Fermentation stopped @ 1.020

Mobstar · 12-08-2010, 01:09 PM

Good day,

Made a batch of maple porter and had it sitting in secondary at 15 degrees Celsius for over 2 weeks. There was no action in the airlock. Not even slight pressure.

The beer measured 1.052 before primary and finished at 1.020. This means I'll have a fairly weak beer and quite sweet too.

Does sweetness usually mellow out with aging? I know bitterness does but never had an overly sweet brew before..

Thanks

**Revvy** · 12-08-2010, 01:17 PM

Airlocks mean nothing...good call on the hydrometer.

First what was the gravity listing in your recipe, NOT your og reading? Or if your recipe didn't have one (they usually do) post your recipe for us to see.

Also what is the FG supposed to be?

I take it this is an extract batch?

How long has it been @ 1.020?

The 1.020 course is pretty common with extract beers. It's almost expected these days that extract batches often finish at 1.020 (or 1.030 on occasion) and nothing will bring them lower. Back in my extract days I bottled many a batch that finished that high, the beers were fine. I've often wondered if it doesn't have something to do with the production of some nonfermentable sugars in the wort carmelization during the boil.

If you answer my other questions I'll be able to give you more info about what your beer is really doing.

wyzazz · 12-08-2010, 02:12 PM

I'll echo the above and say that most of my extract batches stopped at 1.020, and there is nothing wrong with that, they were still fine beers. Adding 1/2 of your extract later in the boil can sometimes help with this.

logan3825 · 12-08-2010, 04:09 PM

I recently had a cream stout stop at 1.025. I have that on bottled and sitting in a cooler in case the bottles explode. I doubt they will as it had been fermenting for 6 weeks. Google "curse of 1.020."

Mobstar · 12-08-2010, 05:27 PM

My biggest concern is Bottle Bombs! But they're safely stored in a plastic bin. I've made bottle bombs before with my first attempt at a hard cider. The Grolsch bottles don't seem to blow up.. but the content sure does once the top is popped.

This was actually an all grain batch!. My first one that made it to the bottling stage.. "I dropped my first AG batch all over my basement floor."

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure of what I'm doing when taking measurements. I just take a first reading before adding yeast, then take the final reading before adding priming sugar. "still working on my process"

I did a bit more research and most robust porter recipes I came across had a final gravity reading of 1.18-1.20+.

**Revvy** · 12-08-2010, 05:54 PM

I've bottled at 1.030 before. If a beer is fnished fermenting there really is no need to worry about bottle bombs.

**Shooter** · 12-08-2010, 06:04 PM

Hmm, even though this is AG, I'm still wondering about this common problem with extract batches stopping around 1.020. I never had this issue with extract batches, but, fairly early on, I was doing late editions with half of the extract. I wonder...

HighLadderBrews · 12-08-2010, 10:56 PM

Sweetness should not mellow like hop flavor.

Are you sure you pitched proper amount of yeast and/or aerated the wort properly after cooling?

I have also heard that the caramelization of DME can product unfermentable sugars and adding late in the boil can help.

Another reason to quickly move to All-Grain....

HexKrak · 12-08-2010, 11:06 PM

What temperature has it been fermenting at? If it's below 60*F I'd move it somewhere it can be in the upper 60's lower 70's and see if that kick starts anything.

Other than that, I think we need the recipe and process to diagnose further, but if it's done, then it's done unless you add something like beano (does that even work so late in the process?) to help convert some of the sugars to something the yeast can eat.

Mobstar · 01-04-2011, 06:26 PM

Had a taste and it's quite good!! Will get even better with more time bottle conditioning!
I'll give it another month.
Time to attempt a Pilsner!