Is there any reason that an ale made with dark malts would be more subject to stalled or incomplete fermentation than a pale ale, given the same fermenting conditions? My stouts have consistently been bottle gushers, while I've never had a problem with any pale ale. Admittedly, problem #1 is that I don't take hydrometer readings - I've been lazy. Solution #1 is that I will take hydrometer readings for my next stout. That aside, my recipes are partial extract. I mash for 60 minutes, do a 60 minute boil, get temps down to mid-60s to pitch, and keep fermentation in the mid-60s for about 3 weeks. At bottling I add a priming solution to my bottling bucket, but always add less sugar to stouts. Again, never have a problem with any pale ales, but my stouts generally will be gushers when I open them. My stout recipes have 6# base grain (2-row), 1.5# dark specialty grain(s), 0.5# flaked oats, and 1# light DME added during the boil for a 3-gallon batch. Diastatic power > 90. 1-2 oz hops added during the boil. Thanks in advance for any help or insight.
Absent any gravity readings. I have no real idea what to pin-point as your issue. I would really hedge a bet though that you are pushing your stout ahead of the schedule it wants to work at. By at least a week. Maybe even two. And gravity readings would really help you with getting that answer. Brewing works best when you are not lazy about keeping up with logging details, and you get a lot more productive conversations, and more learning accomplished by keeping notes from each brew you make.
Are you using the same yeast for your stouts as what you use for your pale ales or other beers? If they are different, I think some yeasts are slower to finish up than others are. Your hydrometer is your best friend, but you need patience too.
I appreciate the thoughts. Yeast is the same for both stouts & pale ales - S04. Let's assume that MostlyNorwegian is correct and that I'm blindly pushing my stout ahead of its schedule. Given that all other conditions / variables are roughly constant, is there a reason that on average an ale with dark specialty malts would ferment slower than one with only pale malts? Or is it simply that each beer has its own schedule and coincidently my dark ales have all been slower? Thanks-
Short answer will be yes. The yeast will respond differently and work on its own time. With the different things in solution the yeast have to work through in the stout recipe versus an ale one. "About week three is a suggestion." That can turn into three quite easily if you get sluggish yeast on the job. I can't really do the science on the following. But. It's going to be the different aspects of the 1.5# dark specialty grain(s), 0.5# flaked oats, and 1# light DME that will each provide their own longer, and much more scientific answer for why you have gushers in the schedule you are bottling it at. How old is your yeast? As well. Let's also give s04 a fighting chance next time. IN ADDITION TO USING A HYDROMETER. If you got some dry bread yeast, or older dry brewers yeast. Throw 1/2 to 1 tsp of it in at 5 minutes before flame out. Get it nice and destroyed into solution. That will be yeast nutrient for your little friends, and they will reward you with good fermentation activity, and maybe even finish in your ale schedule. Just use a hydrometer and take good notes.
I had a stout a few years ago in which every bottle except for the 1st couple were gushers. Those first ones were very young beers and, in retrospect, probably didn't have enough time to develop gushiness. Looking over my notes, I bottled on day 22 but didn't have consecutive gravity readings that were the same. The readings were close (1.016 on day 17, 1.015 on day 22), but I should have waited and taken another reading in order to feel comfortable that the beer was done. I assumed that a one-point drop over 5 days meant it was done. A zero-point drop would have been more convincing.
I have never noticed a general difference in fermentation time based on the types of grains in the grain bill. OTOH, bigger beers do tend to take longer (given the same amount and type of yeast and fermentation temperatures). Were your stouts' Original Gravities higher than your pale ales?
Brewed the recipe below on Sat 8/31. Smooth brew day - mashed grains for 60min at 150, 60min boil, cooled wort and pitched yeast at 65 degrees. OG measured 1.066, close to target. Visible signs of fermentation didn't take off until 9/4, so about a 96 hr lag. Kept temp at 65 through 9/10, then allowed temp to free rise to 75 once visible fermentation subsided. Temp has remained at 75 since. Took my first gravity measurement this morning, 24 days since brew day and 20 days since first visible sign of fermentation. SG is at 1.012, a little lower than I expected but ok by me. I'm assuming if I take another measurement in 48hrs and I'm at the same SG I should be good to bottle this batch without fear of gushers...? Recipe: 67% 2-row 6% Special B 6% Dark Chocolate 6% Black Malt 6% Flaked Oats 11% DME Pilsen Light (added during boil) 1oz Willamette @ 10m 1oz Willamette @ 5m 12g CellarScience Monk
Verified another 1.012 measurement this morning. On to bottling. I'll know in about a month if the gusher issue has been solved. Thanks!
