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Hi Everyone,

I have seen multiple posts on this in the past, most with different recommendations and issues without finding a solid answer. So I brewed my Brown Ale last Friday, everything went perfectly fine, if not fantastic. Hit all my numbers, got it down to pitching temp, pitched the yeast starter(Didn't really need one but its habit now) and put it in my ferm chamber hovering around 19-20 degrees for the past 5 days. I have a tilt hydrometer (maybe the issue), but it did match me starting gravity of 1.052 measured with my normal hydrometer and it seems to be stuck around 1.022 the past two-three days. Temp is fine, not fluctuating much at all, if any. When I previously brewed this beer, by now it would be at final gravity, if not close by now. That is usually 1.011 to 1.012 give or take. I gave it a shake yesterday to try and kick it off again, but when I checked this morning, it was still stuck. I do not do much water chemistry, as the city water here in Middle Sackville is fine for brewing. I just use some Camden and PH adjustments as needed.

Thank You,

Post the recipe so we can have a look at the grainbill.

Also how do you measure mash temps? Make sure your thermometer and hydrometer are calibrated, not sure how the tilt hydrometer is calibrated though.

Did you use the same yeast??


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3.36 kg Pale Malt (5.9 EBC) Grain 1 58.6 %
0.92 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (118.2 EBC) Grain 2 16.1 %
0.48 kg Oats, Flaked (2.0 EBC) Grain 3 8.4 %
0.38 kg Brown Malt (128.1 EBC) Grain 4 6.7 %
0.36 kg Victory Malt (49.3 EBC) Grain 5 6.2 %
0.23 kg Chocolate Malt (886.5 EBC) Grain 6 4.0 %

Robobrew Mash and Sparge Med Body
Mash Temp 66.7 for 75 min
Mash Out 76 for 10 minutes
Sparge with 76

Same yeast as the last three times - London ESB Ale - Wyeast

Are you just taking the current readings with just the tilt or using your regular hydrometer?

Just the tilt, which is why I have it. Its very possible its wrong. It might be worth just letting it go the full two weeks and seeing what I end up with and taking a reading then. There isn't a ton I can do at this point anyway.

Ya I have no experience with the tilt, just to eliminate that as a variable, as like you said with this same recipe you’ve had no issues with attenuation in the past.

Some quick googling I see some people having issues with final gravity readings due to cake on trub etc on the tilt itself.


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Yeah I am reading the same things. Maybe I should look into the DIY one or even the Plaato instead. Otherwise the good old fashion way is always best. Today it is showing at 1.020 so who knows if its accurate. I'll just let it go and test it later in the week. If it really is stuck ferm, who knows why. May be a one off thing. Thanks for the responses.

PMackie wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2019 7:47 am

Yeah I am reading the same things. Maybe I should look into the DIY one or even the Plaato instead. Otherwise the good old fashion way is always best. Today it is showing at 1.020 so who knows if its accurate. I'll just let it go and test it later in the week. If it really is stuck ferm, who knows why. May be a one off thing. Thanks for the responses.

Ya a good ol' fashion hydro will be the way to go! If it's also reading the same as the tilt then I'd say either it was an issue with mash temps (usually the case) or perhaps your caramel/roasted malts were from a different maltser this time therefore less fermantable than your previous batches of the same recipe (that's just a wild guess!)

wcturnedec wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:46 am

PMackie wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2019 7:47 am

Yeah I am reading the same things. Maybe I should look into the DIY one or even the Plaato instead. Otherwise the good old fashion way is always best. Today it is showing at 1.020 so who knows if its accurate. I'll just let it go and test it later in the week. If it really is stuck ferm, who knows why. May be a one off thing. Thanks for the responses.

Ya a good ol' fashion hydro will be the way to go! If it's also reading the same as the tilt then I'd say either it was an issue with mash temps (usually the case) or perhaps your caramel/roasted malts were from a different maltser this time therefore less fermantable than your previous batches of the same recipe (that's just a wild guess!)

Yeah its quite possible beersmith gave me the wrong mash temp, computers programs can make errors unlike us humans haha

I also will make sure when I brew tomorrow to use my other temp probe to make sure the robobrew is reading right. Possible I mashed too high/low as you said. I'm sure the beer will turn out good, just might have a bit of sweetness to it, which I can deal with since its not for a comp or anything.

PMackie wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2019 11:08 am

wcturnedec wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:46 am

PMackie wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 20, 2019 7:47 am

Yeah I am reading the same things. Maybe I should look into the DIY one or even the Plaato instead. Otherwise the good old fashion way is always best. Today it is showing at 1.020 so who knows if its accurate. I'll just let it go and test it later in the week. If it really is stuck ferm, who knows why. May be a one off thing. Thanks for the responses.

Ya a good ol' fashion hydro will be the way to go! If it's also reading the same as the tilt then I'd say either it was an issue with mash temps (usually the case) or perhaps your caramel/roasted malts were from a different maltser this time therefore less fermantable than your previous batches of the same recipe (that's just a wild guess!)

Yeah its quite possible beersmith gave me the wrong mash temp, computers programs can make errors unlike us humans haha

I also will make sure when I brew tomorrow to use my other temp probe to make sure the robobrew is reading right. Possible I mashed too high/low as you said. I'm sure the beer will turn out good, just might have a bit of sweetness to it, which I can deal with since its not for a comp or anything.

Exactly.....when the beer is done its done!