Fermentation Done or Stuck?

[BeerMe32]

I've seen alot of similar questions on here but the situations were not exactly the same so i guess i just need to ask....

Here's the backround, I've been brewing for about a year casualy. Until now i basicly get a kit from my local homebrew store or online, add some grains of paridise, honey or fruit flavor (so i feel like i did something) and they have come out pretty well.

This time however i was feeling alittle froggy and decided to make up my own recipe. I wanted to make a christmas ale and this is what i came up with.

5 gal batch

6.6 lb Wheat LME
1lb Dark DME
1lb Wheat DME
1lb Carmel 60
1lb Black Patent
1lb Flaked Oats
1lb Honey
Ginger Root
Cinnamon

So i went to the home brew shop and got all the stuff. I was shooting for an ABV over 7 so i asked the guy if i should get extra yeast or make a starter (which i've never done) but he told me i'd be fine. Used 1 packet WindsorDry Yeast. Rehydrated added and waited two weeks (its at about 70 degrees). OG was 1.076,when i checked two days ago it was 1.030. Now i usually do pretty well getting the correct FG with the kits but i dont actually know what this gravity should be. I read some where that the FG can be aproximated by dividing the OG by 3.7 which would give me 1.020. (this is what i was expecting)

I guess my question is has my fermentation stalled because i didnt use enough yeast or was my recipe poorly thought out and its done. (I know some malts have higher fermentables then others)


Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[sudsmcgee]

Did you do a mini-mash? I didn't think you can steep flaked oats, but I could be wrong. If the unmashed oats are not fermentable they will leave extra sugars.

 

[BeerMe32]

I steeped them. Idk what the hell im doing. Maybe thats the problem

 

[Brew_Force]

Just my opinion, but it looks to me to me that you have some solid unfermentables and then might have underpitched your yeast. A repitch is a drastic suggestion, maybe wait another week or two and watch your sg... if it is unchanging, you might want to either dry hop to balance or throw some dextrose in the fermenter in an attempt to increase the alcohol content, creating a perceived dryness. If your fg really ended up that high, its still a salvagable brew, but I'd be wary of repitching, personally.

EDIT: I hate to call your recipe "poorly thought out" but the unfermentables do look a bit high to me...and where are the hops? dont dump it though, it CAN be saved, though it might not turn out how you planned it...

 

[BeerMe32]

Just my opinion, but it looks to me to me that you have some solid unfermentables and then might have underpitched your yeast. A repitch is a drastic suggestion, maybe wait another week or two and watch your sg... if it is unchanging, you might want to either dry hop to balance or throw some dextrose in the fermenter in an attempt to increase the alcohol content, creating a perceived dryness. If your fg really ended up that high, its still a salvagable brew, but I'd be wary of repitching, personally.

EDIT: I hate to call your recipe "poorly thought out" but the unfermentables do look a bit high to me...and where are the hops? dont dump it though, it CAN be saved, though it might not turn out how you planned it...

I used 1/2 oz of Hallertau pellets and 1/2 oz Saaz i just left it out because i didnt think it had anything to do with the fermentables. I also planned on secondary with a vanilla bean and oakchips soaked in bourbon but havent gotten there yet.

I was trying to get a sort of winter warmer with an abv above 7. Should i have used less malt and added some candy sugar or something?

 

[Calder]

I think you are done (with that yeast anyway). If you tossed in some hydrated S-05 you will may bring it down lower since the yeast attenuates much better.

Problems/comments:

1) You have a lot of unfermentables; 1 lb Crystal and 1 lb Black. This will leave you around 1.006+ by itself.
2) The Flaked oats did very little. Maybe a small amount of flavor. No sugars. Lots of starch (but who cares - it's dark anyway). Would have been better leaving them out, but it did nothing for either your OG or FG.
3) Personal comment. I hate Black. 1 lb is way too much for just about anything. It's going to be roasty and acrid.
4) I calculate about 1.079 for 5 gallons which is in line with your 1.076. The big variable is how much sugar you extracted from the steeping grains.
5) Windsor is a low attenuating yeast, generally low to mid 60s (%). Assuming 6 points were from the steeping grains (unfermentable), 65% of the remaining 70 points would get you to about 24. Add back the 6 unfermentable points and you end up with an FG of 1.030.

The only times I've ever re-pitched was 1) to bottle a 13% beer and I added wine yeast in the bottle, and 2) added a decent sized starter when a beer reached 10.5% with fermentables left ...... actually it was the same beer both times. I do not know how straight pitching a pack of dry yeast will do. It will not have a chance to multiply, so could work very slowly. Someone else may be able to comment. If it were me, I would make up a starter and add the yeast when it is actively working.

S-05 could get you an additional 5 to 7 points.

 

[Calder]

I was trying to get a sort of winter warmer with an abv above 7. Should i have used less malt and added some candy sugar or something?

1) You should have used a better attenuating yeast, Windsor is about the worst you can get. It's good for leaving malt flavor in lower gravity beers, but not really suited for higher gravity beers.

2) Adding table sugar (forget candy or corn sugar) will help lower your FG, but you already had 1 lb of honey in there (about 9% of fermentables); I would not recommend any more than that unless the beer really calls for it. Honey is a simple sugar.

 

[Brew_Force]

I used 1/2 oz of Hallertau pellets and 1/2 oz Saaz i just left it out because i didnt think it had anything to do with the fermentables. I also planned on secondary with a vanilla bean and oakchips soaked in bourbon but havent gotten there yet.

I was trying to get a sort of winter warmer with an abv above 7. Should i have used less malt and added some candy sugar or something?

Candi sugar would have been cloying imho, pitch some more fermentables and throw some hops in the secondary. I think it'll balance out well come the darkest parts of winter.

 

[BeerMe32]

1) You should have used a better attenuating yeast, Windsor is about the worst you can get. It's good for leaving malt flavor in lower gravity beers, but not really suited for higher gravity beers.

2) Adding table sugar (forget candy or corn sugar) will help lower your FG, but you already had 1 lb of honey in there (about 9% of fermentables); I would not recommend any more than that unless the beer really calls for it. Honey is a simple sugar.

I apreciate the help but just so i make sure i understand for next time. If i want a high alcohol beer I should use less specialty grain because they dont ferment out enough, more malt extract because it does and i better yeast that will ferment more of the sugar?

 

[BeerMe32]

I think you are done (with that yeast anyway). If you tossed in some hydrated S-05 you will may bring it down lower since the yeast attenuates much better.

Problems/comments:

1) You have a lot of unfermentables; 1 lb Crystal and 1 lb Black. This will leave you around 1.006+ by itself.
2) The Flaked oats did very little. Maybe a small amount of flavor. No sugars. Lots of starch (but who cares - it's dark anyway). Would have been better leaving them out, but it did nothing for either your OG or FG.
3) Personal comment. I hate Black. 1 lb is way too much for just about anything. It's going to be roasty and acrid.
4) I calculate about 1.079 for 5 gallons which is in line with your 1.076. The big variable is how much sugar you extracted from the steeping grains.
5) Windsor is a low attenuating yeast, generally low to mid 60s (%). Assuming 6 points were from the steeping grains (unfermentable), 65% of the remaining 70 points would get you to about 24. Add back the 6 unfermentable points and you end up with an FG of 1.030.

The only times I've ever re-pitched was 1) to bottle a 13% beer and I added wine yeast in the bottle, and 2) added a decent sized starter when a beer reached 10.5% with fermentables left ...... actually it was the same beer both times. I do not know how straight pitching a pack of dry yeast will do. It will not have a chance to multiply, so could work very slowly. Someone else may be able to comment. If it were me, I would make up a starter and add the yeast when it is actively working.

S-05 could get you an additional 5 to 7 points.

Thank you for the advise. The reason i used 1lb of the black (and the amount i used for everything) is that it was the size it came in at my homebrew store. I dont really brew that often (maybe one every 2 months) so i didnt want to have to deal with keeping it and finding away to use it a differnt time. I guess i need to start brewing more but its hard because i drink alot of commercial craft beer at home and i like going to bars.

 

[Calder]

I apreciate the help but just so i make sure i understand for next time. If i want a high alcohol beer I should use less specialty grain because they dont ferment out enough, more malt extract because it does and i better yeast that will ferment more of the sugar?

Some beers do use 2 lbs of specialty grain, but for most, that is a lot. A higher attenuating yeast will do more for the FG than a reduction in speciality grains. Halving the specialty grains would bring you down 3 points, while a better attenuating yeast could bring it down maybe 6 or more.

I didn't mention it before, because I think you reached the limit of the yeast you used, but you need to ensure the beer stays in the temperature range of the yeast you are using, and if you can increase the temperature at the end of fermentation you can often get a couple of more points off.

Thank you for the advise. The reason i used 1lb of the black (and the amount i used for everything) is that it was the size it came in at my homebrew store. I dont really brew that often (maybe one every 2 months) so i didnt want to have to deal with keeping it and finding away to use it a differnt time. I guess i need to start brewing more but its hard because i drink alot of commercial craft beer at home and i like going to bars.

Store grain in dry conditions, preferably cooler conditions. I keep mine in the plastic bags it comes in, and then in a plastic tub (to make sure mice don't get it - don't want to attract them with food), stored in the basement.

If kept dry, grain can keep for a couple of years.