Stalled Fermentation?

[Chaz2171]

Friday I did my first All-Grain, It is an American Wheat beer.Saturday the airlock was bubbling away like crazy. Then Sunday it just stopped. It is in a 70 deg basement, The OG was close to 1.044, the only problem i had was i could not get the temp all the way down to 75 in order to pitch the yeast. I ended up pitching closer to 95. I waited as long as i could, i had to go to work.

I am trying to be patient but i am starting to get worried. The lid is tight fitting, it doesn't look like it is leaking. the lid is bulging slightly and the air lock is an s-style and the water is lower on the beer side.

Should i repitch, or just wait.

Chaz

[klickcue]

What is your Specific Gravity of the beer now?

[meisel]

What was the yeast and how much did you pitch? I wouldn't be surprised if it's finished or close to it. Your higher than desirable pitching temp may have driven the yeast into a metabolic frenzy, hopefully you won't have high levels acetaldehyde.

[klickcue]

+1

Also, no need to get in a hurry picking yeast. Assuming you are practicing sanitary conditions with a clean and sanitized carboy, racking your wort from the kettle with clean hose and so on, you can easily let the carboy wait a day with a tin foil cover.

Since the flora is less in the winter, you can wait even longer.

I do experiments in my boil kettle to see how long it takes before a bug takes over. In the winter, easily 5 days and the wort looked like the day it was boiled. In the summer, maybe just 2 days but you get the idea.

[Chaz2171]

I went to find out my gravity and sure enough i broke my hydrometer. so..... who knows now. The yeast i pitched was Wyeast #1010 American Wheat yeast from Northern Brewer. Dry Packet.

Wasn't sure if I could wait to pitch or not. Everyhing I read was get the wort cool as fast as possible. All I had was a sink with a water bath. It had already sat there for 2.5 hours.

[klickcue]

I am guessing that the ferment is done. You may have hot alcohol flavor in the beer (fusel).

There are basically two reasons to cool the wort quickly, to help get rid of chill haze and to stop the production of dimethyl sulfide (DMS, a cooked corn smell).

DMS is more prominent in Pilsener malt which is why Pilsener is generally boiled longer than American 2 Row.

With sanitized conditions, the carboy could have been allowed to cool to basement conditions. An air lock or a piece of tin foil covering the carboy would have allowed the wort to cool until you returned home.

Also, while you were gone, the yeast could have been cooled and the yeast pitched cold, like 5 to 10 degrees below the wort temperature.

But the best part of all this is, that you made beer and you belong to the guild! The next batch will become easier. Excellent first all grain batch

[meisel]

Chilling fast is desirable, not essential to making good beer. A few BYO's ago there was an article about Australian brewers and their pragmatic and frugal methods. Brew in a bag (single vessel no sparge) was mentioned but I was really surprised that many choose to not chill post boil. They go straight from boil kettle into HDPE "cubes" and screw the lids on. It can take days for the hot wort to cool down to pitching temps, some have claimed they can pitch yeast weeks after the actual brew date without off flavors or any other issues. I know what common sense tells us: DMS, oxidation, common spoilage, and an anaerobic environment that could harbor C. botulinum (this nasty critter creates the most toxic protein known to man!) Knowing all of this, many still choose not to chill and I've never heard of any problems happening.

Congrats on your first AG brew! You've also broken a hydrometer which makes you a legitimate homebrewer now

edited for clarity

[Chaz2171]

One Hydrometer? Hell, that was my second.

and that was my third brew. Not sure how it would of turned out anyway, i did a stove top method with out a seperate lauter tun. I guess I'll find out.

Just out of curiosity what BJCP guidelines do Lawnmower beers fall under. Wanted to "research" a little before the meeting. I know they are Crisper and lower in APV. But what else?

[meisel]

One Hydrometer? Hell, that was my second.

and that was my third brew. Not sure how it would of turned out anyway, i did a stove top method with out a seperate lauter tun. I guess I'll find out.

Just out of curiosity what BJCP guidelines do Lawnmower beers fall under. Wanted to "research" a little before the meeting. I know they are Crisper and lower in APV. But what else?

A lawnmower beer is a low to medium gravity beer, usually light in color and body, but must have thirst quenching characteristics. To some, this means a light lager with saaz hops, to others it means an APA or a mild or a steam beer... you get the idea. Just because there is no lawnmower beer category doesn't mean it won't fit into some category. Chris brews a great lawnmower beer and has posted his recipe in another thread. He uses a Kolsch yeast and it's delicious

[klickcue]

Hopefully, assuming that I don't get stuck at work, I will be bringing some of my Lawnmower Bier with me to the meeting.

I have not had Jensen try this batch since I cannot taste anything, so hopefully it is not long in the tooth

[Jensen]

I have not had Jensen try this batch...

Well what the hell is up with that? Not like I wasn't ready and willing to give it a try!

[klickcue]

I have not had Jensen try this batch...

Well what the hell is up with that? Not like I wasn't ready and willing to give it a try!

I was going to make a run over to your place last Sunday, but have been too much of a home body. Didn't even get any beer brewed last weekend

[Jensen]

...Didn't even get any beer brewed last weekend

now THAT is not a good weekend at all.