Expert: Dave Nyce - 3/7/2010

Question
Hi, I started brewing lager form a Coopers kit last week. Fermentation began after around 36 hours, I am led to believe that it should take up to 7 days, but after a taking a hydrometer reading
it appears not to be not quite there, fermentation seems to have stopped. Do I bottle anyway?
Your advice would be appreciated.
Regards
Chris

Answer
If there has been temperature fluctuations, or sometime for an unknown reason, fermentation can sometimes stop, or slow prematurely. You can get it started again by taking a cup of wort (in a clear glass so you can observe fermentation), warm it to around 80 to 90 degrees, and pitch some yeast into it. Cover it with sterile cheesecloth, and wait until the fermentation is going well. That should be going strong by the next day. Then pitch the cup of fermenting wort into the main wort. It should re-start fermentation within one or two days.  If the fermentation still does not start, then it is ready to bottle anyway.

Hope this helps!

Dave