I probably need to stop worrying

Okay, ran this recipe:
Extra Special Bitter
4# Alexander's Pale LME
3# Munton's Light DME
1# Crystal 60L - Steeped 30 min @150F
1.5oz EKG bitter 60 min
1oz Fuggles bitter 60 min
.5oz Fuggles 45 min
1oz EKG 30 mn
.5oz Fuggles 15 min
.5oz EKG 2min aroma

OG was 1.060 (adjusted for temp), pitched Danstar Windsor yeast (rehydrated) after cooling, initial temp was 58F, was up to 64F within a day and 68F in 2. Fermentation started within 12 hours, high krausen in 24 hours. It has been 5 days since pitching and the fermentation has ceased in primary.
Took gravity today and it is at 1.020. 66% attenutation. Seems low even for this yeast, which usually doesn't do much better than 70-75%. Going to move to secondary for clearing, I just want to make sure that if this doesn't drop any more that I won't have a bunch of exploding bottles/gushers. Any suggestions on getting FG to drop more? I was hoping for 1.012-1.016 given the style.

Thanks

Don't rack it yet. Leave in primary longer, swirl to rouse the yeast back into the beer.

yep, that puppy's not done yet. what makes you think it stopped? just because it stopped bubbling? it's only been 5 days.

I think it's stopped because all activity has stopped, krausen has fallen completely, and the yeast are dropping down to the bottom of the primary, gravity of 1.020 has held for 2 days now.

ok, sounds like it stopped wake that yeast up!

I swirled the wort and got the yeast back up, waiting to see what happens. If it finishes, great, if not, I'm considering adding Danstar Nottingham next to see if that finishes it off.

I thought Windsor was one of those sub 70% attenuators. With a pound of caramel malt you are probably done. You may lose a point or two in the secondary. Leave it clear in the secondary for a couple of weeks and see where you are.
If you want a dryer beer then Nottingham or S-04 would have been a better choice.
Craig

mmmforbiddendonut said:

I swirled the wort and got the yeast back up, waiting to see what happens. If it finishes, great, if not, I'm considering adding Danstar Nottingham next to see if that finishes it off.

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You said you had a high krausen. My wit had a high krausen and I found that once I swirled that "pudding like" krausen off the walls of the carboy, back down into the beer, things started right back up again.

Definitely let it go longer and make sure you don't have "beached yeast" hanging on the walls of your fermenter.

Well, I think that no matter how much swirling you do, that beer is done for that yeast. Danstar windsor, if you read the tech sheet on it is only a moderate attenuator, and "leaves a fairly high gravity." Also, this yeast typically finishes fermentation by the 4th to 5th day according to its lab specs. I believe this strain is very similar to WLP 004, English Ale yeast, which routinely leaves 1.018-1.020. If you had extract that was fairly high in unfermentables, this could also leave you a bit higher than you desired.

I believe that the yeast did its job as advertised. I'd rack it. I wouldn't put in any other yeast; you may get something you didn't desire, and I doubt that the 0.002 in gravity is worth it, IMO.

If you want higher attenuation, just use a better attenuating yeast next time.

I'm sure this one will end up just fine, though.

cheers.

Well, I just did a IIPA using Wyeast London Ale and it stopped at 1.020, I went ahead and bottled it, no gushers yet, is this normal for this type yeast?

I checked it today, dropped a whole point to 1.019. I ran the numbers on it and it's better than 5% abv, slightly high gravity for the style. Racked it and then popped open a couple of stouts and remembered that my beer is awesome.