Altbier FG

[lucashtorres]

Hey guys,
I would like to share my situation with you and see what you think about it.
I've just made my first altbier. I've used a TechBrew yeast that is a similar to White Labs WLP036 because I couldn't find it. It has the same specifications, only changes temperature range (16C-20C / 60F-68F). I've tried to keep it at 16C (60F) but most of the time it was between 15C-16,5C (59F-61.7F). Its been eleven days on this temperature and on the last three days it had the same gravity (1.020). According to Beer Smith it was supposed to have a 1.014 FG. As this fridge isn't on a heated room I wasn't able to warm my carboy (I thought it could be because the temperature was too low for the yeast to work until 1.014). Then I've decided to lager it as if it was done fermenting.

How long do you think I should keep it there before bottling?
Thanks guys!

 

[tgolanos]

Two questions: did you take several gravity readings before determining 1.020 is your FG? Also, is the beer still on the yeast cake or did you transfer it? If it's still on the yeast, give the fermenter a light jostle. That may help the yeast come back and drop your Alt those final few gravity points.

I have a Hefe sitting at 16° and had a similar issue with the yeast seeming to stall out at 1.014 instead of dropping to 1.010. My theory is moving the fermenter from the floor to my counter-top and back to take the gravity reading forced the yeast back into action. It's since dropped to 1.011.

 

[lucashtorres]

Thanks tgolanos!
I did the reading on day 8 and day 11 and it was the same. It is still with the yeast cake.
Now the temperature is around 8C (46F). Would it be better to bottle it or try to increase temperature and do this light jostle?

 

[tgolanos]

8° is low. Warm it back up and jostle up the yeast cake. If you have a space heater, leave the fermenter next to it for an hour or so and wrap it in blankets. That will help retain the warmth. You can also buy heat pads from your LHBS, but I can't tell you how effective they are.

If, after this, your gravity doesn't drop, your issue may lie in your recipe. Crystal malts or a high mash temp would leave you with a lot of unfermentable sugars in your wort.

 

[lucashtorres]

I'm warming it up and then I'll jostle it up. I took another reading and it was 1.018,5, so I guess the yeast still have work to do. In a few days I'll come back to update this post, it may help someone else.
Thanks again!