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toddmuchmore · 09-03-2008, 12:08 AM

Here are the details:

First batch - Midwest supplies, amber ale, SG: 1.042 - 1.046, FG: 1.010 - 1.012

Finished the brewing, took OG reading of: 1.044. Not sure of the tempature of the reading though.

Cooled down the wort to a point of I could touch the outside of the bottom of the pot and it was just warm.

I poured the wort into the fermentor, topped off with about 2 gallons of room temp water, aerated by swirling the fermentor.

In the midst of the excitement, I never took a temperature reading of the wort and I pitched away. I used Munton’s Dry Yeast. I grabbed a sample to use as a satellite fermentor.

After I realized what I did, I looked at the fermentors LCD thermo and it wasn't reading anything. I think I pitched it above 82 degrees.

I relaxed and just let it be and it was bubbling away the next morning (at about 77 degrees), so I figured all was well. The next day the bubbling was extremely slow and the day after, nearly non-existent. I took a gravity check on day 3 and it was down to about 1.020. The temp has been between 68 and 72 steady since.

After 7 days in the primary, I checked the satellite again and it was still at 1.020. I figured that the satellite was off and I racked to secondary.

After racking, I took a real sample and it was still at 1.020. (I know I should have checked the real gravity before racking).

My questions:

1.) Is 1.020 too much of a difference than 1.012?

2.) If it is too much difference, can I re-pitch with some more dry yeast or is the beer a lost cause?

Thanks for all the help! This place is great!

Todd

**Revvy** · 09-03-2008, 12:16 AM

Satellite setups for gravity readings are really an outdated and frankly idiotic way to check the gravity of your wort. The yeasts are going to consume a small volume of wort much faster than 5 gallons...so your readings will not correlate...

Take a real hydro reading of your actual fermenter...unless your wort was near boiling at the time you pitched it, the yeasts more than likely survived, and everything is fine.

AND bubbling should never be an gauge of fermentation....only your hydro should be counted on...

Read this...http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/

It's really hard to ruin beer...Dump out your satellite, take a hydro reading of the REAL beer in the secondary. Then we'll know whats really going on. THEN we can decide what the next step is to take, most likely nothing, becasue you will find out that everything is fine. When you racked (Too early, you should have taken a reading before deciding to rack, and asked for help then we would have told you to relax and give it another week.) you more than likely kicked up some fermentation, so you will have a different reading in a few days....

Unless your beer is infected it is NEVER a lost cause....

This story is a good example of why never to dump http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/never-dump-your-beer-patience-virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

**Hercules Rockefeller** · 09-03-2008, 12:18 AM

Todd,
1: 1.020 is an appreciable difference, but it's not going to ruin the beer. When I did extract brews I almost never hit the expected final gravity, and the only downside is that your beer will taste a bit maltier than it should and have a bit less alcohol. It is likely that your yeast isn't as healthy as would be ideal due to the high pitching temp, which would explain the low attenuation. Or it could be the type of yeast.

2 I wouldn't worry about re-pitching. I'd give it at least 2 weeks in the secondary, then keg or bottle and give it at least 3 weeks from then. Conditioning may take longer than usual if the yeast is not very healthy, so don't give up on it.

***Yooper*** · 09-03-2008, 12:20 AM

It sounds like your gravity is still at 1.020 in the carboy? How long ago did you brew this? I'm thinking that Muntons is a poor attenuator, and that might be all you get out of that yeast. Also, some ingredients are less fermentable than others, so depending on your ingredients, it might be done.

If it's been less than two weeks, I would just wait it out. If it's been more than two weeks, and nothing is happening, you may want to pitch some fresh Nottingham yeast or other neutral dry yeast.

toddmuchmore · 09-03-2008, 12:37 AM

Thanks everyone for your input.

Yes, the beer is out of the primary and into the secondary. My latest reading was from the actual beer in the carboy and NOT the satellite (won't be bothering with that again). So the real SG is 1.020.

Today is day 10, I was just concerned that was out of the primary so it would be pretty much done fermenting since most of the yeast was probably left behind in the primary.

The beer didn't look infected, so I guess I'll just wait it out and give it a solid 2 weeks in the secondary and then bottle and cross my fingers. :-)

Thanks again for all your help!

**Nurmey** · 09-03-2008, 12:43 AM

I have never once gotten Munton's yeast under .020. I stopped using it after many batches. I like Midwest's kits but I always switch the yeast.

**Revvy** · 09-03-2008, 12:58 AM

GIve it another week and then bottle, and let it condition at room temp for a minimum of 3 weeks near 70...It will be fine...

You may or may not get a few more points in grav, but you will insure that you won't have bottle bombs either...I've had beers finish at 1.020, it's not a desired place to be at, but it isn't ruined beer either....

toddmuchmore · 09-03-2008, 01:07 AM

Definitely don't want bottle bombs. :-) I'll get the other kind of yeast from now on.

**Saccharomyces** · 09-03-2008, 02:34 PM

I'd recommend the Nottingham or SafAle -05 next time.

A quick Google search shows that folks complain that Muntons has a tendency to underattenuate unless you pitch a LOT of it (3-4 pkgs). Underattentation is rarely a problem with the above mentioned strains.

david_42 · 09-03-2008, 03:49 PM

Watching a sample's gravity drop may be outdated, but I find it amusing. They are definitely faster than the main fermenter. Once it has been stable for 2-3 days, I'll pull a new sample.