FG too high, any saving this beer?

[timcook]

The mash temps for my oatmeal stout were way too high. I am aware this results in unfermentables so I am not surprised. plus, it's been less than two weeks in the fermenter. FG=1.026 I plan to wait another two weeks to see if it drops further. It's been cold in Central NY so the temp has only been 60 in my storage space. Besides waiting & rechecking, do I have any other options? even if the final result is too sweet, I will drink it anyways. any help and/or suggestions will be appreciated.

Tim

I purchased an induction burner & ss pot since my last brew day (previously propane burner & keggle) so my goal is to install a ball valve, put on some insulation & get consistent mash temps.

 

[m00ps]

amylase enzyme might do the trick, or any high attenuating yeast

 

[feinbera]

What was your OG? If this was a big oatmeal stout, you may have enough roast and booze and whatnot in there to counteract the extra sweetness if you just leave it be.

If you do wanna fix it, the easiest thing to do would be to warm it up to 70° or 72° or so and give it a good shake to rouse the yeast, they may well wake back up. A one-stage temp controller and ferm-wrap or a brew belt shouldn't set you back more than $100.

Another thing would be, as m00ps suggested, add more yeast. I'd make a starter and pitch it high krausen, but not until I was sure that just warming it up had failed.

I'd stay away from the amylase; you still want some unfermentables in there, and the enzymes don't come with an off switch.

 

[timcook]

the OG was 1.070. I used WLP 002. I currently do not have a fermentation belt or temp controller. I guess I could put it on a heating pad, rouse the yeast & see what happens. I have no problem being patient with it. I guess if the gravity doesn't come down in two weeks I'll consider purchasing a ferm belt & a controller.

 

[bigplunkett]

If the enzyme dosnt work u could us brett then pasturize when u get where u want. Idk how it would do in a stout but its an option.

 

[Brew_Meister_General]

The mash temps for my oatmeal stout were way too high. I am aware this results in unfermentables so I am not surprised. plus, it's been less than two weeks in the fermenter. FG=1.026 I plan to wait another two weeks to see if it drops further. It's been cold in Central NY so the temp has only been 60 in my storage space. Besides waiting & rechecking, do I have any other options? even if the final result is too sweet, I will drink it anyways. any help and/or suggestions will be appreciated.

Use amylase only as a last resort, I used it on my stout (stuck at 30) and now I'm starting to regret it because its been about 3 weeks, the gravity has hardly dropped (25) but the airlock is still bubbling, a right headf*ck.

To be perfectly honest if your gravity dropped from 70 to 26, meaning you have an alcohol content of 5.76%, you could just add water and bring it down to a more drinkable level. With a high OG I imagine you used lots of malt so flavour would be the deciding factor on whether you consider it be too rich at present. Other than that you can treat it as a wine and if its too sweet add a dash of gypsum to the fermenter to increase the bitterness.

Alternatively there is rousing up the yeast, adding more yeast or just adding glucose to get your yeast active again, but amylase is a trouble maker.

If you do add water be sure to bring its pH down to 4.0 - 4.5

And I heard never to pasteurise your beer, I asked about it once and received a list of devastating results.

 

[timcook]

update: I swirled the better bottle around to rouse the yeast. the thermometer in my brew space reads 63 & the temperature on the better bottle reads 61. my plan is to wait a week to see where the gravity is at. if not satisfied, I will probably add some dry 05 yeast.

 

[WI_Wino]

Did you use a hydrometer to measure your gravity? Refractometers are inaccurate after fermentation has started.

 

[Yooper]

update: I swirled the better bottle around to rouse the yeast. the thermometer in my brew space reads 63 & the temperature on the better bottle reads 61. my plan is to wait a week to see where the gravity is at. if not satisfied, I will probably add some dry 05 yeast.

Depending on recipe and mash temps, 1.026 could be done, but before adding more yeast I'd warm it up. The problem doesn't appear to be lack of yeast, if it's stalled. It seems to be cold temperatures. Can you bring it up to room temperatures for 3 days or so, to ensure it is done?

If your mash temps were too high, adding more yeast, stirring, swirling, etc will not work. It's done.

Luckily, 1.026 isn't unreasonable for an oatmeal stout in many cases.

 

[timcook]

I moved it upstairs into my son's closet. I'll leave it there for 3 days. thanks for all the help. I'll provide an update in a few.....

 

[Callacave]

What's wrong with 1.026? I love my stouts in the 1.025 - 1.030 range, and they're not sweet. I say keg or bottle that sucker, and enjoy awesomeness! Nothing turns me off more than a stout that is too dry, and has no body.

My Coffee stout that's carbing right now had an OG of 1.073 and finished at 1.027. Can't wait to try it.

 

[shaneritz]

I just did an oatmeal stout with an OG of 1.065, I just checked it after 8 days and it is at 1.028. Fermentation was a steady 68-69 degrees. I pitched WLP002 as well. Not sure why this happened as well. With the amount of roastyness it balances out the sweetness, but I had this with the last stout I did. I'm not sure rowsing the yeast or repitching will do a whole lot....

 

[Buc_Nasty]

I agre with callacave, my chocolate vanilla stout finished at 1.029 and I was freaking out because I wanted it at 1.018 but decided to keg it and try it and the beer turned out pretty good. It wasn't overly sweet, it was actually what I was looking for. So I say keg it and try it, you might like a sweet stout.

 

[timcook]

**update** gravity now at 1.020 after 17 days fermenting. two lessons learned:
1) listen to those who know. after moving the better bottle to my son's closet on the second floor (vs the basement) the temp sticker on the outside went from 61 to 63 for a couple days.

2) be patient with your homebrew.

thanks to everyone who responded & offered advice.

Tim

 

[LostBoyScout]

1.070 to 1.026 sounds fine for an oatmeal porter to me. A terrible IPA yes, but not too sweet for a porter unless you were going for a dry finish. Maybe WLP007 is a good bet next time, as 002 can often finish in the mid 60% range of attenuation.

[Edit] I should have read page 2 first, but the WLP007 recommendation still would stand, and for shaneritz too. I had the opposite problem on my recent stout - OG was 1.080 and FG was 1.017, which ruined it for me. I wanted it around 1.023 - 1.025.

 

[Stillraining]

What's wrong with 1.026? I love my stouts in the 1.025 - 1.030 range, and they're not sweet. I say keg or bottle that sucker, and enjoy awesomeness! Nothing turns me off more than a stout that is too dry, and has no body.

My Coffee stout that's carbing right now had an OG of 1.073 and finished at 1.027. Can't wait to try it.

Amen Brother!

To The OP :..FWIW I have the opposite issue on most my porters most of the time...wishing the yeast would stop working at .026... I bet its done and It will not be that sweet.

 

[jbb3]

I moved it upstairs into my son's closet. I'll leave it there for 3 days. thanks for all the help. I'll provide an update in a few.....

Did this recipe call for any lactose? That will make it finish high.

 

[timcook]

it was an interpretation of Yooper's Oatmeal Stout. It didn't finish high after all. I've been brewing for 2 years, but this was my first oatmeal stout. my beers typically finish with a lower final gravity. here's the recipe:

9 lbs. Maris Otter
1 lb. flaked oats
12 oz melanoiden malt
1 lb. chocolate pale malt
8 oz flaked barley
8 oz roasted barley
8 oz Crystal 80L
10 chocolate malt
2 oz Williamette (60 min)
WLP 002

 

[BarrelAgedForrest]

Glad to see this worked for you. My current brew (first one at that) is an imperial Porter OG was 1.082, it's been at 1.030 for over 6 days now. I feel it's due to the cold, fermenter dropped from mid 60s after initial ferment to low 60 and everything mush have dropped. I spent all evening slowly warming it up by the fire tonight and then stirred the trub. It's now wrapped in blankets again and I put something under it as well.

 

[timcook]

best of luck. hope all works out.