nicadrick

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Hey all,

I am on my first batch OG=1.059 and the Muntons package said I should hit 1.014. Fermentation has come and gone after 9 days in the primary.

I took gravity reading for 3 days and it was stable at 1.022.

Why didn't I hit the 1.014? The batch is now in the carboy. Should I take any steps to resolve? Does the 1.022 indicate that there are still fermentable sugars available. Should I add some yeast before I bottle that batch.

OR, should I relax and have home brew.

Let me know.

Thanks!

GrizlyGarou

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It's entirely possible that your hydrometer is a little off. Check it in some water at whatever temperature it's calibrated for. If it's off, just add or subtract whatever you need to get it down to 1.000, then do the same for whatever readings you take.

It might also be done fermenting. It won't hurt to leave it sitting there on the yeast, but it won't be terrible to rack it into secondary or bottle. Lots of people will tell you to let it sit for a while, though. Either way it'll be beer, it's just a matter of if you want it to taste a little better or drink it sooner.

bonzombiekitty

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Same thing happened to me. I had a beer sitting in primary and secondary for a total of 3 weeks. Couldn't get it below 1.021. I tasted it, it tasted fine if maltier than I wanted so I bottled it.

You might have had it sitting in too cool of a place. In my house the basement stays a consistent 65 degrees or so. I've read it really should be warmer, so the yeast might be "falling asleep" and you should shake up the fermenter now and then.

Other problem that someone else mentioned here before is that if you just sprinkled the yeast in, you might not get as many cells munching away. Hydrating before hand will help. But I don't know how true that is.

I'm paying more attention to the gravity for this current batch.

nicadrick

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My hydrometer is right at 1.000 with water. I did do the sprinkle on top when I pitched. I also used the mystery yeast that came with the extract.

So, the big question is can this be fix, or do I just end up with a sweeter brew?

atromic

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It could definitely be your fermentation temperature if it was too cool for your yeast.

My first 2 batches both finished high and I'm hoping that it was due to the yeast not liking the ~64 deg ambient temperature in my house. The LHBS guy gave me a strain which he said would work fine under those conditions... We'll see in a few days when I take my SG readings.

GrizlyGarou

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My hydrometer's .002 low in water. I have to do way more addition than you on brew day!

I'd guess that your yeast has probably decided it's worked hard enough. You could pitch in some new yeast if you really wanted, but I wouldn't bother myself. Have you tried swirling the fermenter a bit or moving it somewhere a couple of degrees warmer? You could also put it in a warm water bath.

For your next brew, I'd suggest using Safale s-04 or us-05. I've never rehydrated, just sprinkled it in. It's also a good idea to aerate your wort after cooling it and before pitching your yeast. You can pour it back and forth between your fermenter and brew kettle, put it all in your fermenter and shake the bejeezus out of it, or you can go whole-hog and get an aeration stone and a tank of O2. I usually just put a tennis ball under my fermenter and rock it around for a while. It needs to splash and stuff, though. None of that sissy swirling around not making bubbles. Once you've splashed it around for a while, toss your yeast in. The oxygen helps it reproduce so you have more yeasties to do the job.

What temp are you fermenting at anyway?

nicadrick

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My fermentometer strip on the side of the bucket read between 66 and 68 the whole time.

The trub was about 3/4 thick on the bottom of the bucket and I am pretty darn clear in the secondary.

How about bottle conditioning? Do I have enough yeast left when I add the conditioning extract before bottling to carb the bottles?

GrizlyGarou

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There's plenty of yeast in there to carb up in the bottles. They're small enough that you won't see them, but they're there. It takes a few weeks to get the job done, but they'll do it.

I forgot to congratulate you on your choice of new hobby. I'm sure there will be a lot of things you stop doing just to have more time to brew or think about brewing!