Windsor FG woes

Hi Guys,

I've been brewing a best bitter recipe with Danstar Windsor yeast which was predicted by Brewtarget to drop from OG of 1.047 down to an FG of 1.014. Its been in the fermenter 6 days at 19C and made it to 1.018. I have read of other people having difficulty getting this yeast to work well and I was wondering whether I should re-pitch a different strain to finish the job?

Alternatively, I was wondering whether an addition of dextrose might help to dry the beer out a bit?

Thanks in advance!

After only six days I'd just leave it alone. The yeast will likely keep working and drop your gravity the last few points. Remember that there is no time limit for completion of fermentation. The yeast work as fast as they do, and no faster despite what you want them to do. Fermentation also slows as the available sugars decreases toward the end of your primary.

If you want, increasing the temp of your fermenter may help the final couple points finish out a bit faster. Definitely wouldn't repitch yet. Give it at least another week, two would be better.

Hmm... I shall watch and wait! Is there any sense in moving to secondary if I'm going to leave it another couple of weeks?

Don't mess with a secondary. Leave it in primary. Then bottle or keg after a couple weeks and enjoy.

I think at almost 62% attenuation, you're in the range that Windsor regularly provides. According to Danstar, Windsor has "Moderate attenuation, which will leave a relatively high gravity."

It might be done, but I see no harm in letting it sit a while longer.

My experience with Windsor was that the fermentation was biphasic--about 8 days after the initial blast of activity it took off again for a day or two. I've had the same experience with the Edme strain--but no other yeast. My advice is to wait it out for two more weeks.

Interesting stuff! Adding a bit of dextrose wouldn't be beneficial then?

eastoftherivernile said:

Interesting stuff! Adding a bit of dextrose wouldn't be beneficial then?

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Not at this point. It will just add more fermentables which will boost your abv, but will be completely fermented by your yeast. This will bring you back to the same gravity as before you added it, but as stated, you'll get the bump in abv. This isn't what you want at this point. Just need to wait for it to finish!

tiltie said:

My experience with Windsor was that the fermentation was biphasic--about 8 days after the initial blast of activity it took off again for a day or two. I've had the same experience with the Edme strain--but no other yeast. My advice is to wait it out for two more weeks.

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Only one time with Windsor, but I had a similar experience. Brewed 1/11, hit OG of 1.049. Fermented cool (57-60). Fermentation seemed to stop around 1/20, but 1/25 gravity had been steady at 1.020. Figured at 60%AA I may have hit Windsor's max (as I had seen it) or thereabouts. Dryhopped that day. Two days later had airlock activity. Figured it was changing barometric pressure. Cold crashed on 1/30. Went to bottle on 2/1 and check gravity--it had dropped to 1.014. Let it ride two more days at about 50 degrees to make sure it was really done this time, and it was. Ended up with 71% attenuation (it also flocced well thanks to the cold crash).

Now I have a new word to describe what I experienced--biphasic.

Hi guys,

Quick update for posterity. Sampled the brew today and it has hit my predicted FG of 1.014 giving around 70% attenuation. A quick taster reveals a beer that (although still very green) has a pleasant sweet ale flavour. Not fireworks but easily drinkable. I'll most likely run this a bit longer to let the yeast flocculate more and then cold crash and bottle.

eastoftherivernile said:

Hi guys,

Quick update for posterity. Sampled the brew today and it has hit my predicted FG of 1.014 giving around 70% attenuation. A quick taster reveals a beer that (although still very green) has a pleasant sweet ale flavour. Not fireworks but easily drinkable. I'll most likely run this a bit longer to let the yeast flocculate more and then cold crash and bottle.

Click to expand...

That's what matters. My son was critiquing one of my beers once and then looked over at his quickly emptied glass and decided it was 'very drinkable'.