Lower then expected FG

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rhoobarb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2005
Messages
3,553
Reaction score
21
Location
Gainesville
I just racked my third AG and will be bottling my first tonight. My concern is that they all have had FG's of 1.006. They were all pale ales. The first two had an OG of 1.050, close to their targets. The third was dead on the target, with an OG of 1.056. Things I'm considering might be the cause:

On the first, the mash temperature should have been 155oF, it sat at about 146-148oF, so I let it mash for 90 mins. instead of the planned 60 mins. I used White Labs WLP007 Dry English Ale yeast.

The second batch hit the mash temperature on target, no problem. The third batch had a target of 150oF for 60 mins. It started out okay, but actually climbed to ~160oF as it neared the 30 min. mark. So, I added ice - too much as it turned out. The temp. dropped to around 146-148oF. I just let it stay there for 40 mins. On both the last two batches I used White Labs WLP001 California Ale yeast.

Everything else went as it should have. I don't believe I oversparged; in fact I may have been too careful of that on my first two batches. They all were good when I sampled them. I just worry that they may taste thin after they've bottle conditioned. I used a 1/2 lb. of CaraPils on all three.

I'm stumped :confused:
 
cowain said:
I don't think I understand your question. Are you trying to figure out why the FG was low?

Yes. The target - and what I was expecting - was closer to 1.012-1.014.
 
Perhaps you didn't have enough malts that contributed non-fermentables. 1/2 lb. of Carapils is probably not very much if it was the only malt contributing non-fermentables in a grain bill that produced 1.056 OG. Just my guess, though.
 
I agree with cowain. If you'll post your grain bill we might be able to do a better analysis.
 
Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

They were in in the range of about 10 lbs. of 2-row, 1 lb. of crystal, 1/2 lb. CaraPils and an ounce or so of something else, say roasted barley.

Here is the second one I did. This is the only one I did not use CaraPils in. It is actually ORRELSE's recipe that he was kind enough to send me. I used White Labs WLP007 in mine, but everything else remains the same:
~~~~~~~~~~

Lake Walk Pale Ale--All Grain version

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

14-B India Pale Ale, American IPA

Min OG: 1.056 Max OG: 1.075
Min IBU: 40 Max IBU: 72
Min Clr: 6 Max Clr: 15 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 12.50
Anticipated OG: 1.056 Plato: 13.89
Anticipated SRM: 10.6
Anticipated IBU: 44.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------72.0 9.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
16.0 2.00 lbs. Toasted Malt(2-row) America 1.033 30
6.0 0.75 lbs. Crystal 10L America 1.035 10
2.0 0.25 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40
2.0 0.25 lbs. Munich Malt(2-row) America 1.035 6
2.0 0.25 lbs. Wheat Malt America 1.038 2

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 7.00 30.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 6.75 10.1 40 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 6.75 3.5 15 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 6.75 0.0 0 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 6.75 0.0 Dry Hop

Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 12.50
Water Qts: 14.38 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 3.60 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.15 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 154 Time: 75
Mash-out Rest Temp : 160 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 173 Time: 0


Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.60 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
~~~~~~~~~~

Now here's where things take an even weirder turn: I bottled my first AG last night and the FG was 1.016, I kid you not. I took all my readings at 60oF. I could see misreading once, but not three separate times. The sample I had last night was very good and not thin-bodied.

Maybe I'm just worrying too much.
 
Back
Top