Final Gravity

I think I am after some reassurance more than anything. I have an all extract brew in the fermenter; been in there two and a half weeks at around 64 degrees with yeast that recommends 60-74 degrees.

To be honest, I'd forgotten about this one so I went to take a hydro reading today expecting it to be at the final recommended gravity of 1.019 but it was still up at 1.023. Starting gravity was 1.046 and I hit 1.044 so pretty much hit that one on the head.

I am just a bit concerned about the current gravity reading. Of course, I'll take some more over the coming days to see if it continues to fall - but I am a little concerned that two and a half weeks into fermentation I am still so far off the FG. Am I being overly concerned here? Is 1.023 'close enough' to 1.019 so that if the gravity reading remains the same for the rest of the week I am OK to bottle?

Are you adjusting the gravity readings for temperature?

I'd give it a little shake to rouse the yeast.

Are you accounting for the temperature variences? The hydro is rated for 59 degrees F. So if you checked at a different temp like 70-80 degress for your OG than it would be @ 1.046. Was this also a dark ale? Then there can be variences in a fg.

How can you even tell the difference between 1.019 and 1.023 on your hydrometer? You're probably fine, and you're giving it at least another week anyway right, so nothing to worry about.

turtle said:

How can you even tell the difference between 1.019 and 1.023 on your hydrometer? You're probably fine, and you're giving it at least another week anyway right, so nothing to worry about.

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Probably above the line or below the line

jonmohno said:

Probably above the line or below the line

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Precisely! I just count the lines :cross:

I wouldn't shake the fermentor either. Oxidation = bad tasting beer down the road. Give it another week and re-check

no steeping grains at all?

just keep an eye on it...could be taking a little longer to ferment out...

heferly said:

no steeping grains at all?

just keep an eye on it...could be taking a little longer to ferment out...

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Nope, I got lazy on this batch and did an all extract. I've used these kits before and fermentation got down to final gravity after about 5 days - that's why I am a little concerned with this one.

I'll relax and trust the yeast.

Took another reading today and it's the same. I'll take another reading on the weekend (that'll be 3 weeks in the fermenter) and probably just go ahead and bottle.

I'm still finding it very odd how it's ended up so high - especially on an all extract kit. Did a quick taste test, but that didn't tell me very much; very very green but I don't want this to sway me due to its very young age.

I figure bottle it, give it a month and see what it tells me.

Fingers crossed!

If it's still too high, or too sweet, add a packet of champagne yeast, throw a blow-off tube on it and give it a few more days. This will trim a few points off of your FG and will help if you under-pitched. I did this recently with one of mine and it turned out to be one of my favorite tasting beers...

Hope this helps...

WD

What gets me is I don't understand how I could have under pitched. I used a Wyeast smack pack as normal. It expanded as usual before pitching.

Unfortunately I am too far away from any Homebrew stores to get in any champagne yeast. I do have a spare smack pack around somewhere. Would it be worth adding that, or should I just go ahead and bottle? The smack pack is a different yeast to the one I originally pitched with.

I'm a noob...but I typically pitch two slap packs to ensure that I'm pitching enough.

Also, you can play with this thing here:

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

WD

NyPDFustercluck said:

I wouldn't shake the fermentor either. Oxidation = bad tasting beer down the road. Give it another week and re-check

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Your headspace at this point is all CO2. I'm not talking about aeration, just a little shake/swirl to get the yeast off the bottom.

I went ahead and bottled today. We shall see what happens!

Extract tends to end a little high in any case (often around 1.020), though that is a bit high. What yeast did you use?

From 1.019 to 1.022, I think few could actually taste this difference in sweeteness.
Relax, you should be all right.

cyclonite said:

Extract tends to end a little high in any case (often around 1.020), though that is a bit high. What yeast did you use?

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Wyeast 1028. Last all extract came out at 1.017 with a target of 1.019 with the same type of yeast. That's why I find it so odd this one stopped so high.

unionrdr said:

It's starting to sound like too much malts are going into the recipe for it to get much lower. May be the effect of the style you were trying to emulate.

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Is that possible in an all extract recipe with instructions that give me a target OG?

unionrdr said:

It also ties in with how many healthy yeast cells were actually pitched into a goodly amount of malts. The more malts you use,the more "un-fermentables" you have,so final gravity can be a little high. And it doesn't matter what form those malts are in when added. DME,LME,base grains...It's all malt in the end.

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My SG was only 1.044 so it doesn't seem as though there was an excess of malt. Perhaps I didn't have a good yeast batch.

Thought I'd update this... After a month in the bottle it tastes OK. A little on the sweet side as was expected, but no worries - I just call it a honey brown ale! Perfectly drinkable.