High FG...potential reasons??

MCH · 08-09-2008, 09:18 PM

I'm doing an AHBS Honey Blonde Ale kit. I can't seem to find my recipe sheet, but judging from what I input into Beersmith, I should have finished at 1.005. After checking for 3 consecutive days, I'm sitting at 1.009. The fermentation appears to be complete. Its been 2 weeks in the primary and the beer is beginning to clear. From drinking my test runnings, I know the beer is going to be fine.

Question is, why the higher FG?

I know I had trouble with my starter kit since my liquid yeast arrived hot, but after two days in the primary, action started fairly good. Could the yeast be the culprit?

Also, from doing extensive research on this forum, I notice most people are steeping at 155 for 45 plus minutes. I steeped at 155 for 15 minutes. I did this without calibrating my thermometer. Which after calibrating last night, appeared to be almost 12 degrees low. So I'm pretty sure I was steeping at 143 or so. This may have caused me to have more fermentables in the wort but since I only steeped for 15, I may have been close? Is this the likely culprit?

Ultimately though, I know my inexperience is to blame.

avidhomebrewer · 08-09-2008, 09:28 PM

How much were you steeping? Sounds like it wasn't that much. For steeping, really all you are after is the color the grains will lend to the batch. You will get some fermentables, but overall, the amount of sugars extracted will be too low to consider this to be the problem. Did you correct your hydrometer for the reading when you took your OG? Either way, you are only talking about a very small difference, so like you said, don't worry about it. Maybe the yeast didn't attenuate as much as what the yeast did at the manufacturer. Maybe the wort was aerated better on their end, maybe they pitched more yeast.

I would rack this beer to secondary and let it clear in there for about 2 weeks or so and take a gravity reading closer to the end. When you rack it, you will rouse the yeast and then, assuming there are more fermentables available in the wort, they will drop the gravity down to where you are anticipating it to be. It really doesn't sound like you have much to worry about seeing as the gravity hasn't changed much in the last few days.

MCH · 08-09-2008, 09:41 PM

The only thing I have to rack into would be my bottling bucket(my secondary has apfelwien in it

). Could I rack into it and then let it set for 1 to 2 weeks before bottling(w/lid of course)??

MCH · 08-09-2008, 09:45 PM

I imagine priming would be difficult if the beer is already in the bottling bucket?

**Warped04** · 08-09-2008, 09:51 PM

I've never made that kit, but according to Austin Homebrew Supplies website:

Quote:

This pale American blonde has a slight honey aftertaste. It features clover honey and our new New Zealand Riwaka hops for bittering. O.G. = 1.044. Approximately 4.3% ABV.

With an OG of 1.044 and approx 4.3% ABV, I would venture that your FG should be around 1.011? I'd say your pretty close. Do you remember your OG? And what yeast did you use?

And if you are out of fermenting vessels, I'd leave it in the primary and skip the secondary. I'd save the bottling bucket for bottling

MCH · 08-09-2008, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warped04

With an OG of 1.044 and approx 4.3% ABV, I would venture that your FG should be around 1.011? I'd say your pretty close. Do you remember your OG? And what yeast did you use?

And if you are out of fermenting vessels, I'd leave it in the primary and skip the secondary. I'd save the bottling bucket for bottling

My OG was 1.045 with a temperature adjustment.

The Yeast was Califorina V Ale Yeast WLP051.

Glad to read the first paragraph but not so happy about the second.

Being a noob, it sure is hard to let the beer sit and do its job.

MCH · 08-12-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warped04

I've never made that kit, but according to Austin Homebrew Supplies website:

With an OG of 1.044 and approx 4.3% ABV, I would venture that your FG should be around 1.011? I'd say your pretty close. Do you remember your OG? And what yeast did you use?

And if you are out of fermenting vessels, I'd leave it in the primary and skip the secondary. I'd save the bottling bucket for bottling

Was cleaning off my desk at work and found the recipe instructions. FG was listed at 1.010.

Honestly, if I were to do a temperature adjustment, my FG would probably be 1.010, because at 68 degrees it was 1.009.

**Warped04** · 08-12-2008, 04:08 PM

Hey! That's great. Congrats.