Stuck fetmentation or just finished?

Brewed an IPA with an OG of 1062. The beer was in the carboy in my basement for 3 weeks where the temperature was about 70 degrees except for the first week where I kept temps down to about 66-68 with a swamp bath. The gravity was 1022 for three days with no change so I bottled it. Was this a mistake? Potential bottle bombs because of a stuck fermentation? I used S33 yeast. It tastes great btw.

If the FG wasn't changing for multiple days after 3 weeks of fermentation, you should be good to go.

Was this an extract brew? Many folks find (myself included) that when using extract you tend to stop around 1.020, despite what yeast you are using. You should be fine.

Tall_Yotie said:

Was this an extract brew? Many folks find (myself included) that when using extract you tend to stop around 1.020, despite what yeast you are using. You should be fine.

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Yes. It was an extract brew.

S33 is a High attenuating yeast. That said you started with a fairly high gravity and there is quite a bit of unfermentables in extract. Was this a partial mash, just steeping grains or just the extract?

Kingfish said:

S33 is a High attenuating yeast. That said you started with a fairly high gravity and there is quite a bit of unfermentables in extract. Was this a partial mash, just steeping grains or just the extract?

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6.6lbs of DME and 1 lbs crystal malt.

Jacktar said:

6.6lbs of DME and 1 lbs crystal malt.

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In 5 gallons the DME will get you about 1.058. At 75% attenuation it will end up around 1.015. The 4 points from the Crystal will be mostly unfermentable giving you an estimate of 1.019 as a potential finishing gravity.

1.022 seems a little high, but not too much. If it does go down a few more points in the bottle, you might get some gushers, but should not have any bombs. I would say you were probably done, and will be OK.

Now, an IPA should be dry. Next time you make one, cut the crystal by half, and replace a pound of DME with a pound of sugar. That would get you about 1.060 for an OG, and should get down to about 1.014-1.016, which for me, is still a little high for an FG.

Calder said:

Now, an IPA should be dry. Next time you make one, cut the crystal by half, and replace a pound of DME with a pound of sugar. That would get you about 1.060 for an OG, and should get down to about 1.014-1.016, which for me, is still a little high for an FG.

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Yeah, this was a bit of a Frankenstein batch where I combined and tweaked 2 recipes to get something close to a local beer I like. I have no idea how it will taste. Maybe a little sweet at 1022.

I'm certain that the problem is not the yeast at all, unless your strain is old, stressed by temp or by any mean. Review your grist, I'm an all-grain brewer and never had problems with stucking a bath fermenting with S-33. I always cite my first barleywine (that I've made the mistake of putting too much caramel malt on it) that started at 1.092 and finished at 1.025 by the end of 3 months. Of course, to an IPA, it will be bad for the hop aroma to wait that long, but to a barleywine, it become one of the greatest beers that I've ever brewed. Just pitch the ideal rate of healthy yeast, aerate the wort well before put it to its job. I would say that S-33 is a monk patience yeast when we are talking about high gravity (and I consider it >1.070).