Best way to increase attenuation

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jmp138

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So I've made two all grains now and had great success hitting my gravities on Edworts Haus Pale, and hit my OG exactly on Biermunchers Centennial Blond, but the FG came out at 1.02! I let it go in the primary for 3 weeks and just couldn't get it any lower. I cracked one open tonight however after only a week and its already great, unbelievable turn around time.

I am just wondering what to do to drop my FG, I really like hitting my numbers and was a little dismayed about this. The beer is good, but I am just getting into this AG gig and want to turn out great stuff.

Thanks
 
I mashed at 150 for 60 minutes, I hit my mash temp dead on, this is something I really need to increase my knowledge on is the affect of mash temps. A low and long mash is going to dry your beer out correct, but how would lower my mash temp help attenuation. Thanks guys.
 
Yeast, did you make a starter? How healthy was the yeast? I find a tube or a smack pac does not cut it by just pitching that. Make a good starter pitch the right amount and if on temp control warm it up a few degrees after the first 1/3 or fermentation.
 
A low and long mash is going to dry your beer out correct, but how would lower my mash temp help attenuation. Thanks guys.

you answered your own question! :mug: you equated low mash temp with a drier beer. A drier beer = less sugars remaining; menaing higher attenuation.
 
How do you really know that you have such a high FG?
Have you checked your hydrometer to ensure that it's accurate? It could be reading high.
You say that you mash at 150, but have you checked your thermometer? It could be reading low.
Other things that could result in a high reading are a high percentage of malts (like crystal) that contain a high percentage of non fermentable sugars (this is not the case if you followed the recipies), not mashing for long enough, underpitching, using a low attenuating yeast, inadequate aeration prior to pitching, or mashing too thick.
If your hydrometer and thermometer are accurate, my guess would be underpitching or inadequate aeration, either of which would not leave you with enough yeast to finish the job.

-a.
 
gotta have O2. yeast seems to quit at 1.020 if it dpesn't have enough aeration. Yeast needs what it needs. yeast is our friend, but they must be obeyed. "YWMBO" if you will.
 
You could try gently swirling your fermentor to bring the yeast back into suspension so they can eat some more. That might bring it down a little more.
 
Crushed ice and a little bit of water to make sure that the probe is covered = 32deg
 
I don't understand doing that for dry yeast. If, for some reason, your recipe needs more than 11g of dry yeast, it's just so much easier/cheaper/faster/safer to pitch multiple packets.

From what I understand by listening to Jamil podcasts, about half of each packet dies instantly when you pitch dry yeast into a wort with out rehydrating (which I guess I consider some type of starter). Maybe that's not a starter. I guess it's not. Either way. I always rehydrate. :mug:
 
Either way. I always rehydrate.

I don't rehydrate and haven't had any problems so far. What's weird is the Safale packets actually say not to, but if you go to their website they do suggest re-hydrating. Either way you're probably fine as long as it isn't a huge beer or anything.
 
I don't rehydrate and haven't had any problems so far. What's weird is the Safale packets actually say not to, but if you go to their website they do suggest re-hydrating. Either way you're probably fine as long as it isn't a huge beer or anything.

You havent had any problems.....and you are surely making beer. Is it the best beer you can make or can it be improved by little tricks such as rehydrating the safale yeast? That's the question here.
 
You havent had any problems.....and you are surely making beer. Is it the best beer you can make or can it be improved by little tricks such as rehydrating the safale yeast? That's the question here.

That post was from 4+ years ago! ;)

But agreed, re-hydrating (if done properly) is best practice.
 
This is the weirdest thing ever. I haven't brewed a batch in about 4 years and I just bought the ingredients for Ed Worts Haus Pale Ale today to get back into it. I checked the message board and a post of mine from 4 years ago was on the first page. Absolutely the weirdest coincidence. I guess it was meant to be.
 
This is the weirdest thing ever. I haven't brewed a batch in about 4 years and I just bought the ingredients for Ed Worts Haus Pale Ale today to get back into it. I checked the message board and a post of mine from 4 years ago was on the first page. Absolutely the weirdest coincidence. I guess it was meant to be.

No such thing as a coincidence. :mug:
 

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