getting below 1.020

[mscg4u]

Alright I am planning a partial mash for an Imperial IPA, and according to beersmith, using Wyeast 1272, I can't get it below 1.021..any tips on how to do so? Recipe is as follows:

8 lbs 2 row
1 lb crystal 80
.5 honey malt
6 lbs LME
1 oz galena 90 min
1 oz glacier 60 min
2 oz glacier 20 min
2 oz glacier 10 min
2 oz glacier 05 min
Wyeast 1272 w/ starter of course

single infusion mash, step temp 148 @ 60 minutes in 5 gallon cooler

 

[bottlebomber]

My software says the same thing basically, 1.086 to 1.022. This is just a generic attenuation value though. It will almost always do better than the standard attenuation rate. You can switch off the Auto and input a custom FG once the beer has fermented. You don't have any simple sugar in your recipe. I almost always add sugar to an IPA to get the FG to come down.

 

[mscg4u]

Yeah I know it'll most likely be different, but I was just curious...BeerSmith is usually pretty close

 

[Brew-boy]

Some simple sugar will help you drop it lower.

 

[mscg4u]

Well it increases the OG, and thus increases the FG, sugar just adds more potential alcohol

 

[phuff7129]

If you could do a full all grain and eliminate the LME, mash at 146 or 147, you should be able to get alot closer to 1.010.

 

[bottlebomber]

Well it increases the OG, and thus increases the FG, sugar just adds more potential alcohol

No, sugar does not increase the FG since it is 100% fermentable. In fact, the presence of simple sugar in my experience is like steroids for the yeast, and will cause a lower FG than you would have without it, particularly if its added about a day after fermentation has started.

 

[kaconga]

Well it increases the OG, and thus increases the FG, sugar just adds more potential alcohol

Sugar actually lowers the final gravity because it is 100% fermentable. Thus you get more alcohol which drops the final gravity. A lot of variables play into attenuation. Even mashing at a lower temp can drop your final by a few points.

 

[Obliviousbrew]

Agreed with both of the above post. Is not just 100% fermentable but it makes your yeaties a lot more active specially durinf the earlystages of fermentation

 

[mscg4u]

Alright I'll give it a shot, and I would love to do all grain for this brew, but I only have a 5 gallon cooler which I have learned limits me to half batch strong beers or partial mashes.

 

[bottlebomber]

You could easily pull this off in a 5 gallon cooler. You'd just have to mash thick and double batch sparge.

 

[Denny]

My software says the same thing basically, 1.086 to 1.022. This is just a generic attenuation value though. It will almost always do better than the standard attenuation rate. You can switch off the Auto and input a custom FG once the beer has fermented. You don't have any simple sugar in your recipe. I almost always add sugar to an IPA to get the FG to come down.

You're looking at it the wrong way. That prediction is based on the attenuation rating of the yeast, which is only meant as a way of comparing one strain to another. The attenuation you can expect to get is pretty much dependent on the fermentability of the wort you produce, notu the rating of the yeast.

 

[bottlebomber]

You're looking at it the wrong way. That prediction is based on the attenuation rating of the yeast, which is only meant as a way of comparing one strain to another. The attenuation you can expect to get is pretty much dependent on the fermentability of the wort you produce, notu the rating of the yeast.

Right I know that, I think you may have misinterpreted me or perhaps I didn't explain myself clearly. If Wyeast 1272 has a listed attenuation value of 70%, this is what the software uses to spit out the FG. Of course the yeast may ferment lower or higher depending on conditions. That's what I meant to mean anyway. At this point I typically know within 2 points or so what I am going to finish at, so I just input my FG manually.

 

[mscg4u]

There is no way I could do this in a 5 gallon cooler... To replace 6 lbs of LME it would take even more grain... I'd be mashing at less than 1/1 ratio.

 

[hgravez]

I've had lots of trouble getting below 1.020 on my higher gravity IPAs. I've tried lots of different things (i.e., different yeasts, approaches to temp control, adding simple sugars, etc.), but whether I get below 1.020 seems to be random. I am doing all extract brews by the way. However, I am intrigued about the suggestion to add sugar at one day into fermentation. Can anyone elaborate on this?

 

[Denny]

There's no difference between adding it when you brew or addin it to the fermenter other than it's easier to add it when you brew.

 

[bottlebomber]

There's no difference between adding it when you brew or addin it to the fermenter other than it's easier to add it when you brew.

I will bow to your greater experience on the matter, but this may be open to debate. Some feel that the yeast may become complacent about eating some of the longer chain malt sugars if they have been fed too much simple sugar but I haven't done any side by side batches or tested multiple generations to see if this is correct, so it is only hearsay. I do know that when I drop in a pound of sugar the fermenter goes nuts in about half an hour.

Also as far as sugar dropping FG, here is an extreme example. This was a Pliny the Younger-ish clone I developed. I started with Wyeast 1272 and after 3 days I pitched WLP099 and added 4 lbs of sugar 2 lbs at a time over 2 days. The projected OG was 1.120, and the beer finished at 1.000, much lower than anticipated.

 

[hgravez]

Hmmm...interesting. Sounds like you're doing some experimentation with adding additional yeast and sugar. So, if I were to do something like this, should I rehydrate my dry yeast and dissolve the dextrose in a bit of boiling water first? Or just dump both in dry?

 

[bottlebomber]

Hmmm...interesting. Sounds like you're doing some experimentation with adding additional yeast and sugar. So, if I were to do something like this, should I rehydrate my dry yeast and dissolve the dextrose in a bit of boiling water first? Or just dump both in dry?

You mean the yeast you will use for your primary fermentation? Just treat it as you normally would. The sugar I boil in enough water to make a syrup before I add it to the fermenter.

 

[Denny]

I will bow to your greater experience on the matter, but this may be open to debate. Some feel that the yeast may become complacent about eating some of the longer chain malt sugars if they have been fed too much simple sugar but I haven't done any side by side batches or tested multiple generations to see if this is correct, so it is only hearsay.

I've done it both ways many times and it really doesn't matter, at least with the typical 15-25% sugar additions I use. Maybe if you were adding a lot more sugar it might matter, but for the amounts we all typically use you can add it either place and it works fine.