Secondary with low FG

I racked my Fat Tire clone today after 6 days in the primary. I had very little bubbles in the airlock. About 1 every 30 seonds. My reading was 1.020. Will my FG lower or do I need to repitch? Did I rack it too soon? Hope I didn't wreck it.

Thanks,
Mike

I'm not familiar with Fat Tire recipes, but my guess is that everything is ok, especially if you had an OG in the area of 1.055-1.058. Besides, even if there were any unfermented sugars left after you racked it, the remaining yeast should take care of them during secondary. If your OG is drastically different than what I just mentioned, let us know what it is and how much malt extract you used, and we can go from there.

captaineriv

My FG was around 1.040. So I am hopeing it will go a little lower. I added 3 lbs. of DME the second day into the primary.

It sure looked good and tasted good.

I'm a tad confizled

Was your OG 1.040? Not including the 3 lbs of DME you later added?

Mike's Brew and Brat said:

I racked my Fat Tire clone today after 6 days in the primary. I had very little bubbles in the airlock. About 1 every 30 seonds. My reading was 1.020. Will my FG lower or do I need to repitch? Did I rack it too soon? Hope I didn't wreck it.

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IMHO, 2 bubble per minute is still too much activity to rack to secondary. Normally I'd say 1.020 is a little high too, but 3 lbs of DME would have added .027 to your OG, so 1.020 is probably in line.

I'd give it as long as you can stand in the secondary to make sure all that extra DME ferments out. Imperial Fat Tire...who'd of thunk it.

Sounds like a Fat Tire with a growing aneurism to me.

Well it's been over two weeks in the secondary and still was reading 1.020
Then I started to get bubbles again. 1 every 12 seconds for two days now.
What is going on here?

Can I leave this for another week?

According to "Beer Captured", Fat Tire Amber Ale, pg 28, says the OG: 1048-1050 and FG at 1010-1013.

Your 20 is still too high.

You could always agitate it a bit and see if the yeast stirs awake.

The recipe there says "bottle when fermentation is complete, target gravity is reached and beer has cleared (approximately 3 weeks)..."

Mike: I've left lagers in the carboy for 4 months. I don't think your brew will have any problems.

i agree w/ HB 99. let it sit and take another reading at the end of 5-7 days.

That sounds good to me. I was hoping I would hear that. I figured it may take another another week.

Thanks for the help.

homebrewer_99 said:

According to "Beer Captured", Fat Tire Amber Ale, pg 28, says the OG: 1048-1050 and FG at 1010-1013.

Your 20 is still too high.

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Yeah, but he added an extra 3 lbs of dme over the BC recipe...given that he may never get down to 1.010.

I guess he's one of those drinkers who like some meat in their bread (beer)?

A little fortification never hurt anyone, however, I bet you didn't compensate your hops bitterness....your brew is going to end up sweeter than you expected.

you're correct.
All I wanted to do was boost the Alochol content.
Didn't know to do that. So if you add DME or Sugar you have to add hops.
Makes sense now. Oh well. Will it be ok, or do I have garbage on my hands?

Mike's Brew and Brat said:

Will it be ok, or do I have garbage on my hands?

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It will be fine...just very sweet probably, but you said you were mostly interested in high abv, and that you'll get.

I am not sure about your fat tire. But all my batches have been ready to transfer in a week, with low SG's. I have a freind that had a beer that stuck at 1020 and we tracked it back to yeast or yeast nutrient, maybe you got some week yeast or yeast nutrient?

Next time at a little more nutrient to the batch, and if you do not use it add it, it works wonders.

Let it set time cures all things, even bad beer!