Caribou Slobber concern

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DerangedBrewer

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Hey ya'll!

First time brewer and poster! Really appreciate this Site and all the info available! Cheers! :mug:

So, my first brew, like so many, is a NB kit with Caribou Slobber.

I brewed it on Super Bowl Sunday and left alone in my basement closet to do it's thing. I periodically checked on it to see what the Fermometer was showing and it maintained steady at 63 degrees F. After 3 weeks in the Primary I racked it to the Secondary. In the process I took a hydrometer reading and it was approximately 1.020. Does that seem right? Only 4% ABV? Seems weak for a brown ale, no? Did I screw something up?

Wondering if my FG will decrease a bit more in the secondary or during bottling?

Are there any tricks out there that I could do right now to help bring down the FG so I can get a little more kick out of the beer?

Thanks!
 
It is very common for an extract batch to stop at 1.020. Not totally sure why, but it appears to be an effect of the process used to make the extract. You're probably done at this point. I would not expect the gravity to drop much, if any.
 
My first brew was the NB Caribou Slobber, OG 1.053, FG 1.014, ABV 5.1%. Primary fermentation temp 64F for 29 days. I used Wyeast 1332.
Good beer, even better after 3 months aging.
 
FWIW, this is from the BJCP style guidelines for a brown ale.

Vital Statistics
OG: 1.045 - 1.060
FG: 1.010 - 1.016
IBU: 20 - 40
SRM: 18.0 - 35.0
ABV: 4.3 - 6.2

So you're not quite there, but who cares. Rules are made to be broken and it's your beer.

Probably wouldn't win a gold medal, but I bet it tastes great!
 
You should go to secondary a few points before FG. You shouldn't get more than a few basis points on the FG in secondary, but that's all.


Cheers,
 
You used a very good yeast for your Slobber. Fermentation temp was ideal. You didn't pitch enough yeast though. That is why you are stuck at 1.020.

No need to use a secondary with Slobber. Dark beers don't need any more clearing that can not be done with a primary time of three weeks.

You could try making a 1.040, 0.5 liter starter with some of the harvested yeast, or a neutral dry yeast, and pitch into the secondary at peak activity of the starter.

I have never had a Slobber finish higher than 1.013. The 1.020 myth should go away.

Good luck. Report back on how your beer turned out.
 
Awesome! Thanks for all the advise!

I only pitched the yeast that was included in the kit. So, apparently, the trick to upping the ABV is to add additional yeast?

I think I'll ride this brew out as is and live and learn from it. Going to bottle it up this weekend and let it condition for a few weeks before trying one. Will make a point to let a good amount sit for a few months, too.
 
DerangedBrewer said:
Awesome! Thanks for all the advise!

I only pitched the yeast that was included in the kit. So, apparently, the trick to upping the ABV is to add additional yeast?

I think I'll ride this brew out as is and live and learn from it. Going to bottle it up this weekend and let it condition for a few weeks before trying one. Will make a point to let a good amount sit for a few months, too.
Click to expand...

Here is an excellent pitch rate calculator. If you stll have your package of yeast, check the date and then run the numbers through the calculator.

The explanation of the pitch rate to use is below the calculator.

Lots of other information on this site.
 
Yeast, O2, and temp will effect the yeast and your FG. Did you shake the fermentor (a lot) or another method to add oxygen to the wort? One pack of dry yeast is usually fine for an average gravity 5gal batch.
 
flars said:
You used a very good yeast for your Slobber.
Click to expand...


The OP never said which yeast he used- that was someone else.

If you can raise your temp to around 70F, that is sometimes enough to get the yeast chomping again. Also, have you checked your hydrometer in pure water to make sure it is correct?
 
Most of the time...1.020 is what you are going to get with this extract kit. Bottled mine about a week and a half ago...mine finished at 1.020...it is still considered to be a session beer. And it is quite tasty!!!
 
flars said:
Here is an excellent pitch rate calculator. If you stll have your package of yeast, check the date and then run the numbers through the calculator.

The explanation of the pitch rate to use is below the calculator.

Lots of other information on this site.
Click to expand...

Don't see a calculator :confused:
 
jCOSbrew said:
Yeast, O2, and temp will effect the yeast and your FG. Did you shake the fermentor (a lot) or another method to add oxygen to the wort? One pack of dry yeast is usually fine for an average gravity 5gal batch.
Click to expand...

I did sway(roll on it's bottom) the carboy around a few times throughout the first week of fermentation to get more activity going.
 
DerangedBrewer said:
I did sway(roll on it's bottom) the carboy around a few times throughout the first week of fermentation to get more activity going.
Click to expand...


Yeast requires oxygen for healthy replication. You are going to have problems with every batch if you don't do more than sway it a few times. If you don't have an air stone, the next best method is to rock VIGOROUSLY for 5 solid minutes. You should get it good and frothy. As a bonus, this is as good a workout as any gym.
 
My slobber hit 1.020 after just 4 days and stayed there until bottling about 4 weeks later. I used Danstar Windsor Ale yeast which has relatively low attenuation. Mine was 60% which from some research on here is about normal for this yeast. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
SeeAliceBrewery said:
Most of the time...1.020 is what you are going to get with this extract kit. Bottled mine about a week and a half ago...mine finished at 1.020...it is still considered to be a session beer. And it is quite tasty!!!
Click to expand...

Most of the time? Not really. It all depends on the manufacturing process of the extract. The level of fermentable sugars in extract vary, which is why some extract kits stop fermenting at 1020. I brewed extract for a year with several batches under my belt and never had a stuck fermentation. Which brings me to my next point. Any brew over 1050 OG should technically have a starter pitched to ensure proper fermentation. It is likely the OP didn't pitch enough yeast.
 
bleme said:
Yeast requires oxygen for healthy replication. You are going to have problems with every batch if you don't do more than sway it a few times. If you don't have an air stone, the next best method is to rock VIGOROUSLY for 5 solid minutes. You should get it good and frothy. As a bonus, this is as good a workout as any gym.
Click to expand...

As stated in Palmers book oxygen definitely helps jump start the yeast and reduces the lag time between pitching and fermentation, however, if there is little oxygen in the wort the yeast will still perform. The yeast will find what they need to conduct a healthy fermentation regardless if we provide help or not. The key is pitching enough yeast in the beginning.
 
DerangedBrewer said:
Hey ya'll!

First time brewer and poster! Really appreciate this Site and all the info available! Cheers! :mug:

So, my first brew, like so many, is a NB kit with Caribou Slobber.

I brewed it on Super Bowl Sunday and left alone in my basement closet to do it's thing. I periodically checked on it to see what the Fermometer was showing and it maintained steady at 63 degrees F. After 3 weeks in the Primary I racked it to the Secondary. In the process I took a hydrometer reading and it was approximately 1.020. Does that seem right? Only 4% ABV? Seems weak for a brown ale, no? Did I screw something up?

Wondering if my FG will decrease a bit more in the secondary or during bottling?

Are there any tricks out there that I could do right now to help bring down the FG so I can get a little more kick out of the beer?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you did things right, although you didn't state your OG, yeast strain, and if you made a starter or not. Was the OG over 1050? What yeast did you use and what is the manufacturing date of the yeast if liquid? Have you calibrated your hydrometer lately? Did wait for FG before racking to secondary. Racking the beer during the fermentation can cause a stall.

Unfortunately in extract there's no way to tell how much fermentable sugar is in it. Sometimes extract brewers have the same issue with other kits. It all depends on the manufacturing process that created the extract. Also it is not uncommon to make a yeast starter with liquid yeast and an OG over 1050. I also like to add a tsp of yeast nutrient either to my starter or wort post boil.

This kit is not a high ABV beer. I think you should just bottle and enjoy YOUR beer.
 
BansheeRider said:
...The key is pitching enough yeast in the beginning.
Click to expand...

I agree completely with this^^^. I doubt I will never pitch yeast without a starter again.

I just racked a Caribou Slobber (extract) from primary to secondary last night to clear my primary for today's brew. I took a sample and got a 1.011 reading. It was the fastest to start and most active fermentation I've had. I attribute this to the Wyeast 1332 Northwest Ale smack pack and the 1 liter starter.
 
BansheeRider said:
As stated in Palmers book oxygen definitely helps jump start the yeast and reduces the lag time between pitching and fermentation, however, if there is little oxygen in the wort the yeast will still perform. The yeast will find what they need to conduct a healthy fermentation regardless if we provide help or not. The key is pitching enough yeast in the beginning.
Click to expand...

Your assumption that everyone used liquid yeast is a bit myopic. The OP never said that he used liquid yeast but you keep assuming he did, and are only giving advise based on that assumption. He did say that he didn't oxygenate, which is a problem, no matter what Palmer says.
 
bleme said:
Your assumption that everyone used liquid yeast is a bit myopic. The OP never said that he used liquid yeast but you keep assuming he did, and are only giving advise based on that assumption. He did say that he didn't oxygenate, which is a problem, no matter what Palmer says.
Click to expand...

People tend to assume certain things when not enough information is provided. Whether or not you're using liquid yeast proper pitching rates is more important than providing a little bit of oxygen. It's not uncommon to pitch 2 packets of dry yeast. So with that said....your attempt to undermine my logic, and Palmers, is unsuccessful and flawed. Everybody has good suggestions regarding this matter for the OP. You just won the "most ridiculous post of the day" award ;) Lucky for you it is only 9 AM Pacific standard time, there is still a chance somebody may win the title from you.
 
BansheeRider said:
Sounds like you did things right, although you didn't state your OG, yeast strain, and if you made a starter or not. Was the OG over 1050? What yeast did you use and what is the manufacturing date of the yeast if liquid? Have you calibrated your hydrometer lately? Did wait for FG before racking to secondary. Racking the beer during the fermentation can cause a stall.

Unfortunately in extract there's no way to tell how much fermentable sugar is in it. Sometimes extract brewers have the same issue with other kits. It all depends on the manufacturing process that created the extract. Also it is not uncommon to make a yeast starter with liquid yeast and an OG over 1050. I also like to add a tsp of yeast nutrient either to my starter or wort post boil.

This kit is not a high ABV beer. I think you should just bottle and enjoy YOUR beer.
Click to expand...

Sorry, being my first go-'round, I wasn't as specific as I should have been.

OG was not taken, as I didn't have a Hydrometer when I originally brewed (it didn't come with the kit and I didn't know how important it was at the time). I'm basing the calculation off the OG listed on the recipe 0f 1.052.

Yeast strain was the one that came with the kit, Windsor Danstar dry yeast, I believe. Did not look at the date. There is a good chance the yeast was old. I got the kit in late Sept and sat on it until I finally found the time to brew on S.B. Sunday) (I know, long wait.... I'm quite busy in the fall/early winter). Yeast and Hops were kept in fridge, however.

Will calibrate Hydrometer when I bottle this weekend and take new FG reading.

I received Hydrometer last week, so took reading when I transferred to secondary.

Like I said previously, I'm going to ride this brew out "as is" and live and learn from it. I have definitely learner A LOT over the last month.

I'm confident it will turn out just fine, just a little lighter in ABV then I would have liked.

Thanks for all the input, folks! :mug:
 
I'm kind of in the same boat.

I brewed a Caribou Slobber Extract on 1/30/14 and hit my O.G. right on the money (1.052). I rehydrated Danstar Windsor in 84 degree water for about 30 minutes then after adding wort to my rehydrated yeast, I pitched it into my carboy at about 64 degrees. Bubbling began in about 3 to 4 hours and I was at full Krausen between 24 and 48 hours.

My fermenter stayed in my basement for 20 days between 63 and 66 degrees. ( The highest my Fermometer ever read during active fermentation was 68 degrees). After 20 days in the basement I decided to move it upstairs for another week before bottling. It has been upstairs at around 70 - 72 for 9 days, which brings us to today, and my dilemma.

Yesterday, I decided to take a final gravity reading before bottling today. My final gravity reading at 60 degrees was also 1.020, which was higher than expected. However, I must say the beer tasted fantastic right out of the test jar, so I decided to bottle today.

Here I am now with all my bottles ready to go, bottling bucket being sanitized, auto siphon ready to go and I look up and the airlock in my carboy is bubbling at a rate of about 1 bubble every 5 seconds! Should I go ahead and bottle anyway and assume that's just Co2 escaping because I took samples yesterday and got it stirred up or is it possible that because of the warmer temps upstairs it's still fermenting?

Sorry for the long rant...I just could not seem to find any examples of this situation on the forum.

Thanks
 
fantasticmrfox said:
I'm kind of in the same boat.



I brewed a Caribou Slobber Extract on 1/30/14 and hit my O.G. right on the money (1.052). I rehydrated Danstar Windsor in 84 degree water for about 30 minutes then after adding wort to my rehydrated yeast, I pitched it into my carboy at about 64 degrees. Bubbling began in about 3 to 4 hours and I was at full Krausen between 24 and 48 hours.



My fermenter stayed in my basement for 20 days between 63 and 66 degrees. ( The highest my Fermometer ever read during active fermentation was 68 degrees). After 20 days in the basement I decided to move it upstairs for another week before bottling. It has been upstairs at around 70 - 72 for 9 days, which brings us to today, and my dilemma.



Yesterday, I decided to take a final gravity reading before bottling today. My final gravity reading at 60 degrees was also 1.020, which was higher than expected. However, I must say the beer tasted fantastic right out of the test jar, so I decided to bottle today.



Here I am now with all my bottles ready to go, bottling bucket being sanitized, auto siphon ready to go and I look up and the airlock in my carboy is bubbling at a rate of about 1 bubble every 5 seconds! Should I go ahead and bottle anyway and assume that's just Co2 escaping because I took samples yesterday and got it stirred up or is it possible that because of the warmer temps upstairs it's still fermenting?



Sorry for the long rant...I just could not seem to find any examples of this situation on the forum.



Thanks
Click to expand...

Take another gravity reading. If it is still at 1.020, bottle (probably just offgassing CO2 because it is less soluble at higher temperatures. If the gravity has dropped at all, close it up and let it go another week at the higher temperatures.

It's probably just offgassing. But better safe (new gravity reading) than sorry.
 
freisste said:
Take another gravity reading. If it is still at 1.020, bottle (probably just offgassing CO2 because it is less soluble at higher temperatures. If the gravity has dropped at all, close it up and let it go another week at the higher temperatures.

It's probably just offgassing. But better safe (new gravity reading) than sorry.
Click to expand...

Thanks Freisste. Looks like it's time for another sample, I'll be honest I was wanting another taste of that slobber.
 
BansheeRider said:
It's not uncommon to pitch 2 packets of dry yeast. So with that said....your attempt to undermine my logic, and Palmers, is unsuccessful and flawed. Everybody has good suggestions regarding this matter for the OP. You just won the "most ridiculous post of the day" .
Click to expand...


You waste every bodies time talking about starters when the OP used dry yeast, meaning he SHOULDN'T have done a starter, and then recommend pitching 2 packs of dry yeast in a session beer like Caribou Slobber. That is ridiculous.

Keep making assumptions and recommendations on those assumptions. You are bound to be right eventually.
 
bleme said:
You waste every bodies time talking about starters when the OP used dry yeast, meaning he SHOULDN'T have done a starter, and then recommend pitching 2 packs of dry yeast in a session beer like Caribou Slobber. That is ridiculous.

Keep making assumptions and recommendations on those assumptions. You are bound to be right eventually.
Click to expand...

I only talked about starters because the OP failed to mention which yeast was used, and under pitching is a common culprit of stalled fermentations. Finally, on page 3 of this long thread the OP said dry yeast was used, which by the way is over 5 months old. Maybe if you read and comprehend what all is said you wouldn't have a difficult time understanding. I guess you don't like reading and learning since you discredit reputable brewers such as Palmer. Also if you READ you will see that I wasn't the only one taking about pitching the right amount of yeast. Saying that talking about starters is a waste of time must mean you think MAKING starters is a waste of time and doesn't enhance the quality of beer. I would think somebody who has spent as much time on this forum as me would recognize that my tips to the OP are helpful and NOT a waste of time. There I go assuming again.....
 
BansheeRider: From BYO Magazine:

Oxygen is essential for yeast growth and reproduction. Yeast must grow and reproduce first, before actually fermenting the wort to make beer. Yeast needs oxygen to synthesize the material for expanding cell walls; namely sterols and fatty acids. Overlooking proper wort aeration can lead to problems such as long lag times before the start of fermentation, stuck or incomplete fermentation, or excessive ester (fruit flavor) production, any of which would produce less than desired results.
Click to expand...

From WYeast's website:
Yeast use oxygen for cell membrane synthesis. Without oxygen, cell growth will be extremely limited. Yeast can only produce sterols and certain unsaturated fatty acids necessary for cell growth in the presence of oxygen.

Inadequate oxygenation will lead to inadequate yeast growth. Inadequate yeast growth can cause poor attenuation, inconsistent or long fermentations, production of undesirable flavor and aroma compounds, and produces yeast that are not fit for harvesting and re-pitching.
Click to expand...

While I respect what Palmer has done for the homebrewer community, he is not the end-all/be-all of information. He is a homebrewer, who has done a LOT of reading and brewing, but he is a metallurgist, not a microbiologist like the people at WYeast. Since you like reading so much, I suggest you expand beyond JUST Palmer.

Next time you discount someone else's advice, like you did to me in post #19, don't be surprised when they come out swinging. Perhaps that is why I have received more than twice as many 'likes' on nearly the same amount of post's as yourself.
 
BansheeRider said:
I only talked about starters because the OP failed to mention which yeast was used, and under pitching is a common culprit of stalled fermentations. Finally, on page 3 of this long thread the OP said dry yeast was used, which by the way is over 5 months old. Maybe if you read and comprehend what all is said you wouldn't have a difficult time understanding. I guess you don't like reading and learning since you discredit reputable brewers such as Palmer. Also if you READ you will see that I wasn't the only one taking about pitching the right amount of yeast. Saying that talking about starters is a waste of time must mean you think MAKING starters is a waste of time and doesn't enhance the quality of beer. I would think somebody who has spent as much time on this forum as me would recognize that my tips to the OP are helpful and NOT a waste of time. There I go assuming again.....
Click to expand...

This back and forth isn't helping anyone. At some point, one of you is going to NOT respond to the other and this dialog will end. Why don't we make right now that point.


If you have anything helpful to add, feel free to add it. I'm all for debate ad dialog, but again, this form is not helpful.
 
bleme said:
Your assumption that everyone used liquid yeast is a bit myopic. The OP never said that he used liquid yeast but you keep assuming he did, and are only giving advise based on that assumption. He did say that he didn't oxygenate, which is a problem, no matter what Palmer says.
Click to expand...

I believe this was the first swing ^^^ I was just stating my opinion on the topic along with a reputable reference in post #19. I didn't write any personal insults like you did in the above post suggesting that I'm narrow minded in other words.

Anyways....I'm done, OP hope you like the Carribou Slober, it's a great recipe. I know because I've made it and all my friends liked it. Looking back at my notes my FG was 1018, so you're not too far off. Cheers :mug:
 
Brewed the all grain version O.G. 1.054 used Wyeast Northwoods as the suggested liquid F.G 1.012....Three weeks primary, two week secondary...My issue with the recipe overall is I think the standard 5 oz priming pack is to much I am on my last case and all of the bottles have been gysers...
 
nianticcardplayer said:
Brewed the all grain version O.G. 1.054 used Wyeast Northwoods as the suggested liquid F.G 1.012....Three weeks primary, two week secondary...My issue with the recipe overall is I think the standard 5 oz priming pack is to much I am on my last case and all of the bottles have been gysers...
Click to expand...

Yea...the AG always seems to come in at a higher ABV. Both are quite tasty brews!
 
I have seen mentioned many times that you should not use a starter for dried yeast. Why not? We had a pack of dry nottingham. We rehydrated then went to a small starter. We saved some of this starter and I have used this small amount to culture up a 3 step starter for my first batch I did by myself Tuesday. So in short.

Why not a starter?

When does dry yeast become liquid yeast?
 
Lallemand/Danstar have optimized their yeast's nutrional reserves for quick starting in the main wort. Making a starter expends those reserves.
 
UPDATE:

All my concerns were for not, this turned out amazing! Enjoying one as I type, going to sit on them now for a few more weeks and sample one here and there to see how much flavor change occurs over the course of a few more weeks.

Cheers!
 
DerangedBrewer said:
UPDATE:

All my concerns were for not, this turned out amazing! Enjoying one as I type, going to sit on them now for a few more weeks and sample one here and there to see how much flavor change occurs over the course of a few more weeks.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

That is good news. I have my batch conditioning now and look forward to it. I've heard good things and want to experience it for myself.
 

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