38 Batches and I'm Still a n00b?

Alright, so, here's the deal. A few weeks back (3 weeks ago I think), I brewed a second batch of my double IPA. OG of 1.094. 113 IBU. Aerated the hell out of it, and pitched with Nottingham which, as far as I can remember, is highly attenuative.

So, once fermentation was visibly done, I took a sample...and it said 1.042. I thought, okay, it's gonna finish high because the extract I used was Laaglander, so...okay. Just let it sit for another week or two and then see.

I just took another reading...1.041. Tastes awesome, though. Not too sweet, fairly alcoholic, very bitter & hoppy. But 1.041? I know...as long as it tastes good, RDWHAHB, but...1.041?

Recipe??????????????????????????????????

Buy a new hydrometer. At 1.041 I can't imagine how it could not be sweet tasting.

Yeah, def. not the hydrometer. I've checked calibration. It's fine. Believe it or not, with 113 IBU, it's certainly possible to not taste sweet at 1.041.

As for the recipe...I don't have it on this compy, but, it was pm, and the extract was about 30% of sugars---said extract was laaglander, which I know accounts for some of the sweetness, but...not that much.

What's you temp? Maybe raising a few degrees and a little swirl would get the yeast back to work.

Temp is about 70f. Nottingham's supposed to work as low as 57f, so it should be fine. I'm gonna stir it with a spoon handle or racking cane, and see if it does anything.

Is it possible the 7% or so alcohol is inhibiting the yeast??

You may need to add a yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance.

Ok... I am NOT speaking from experience here....

I would make a starter of a more attenuative yeast. However, don't just pitch it and forget it. Add in a mini wort, maybe a half gallon if you can fit it into your fermenter, The problem is the yeast will get really stressed in the ferment because, obviously, the easy sugars have already been consumed.

If it were me, and if I had the time and the space, I would make another batch of IIPA without Laaglander. I would split that batch between 2 carboys, and let them start fermenting. Once the ferment has started, I would top them up with your already brewed IIPA.

Biermann said:

Is it possible the 7% or so alcohol is inhibiting the yeast??

You may need to add a yeast with a higher alcohol tolerance.

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It's always possible...but I've had laaglander surpass 12% before.

Damn Squirrels said:

Ok... I am NOT speaking from experience here....

I would make a starter of a more attenuative yeast. However, don't just pitch it and forget it. Add in a mini wort, maybe a half gallon if you can fit it into your fermenter, The problem is the yeast will get really stressed in the ferment because, obviously, the easy sugars have already been consumed.

If it were me, and if I had the time and the space, I would make another batch of IIPA without Laaglander. I would split that batch between 2 carboys, and let them start fermenting. Once the ferment has started, I would top them up with your already brewed IIPA.

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Yeah...I've kinda been prohibited from brewing anything for awhile. 9 active carboys and 20 cases of backstock kinda have the wifey saying, nay nay.

I have some harvested pacman in the lagerator. Maybe I'll try making a fat starter for it and pitching it, just to see if I can get anything started.

If I were in you situation I would stir with spoon, wait 5 days, check SG...if no change throw a pack of Safale US 05 in...check again in 5 days if nothing, done.

I bet there are a few things leading to this:

1. Underpitching
2. High alcohol %
3. Possible other recipe issues

You should look into using the yeast pitching calculator on Jamils site in the future:
http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

It helps determine the best pitching rate ( for your OG the calculator says to use 1.5 packs for a 5 gal recipe)

Ryan_PA said:

I bet there are a few things leading to this:

1. Underpitching
2. High alcohol %
3. Possible other recipe issues

You should look into using the yeast pitching calculator on Jamils site in the future:
http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

It helps determine the best pitching rate ( for your OG the calculator says to use 1.5 packs for a 5 gal recipe)

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Underpitching? Yeah, Mr. Malty always hits the high side to be safe. But speaking from personal experience, I've used a single packet of nottingham to take 1.125 OG Barleywine all the way to 12.5% ABV. I suppose it could be a case of underpitching, though. Ditto on the high alcohol. 7.21 isn't that high for nottingham.

Other recipe issues is what I'm thinking. 30% laaglander dme, which I'm finding out the hard way is highly unfermentable.

Evan! said:

Underpitching? Yeah, Mr. Malty always hits the high side to be safe. But speaking from personal experience, I've used a single packet of nottingham to take 1.125 OG Barleywine all the way to 12.5% ABV. I suppose it could be a case of underpitching, though. Ditto on the high alcohol. 7.21 isn't that high for nottingham.

Other recipe issues is what I'm thinking. 30% laaglander dme, which I'm finding out the hard way is highly unfermentable.

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Last thought, did you aerate your wort?

To paraphrase Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction talking about foot rubs:

I'm the aeration f*ckin' masta!

Seriously, I aerate like it was my goddamned job. I strain my wort through a funnel strainer then put an aerator into it for an hour. That yeast was not wanting for oxygen.

Maybe this batch is just supposed to be thick...I mean, since it tastes awesome, I'm not really worried about how it'll turn out if in fact all those remaining sugars are unfermentable. What I can't abide is if there are still fermentable sugars in there that are going to turn my bottles into gushers or bombs when I bottle.

IMHO, one packed of dry yeast is seriously cutting yourself short, especially at that OG.

Read this.

I've brewed 63 batches and I'm still learning so RDWHAHB.

Umm A yeah, Could you post that Dbl. IPA recipe, paweeese:fro: :fro:

Big "A" said:

Umm A yeah, Could you post that Dbl. IPA recipe, paweeese:fro: :fro:

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my recipe database pulldown (beneath my avatar) has it. My previous batch was face-rockingly awesome. Dryhopping is essential, as is the OAK!!! Don't forget the oak. This new batch is gonna get some summit dryhopping...

Fingers said:

Buy a new hydrometer. At 1.041 I can't imagine how it could not be sweet tasting.

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A 1.041 FG can actually taste balanced depending on the recipe. A local brewery has an Imperial Stout that is claimed to finish at 1.038 with only 58 IBUs. Its a thick full bodied beer with lots of flavor but is not cloyingly sweet.
1.041 sounds really high but it is possible the beer is finished given the amount of Laaglander and high OG. Pacman or perhaps some champagne yeast might be able to do a little more. The suggestion of brewing another IIPA with no Laaglander and a couple pounds of sugar and mixing as the new batch really starts fermenting sounds like the best way to get your beer more to style.
I'm a newbie so you probably have a better handle on your options already.

Craig

I don't have any champagne or other high-grav yeasts on hand right now, and I don't have an LHBS, and I'm not planning any big orders anytime soon. I don't fancy paying shipping for a 79-cent pack of champagne yeast. But I do have a batch of apfelwein that is done and clarifying right now. What if I racked the DIPA onto the apfelwein trub (montrachet yeast) after I bottle the apfelwein? Would montrachet do the same thing?

Evan! said:

I don't have any champagne or other high-grav yeasts on hand right now, and I don't have an LHBS, and I'm not planning any big orders anytime soon. I don't fancy paying shipping for a 79-cent pack of champagne yeast. But I do have a batch of apfelwein that is done and clarifying right now. What if I racked the DIPA onto the apfelwein trub (montrachet yeast) after I bottle the apfelwein? Would montrachet do the same thing?

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Interesting idea. My understanding is that Montrachet does ferment quite a bit drier than most ale yeasts so it might help and a yeast cake should provide plenty of yeast population. Still if it tastes good I wouldn't mess with it too much.
Craig

CBBaron said:

Interesting idea. My understanding is that Montrachet does ferment quite a bit drier than most ale yeasts so it might help and a yeast cake should provide plenty of yeast population. Still if it tastes good I wouldn't mess with it too much.
Craig

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I'm not worried about the taste, I'm worried about overcarbing the bottles. if I can be absolutely sure that there are no more fermentable sugars in there, then I'd bottle it without a second thought.

I've had batches in the past finish too high that also tasted fine, and I just assumed that there were no more fermentable sugars. So I bottled, and they ended up being gushers. I think it's got something to do with the priming---you know, you add dextrose, it wakes the yeast back up because dextrose is so easily fermented...and while they were awake, they dove into the remaining malt sugars as well. Just trying to avoid a repeat, because this batch tastes awesome, and I'd be super-duper pissed if it got ruined.

So my friend has some distillers yeast, and I think I might just try pitching that. It shouldn't dry it out too much, right? I mean, distillers yeast is just highly alc-tolerant, but it won't start eating sugars that brewer's yeast won't...right?

Evan! said:

I'm not worried about the taste, I'm worried about overcarbing the bottles. if I can be absolutely sure that there are no more fermentable sugars in there, then I'd bottle it without a second thought.

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I bottled a saison that finished at 1.041, and didn't have any bottle problems. The yeast in there have done all they can with the sugars available, you will add some very simple to ferment corn sugar when you bottle, which the yeast will deal with, but they aren't suddenly going to get at those other sugars they aren't dealing with now. Bottle and enjoy.

ColoradoXJ13 said:

but they aren't suddenly going to get at those other sugars they aren't dealing with now. Bottle and enjoy.

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I've got a gushing stout in bottle right now that would beg to differ.

To avoid gushers you could just reduce the amount of bottling sugar that you use. I just bottled with 2/3 cup corn sugar instead of the typical 3/4 cup and I still have plenty of carbonation.