High FG

[mookow]

As an extract-with-grains brewer, what can I do if I want to lower my final gravity? My last couple brews have come in a couple points higher than I would like them to.

Generally speaking, my grains have been steeped at 150°F. I usually make a starter when pitching my yeast. I always let my beer sit in secondary for at least two weeks, and keep in within the recommended temp range. I plan to soon buy an oxygen tank + .5 micron stone to increase the oxygen in my wort. I am also going to try throwing some servomyces in my next batch. What else should I be trying?

[bruin_ale]

What type of yeast (which strain) and what temperature are you keeping it at? If you are near the low end of the temperature range, you may get the yeast settling out before they're done fermenting. Also, how big of a starter are you pitching?
I guess I'm saying you'd need to be more specific to get specific advice. Also, it's possible that the yeast are working fine, but that your expectations of FG aren't correct. Can you give an example of what yeast you used that ended up too high and what the original gravity and final gravity were?

[HogieWan]

Give us a recipe that ended too high with the SG and FG and all specifics.

[mookow]

Originally posted by bruin_ale
What type of yeast (which strain) and what temperature are you keeping it at? If you are near the low end of the temperature range, you may get the yeast settling out before they're done fermenting. Also, how big of a starter are you pitching?
I guess I'm saying you'd need to be more specific to get specific advice. Also, it's possible that the yeast are working fine, but that your expectations of FG aren't correct. Can you give an example of what yeast you used that ended up too high and what the original gravity and final gravity were?

(This is from memory, I dont have my notes with me)
My last hefeweizen started out at 1.045, and finished at 1.017, giving me an AA of 62.2%. I didnt steep any crystal for this one, I used only wheat extract for it (well, technically the extract was 60%wheat, 40% barley). I fermented in a room that was about 66-68°F, depending on the time of day. I was using WYeast 3068, which is listed as giving a typical AA of 73-77%, and is supposed to ferment between 64-75°F. Now, I just cracked one of these last night, and it wasnt bad at all. Much more clove than bananas, but not bad IMO. It was still a little young yet, but I wanted to see how it was so far. This one I know I underpitched (compared to pro pitching rates, anyway), but sometimes you've got to brew with what you have. I made a 2 quart starter from a smackpack, and pitched that to 10 gallons of wort. I added some yeast nutrient to the wort at pitching time, and a little more four days later when the gravity was at 1.020.

There were a couple more that were low attenuators, but I dont recall the specifics enough to recount them. Oddly enough, the biggest beer I've made was also the one with the highest AA. I made a weizenbock with a OG of 1.093 and a FG of 1.020, which yielded a AA of 78.5%, 2.5% higher than the listed high end for WYeast 3333. That beer took forever to carbonate in the bottle, however.

[bruin_ale]

Probably not enough there to see a pattern of low attenuation. It sounds like you know what you need to do to give the yeast a fighting chance for the best fermentation. How long did you give your hefe starter before you pitched it? I've done a 2qt starter for 10 gallons of low OG wort before and not had any problems..

[mookow]

Originally posted by bruin_ale
Probably not enough there to see a pattern of low attenuation. It sounds like you know what you need to do to give the yeast a fighting chance for the best fermentation. How long did you give your hefe starter before you pitched it? I've done a 2qt starter for 10 gallons of low OG wort before and not had any problems..

I only had about a day for the starter. I was in a bit of a time crunch. When I went to the LHBS, I wanted to buy one of the big 125mL packs but they didnt have any of those for 3068. I would have settled for buying two of the 50mL packs, but they only had one pack of 3068.

[bruin_ale]

Yeah, a day is probably pushing it.. unless you've got a stir plate. I usually do my starter on thursday evening if I'm going to be brewing on saturday.

[grainbrew]

I'm having the same problems. My IPA has been in the secondary for a week now and it's still bubbling, but the gravity has been at 1.016-1.018 for 4 days now.

I would like it to drop at least to 1.014. Any suggestions? The temp is 64F and has been since I pitched my yeast (Wyeast ESB full swell).

J

[HogieWan]

2-4 gravity points is nothing. Go ahead and bottle that one up.

[grainbrew]

When I took a sample, it left a sticky sweet feeling on my lips. Maybe a bit too sweet for the hop character.

I'm gona leave it in carboy for another week for it to settle and clear a bit more. I can already see through it a bit so another week should be plenty. I'm not using any finings other than time.

J

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by grainbrew
When I took a sample, it left a sticky sweet feeling on my lips. Maybe a bit too sweet for the hop character.

carbonation tends to help the hops character come out a bit more.

[corkybstewart]

You may have unfermentables that will keep it at 1.016 no matter what you do. If you had a lot of crystal malts your FG will stay higher. Also 64 is a little low for an ale yeast. Let it warm up to 68-70 and see if it doesn't help.

[bruin_ale]

I ferment all my ales in the low 60s..

[grainbrew]

10lbs Marris Otter
0.5lbs Carapils
0.5lbs Crystal 60

Mashed at 152. End of mash at 150.

I can't see unfermentables being the problem or even my mash procedures. I mashed for over an hour.

J

[Otis_The_Drunk]

bruin_ale I realize that you ferment all your ales in the low 60's and I know that you do it to keep down the diacetel in the beer.
But warming up the fermentation a few degrees won't produce much of a buttery flavor in the in the beer. I would warm it up to maybe around 68* for a couple of days to see if that helps.

[bruin_ale]

My statement was referring to the general case more than this specific situation. I see people recommending warmer temps quite often - saying 68-70+ degrees, which IMO is too warm and with certain yeasts will produce a beer that is far more esthery than what I'm looking for.

In this case though, I would agree that warming it up couldn't hurt since the yeast seem to have gone dormant. I'd say swirl it around to rouse the yeast and then warm it up a bit and see if it gets going again.

[corkybstewart]

My porter has nearly stopped bubbling but the gravity is still at 1.032 at 62F so I moved it inside where the temp is closer to 68. I try to ferment mine as cold as possible, but I do what I have to to ferment it out completely. Even my lagers I bring in for a diacetyl rest at close to 70 for a couple of days.

[grainbrew]

I have a question regarding the CO2 still being release.

If my hydrometer readings have been the same for 4 days, why are there still CO2 bubbles coming out? Usually when my beers are finished, the bubbles stop.

J

[HogieWan]

When the yeast creates co2, some of it goes into solution. But since the beer is not under pressure, it will slowly come out of solution. So, after the yeast is finished producing the gas, it will still create pressure in the airspace for a while.

[mookow]

Originally posted by grainbrew
I'm having the same problems. My IPA has been in the secondary for a week now and it's still bubbling, but the gravity has been at 1.016-1.018 for 4 days now.

I would like it to drop at least to 1.014. Any suggestions? The temp is 64F and has been since I pitched my yeast (Wyeast ESB full swell).

J

I had an IPA that ended up too high, as well. I pitched a packet of Danstar Nottingham yeast, and it took it down 6 or 7 points. For a dollar, I dont think you can beat that.