler. We have the heating on constantly on a very low setting so it should maintain the heat pretty well. Im worries incase its getting too cold of a night though. although its near the boiler its not far from the patio doors which are full length glass. I supose during the night it could be getting colder.

Im in work untill 10.00 so Il take a reading when I get home.

[PEACOCKSUIT]

By the way I got plenty of aeration by dropping the pre campden treated water from half a meter above. It frothed up like a goodun so I presumed conditions where good.

[PEACOCKSUIT]

Ok just finished work and taken the gravity reading. It was 1016. The temperature in the FV is 19 degrees.

There is still some small bubbles rising up to the surface.

Suggestions?

Cheers.

[HighHops]

My Wherry has stabilised at 1014 after 7 days. Will leave it for a few more days to make sure it's stopped before bottling.
I have bottled a couple of kits that stopped at 1016 and they tasted fine, just not quite as strong as expected when I started the brew. I would leave it alone for a couple of days and check the SG again. (Keep it above 18C. Try wrapping it in a blanket.) If SG hasn't dropped give it a stir. You didn't say how long it's been in the FV, but i'd leave it for 9 or 10 days before bottling to let it clear a bit.

[psychoactive]

Hi all,

I'm pretty new to all this and have found the info on this forum really helpful - thanks to you all! I've got a couple of kit brews under my belt but was after your wise advice to hopefully save a novice!

I'm currently brewing a wherry, as have just finshed a fantastic keg of this stuff from back in December - really was an excellent drink. The first had none of the issues that I've heard about regarding stuck ferments, and it went down from 1.043 to 1.010 in 7 days at 22oc or thereabouts. I bought another one of these kits over the weekend to replenish the stocks and stuck it on on sat with an OG of 1.042. Following the advice elsewhere on the forum, I REALLY aerated the wort, rehydrated the yeast and added a teaspoon of yeat vit too for good measure. The fermentation started within 12 hours (22oC again) and all was well.... then I made a mead last night and overestimated the contents of my demi-john by about 1.5l - to cut a long story short, my beer addled mind decided it would be a good idea to throw in the left over honey-water with the wherry to see what hapenned. I've now found out: the fermentation has slowed right down, to the point of very few bubbles coming through the airlock. By my estimation, the additional honey water would have contained about 400g of honey, and the extra liquid pushed the brew length to about 24l... I've just taken a hydro reading and it's remarkably at 1.014, which I don't consider too far off an FG considering the unfermentables in the honey. What have I done?!? Is it finished, after only 2 days? Has the honey produced some sort of super ferment? The mead next to it is bubbling away slowly so I doubt the honey made a mutant ferment. What do you all think -- have I broken my beautiful beer?

[scottmoss]

Hi,

I think my Wherry got down to 1012 and my Black Pearl got to 1014 ish so your's is certainly not far off. It does seem it have fermented very quickly and you did say you aeriated it so i'm sure the mixture was fully mixed.

I would leave it until you get to 7-10 days and then keg it, the anything left over should ferment out within the keg after time. Give it a little taste (bearing in mind it will be green) and if it tastes fine then drink it!

[PEACOCKSUIT]

I drew a little bit through the tap I fitted to the fermentation bucket before I started this brew.

It was real cloudy and lumpy bit's came out with it. This is a bit of a worry as I was planning to use this to transfer to the keg. I hate syphoning it. I think some of the sediment may actualy have settled in the tap.

It it worth taking a reading from the beer from the tap? The other readings have been from the top. The stuff at the top looks like it's clearing a bit.

Cheers.

[psychoactive]

Cheers Scott - I checked the gravity today and it's still at the 1.014 mark, so I roused the yeast to see if it'll help get it down a little more; however, I'm pretty happy with 1.014 at any rate. Cheers for the reassurance though - it'll get drunk all the same, although from what I've heard the honey might slow the clearing down even more

Peacock - not sure if you mean that prior to the start of fermentation your FV tap was running lumpy, in which case perhaps all of the malt extract had not been mixed in? Can't think of any other reason why it'd be lumpy at that stage. However, I wouldn't worry about the small amount of sediment that'll come through if some has settled in the tap, as it'll soon fall out of suspension once in the bottles/keg. If you're worried about it, you could always rack off and transfer to another FV for a week or so - this helps the beer fall clearer prior to secondary. Wherry takes an age to clear though....

Happy brewing!

Drinking: Last of a wherry...lovely
[FV 1: Wherry which I ballsed up by adding honey water)
[FV2: Coopers Euro Lager and 1kg BKE
DJ's: Cider, TC, Mead
Conditioning: Wherry, Edme stout, Coopers Australian Lager, Hand pressed cider, Youns cab sav.

[PEACOCKSUIT]

I give it a good stir to try and get it going again. It is still at around the 1.016 mark. Because small bubbles still appear to be rising to the surface I can only presume it is still doing something, all be in a bit slowly .
I guess it could be a bit warmenr, its about 18-19oC. Next time Il invest in a beer belt.

I am goign to be using a corny for the 1st time for this brew and I want it to be as good as possible. I want it real clear .

To get it clear before putting into the keg, could I do a secondary fermentation? Is this just a case of racking in to another FV? What do you use to feed the yeast if not sugar? I have some glucose that the guy in my LHS give to me.

Would this result in a stronger beer? If I racked it now at the 1.016 it would be weaker wouldnt it?

[dedken]

I guess it could be a bit warmenr, its about 18-19oC.

To get it clear before putting into the keg, could I do a secondary fermentation? Is this just a case of racking in to another FV? What do you use to feed the yeast if not sugar? I have some glucose that the guy in my LHS give to me.

Would this result in a stronger beer? If I racked it now at the 1.064 it would be weaker wouldnt it?

1) 18-19C is a perfect temp for fermenting ale, you really don't need it any warmer than that.
2) Depends what you mean by secondary fermentation? To most people secondary fermentation takes place in your keg or bottles and refers to the process of carbonation by adding the requisite amount of fermentable priming sugars. You don't generally move your beer into another vessel after it's been through 2nd F.
3) 1.064??? Has it actually started fermenting?

[PEACOCKSUIT]

3) 1.064??? Has it actually started fermenting?

Edited accordingly

1.016

[addisor]

Have you had any movement lower than 1.016?

I'm 7 days into a Wherry in primary fermentation and am also at 1.016. Box says to keg at 1.014 but getting impatient.