Help - First Batch w/Issues - FG Too High

[natefrog255]

Encountered my first issue with a batch I made. This is my 3rd 5 gallon batch after 12 2 gallon batches. So far everything of mine has turned out well. However this one gave me issues with the FG being way too high. Any help, info, etc on the potential issue would be helpful. I'll layout all details below.

Cranmoor [Cranberry Ale]
5 gallon
Brew Date: July 26

Pilsen LME 3.3# added pre-boil
Pilsen LME 3.3# added at 50 minutes
Caramel 80 0.5# (steeped for 30 mins - added pre-boil)
Corn Syrup Solids 0.75# added pre-boil
Thawed Cranberries 3.5# added after yeast was pitched.
Boil amount 3 gallons.

Expected OG 1.057
Actual OG 1.054
Expected FG 1.016
Actual FG 1.025 (includes priming sugar addition so may actually be like 1.022)
SRM 7-8
IBU 16

I used Wyeast 1056 and created a Yeast Starter 48 hours before pitching. There was a yeast cake present.

Noticed fermentation within 24-48 hours. Stopped after 3 days I'd say. Airlock had vodka and noticed it evaporated over time, not completely. I let sit in the primary until August 11th.

On bottling day I took a hydrometer read halfway through bottling and it registered at 1.025. I kept the 24 bottles I bottled and dumped the rest b/c I feared exploding bottles.

Any ideas as to why my FG was so high?

My first thoughts are...
1. Too many cranberries
2. Left yeast starter go too long
3. Airlock needs to be near fill line at all times
4. Yeast wasn't strong, I did have some issues with the "smack pack"

I've had successful cranberry ale's in the past, but this was my first attempt at 5g batches.

 

[natefrog255]

This was also my first attempt with a yeast starter. I boiled 2 cups of water and stirred in 1/2 cup Golden DME. Chilled in ice water. Added yeast. Used airlock w/vodka as sanitizer. Let ferment for 48 hours. I swirled flask multiple times, mainly in 24-28 hours though. Swirled and pitched to primary at 48 hours.

Maybe 48 hours was too long.

 

[natefrog255]

Fermentation temperature for both the starter and primary was about 68 degrees, give or take.

 

[mike20793]

One question: did you check gravity readings on consecutive days before going to bottling. That's a little over two weeks and it's possible fermentation wasn't complete. It's definitely not the yeast starter. The purpose of making a starter is to make sure there is enough viable yeast when it is pitched. Letting it ferment for 48 hours is definitely not too long. My guess is the fruit addition introduced unfermentable sugars.

 

[natefrog255]

I did not check readings on consecutive days. I normally leave in the primary minimum of 2 weeks and then bottle. I've always hit my expected FG, except on this one. I don't like the idea of opening my primary fermenter often to take a reading. My gut feel is the cranberry addition may be part of the issues, if not entirely. But I didn't have any FG issues on my last attempt of this one albeit it was a 2 gallon batch.

 

[Onlooker]

It could just be attributable to the "extract stall" that I've heard of around here. It seems that extract can often contribute to poor attenuation and stall at/about 1.02. Nothing to be done about it. Never had it happen myself but others have mentioned it.

 

[natefrog255]

Should I fear exploding bottles?

 

[natefrog255]

It could just be attributable to the "extract stall" that I've heard of around here. It seems that extract can often contribute to poor attenuation and stall at/about 1.02. Nothing to be done about it. Never had it happen myself but others have mentioned it.

I guess ideally I hope this is the issue as it's not really my fault I suppose. Would the logical solution have been to pitch some more yeast or deal with the poor attenuation? I guess lesson learned is to check the hydrometer before bottling. I hated dumping half the batch, just see $ down the drain but hopefully this was just an aberration. I guess I should've just bottled the rest but I feared exploding bottles.

 

[Onlooker]

Would the logical solution have been to pitch some more yeast or deal with the poor attenuation?

From what I understand more yeast wouldn't make a difference. But remember I'm just relaying second hand info here, so take it for what that's worth.

That said, I doubt it would make any difference, any more than it would for a batch that was mashed quite high, and thus high in non-fermentables.

 

[duboman]

There's actually a couple things going on:

You did not get an actual FG reading because you already added priming sugar before taking it,
Second, you added fruit after fermentation which added un fermented sugars to the beer.

At 1.054 you should expect FG of around 1.013 in reality it's difficult to say where it should be or even how much priming sugar you actually need to properly carbonate.

May be I'm wrong and someone else chimes in but I'd be cautious

 

[natefrog255]

The fruit addition messing the FG makes alot of sense. Now i am mad I dumped, thinking the beer may be okay.

 

[natefrog255]

And I'm p*ssed. Fridged a bottle of this on Sunday, tried today, and this may be one of my best batches...and I tossed half of it in fear of flying bottles. At least I have a case of it. Its a clean crisp beer with a hint of cranberry. I wouldn't mind a little more of cranberry hint, but its an excellent beer. Oh well, live and learn.

 

[Ogri]

This isn't really helpful now but, in future, maybe try to keep a stock of PET bottles (carbonated beverage type) around, just in case of the odd batch that you feel might possibly throw out a few bottle-bombs.

 

[natefrog255]

This isn't really helpful now but, in future, maybe try to keep a stock of PET bottles (carbonated beverage type) around, just in case of the odd batch that you feel might possibly throw out a few bottle-bombs.

That is a good idea actually. I had an 8 pack of 32 oz PET bottles from my Mr Beer days that I just got rid of earlier in the summer. Junk: something you need a few weeks after you get rid of it. Ugh. But I shouldn't complain, the beer turned out good which ultimately is the #1 goal and I did get a full case out of it. So if I take the glass half full route, this was a success.

 

[douggefreshvt]

Seems like you've got the right idea...glass half full is definitely the way to look at it. Now you've got a good batch that you can replicate while being mindful of what you thought you did incorrectly this time.

Regarding your FG when I first started out I couldn't get my FG too much lower than 1.018 when using LME/DME using the initial yeast strain, even with a starter. However I did pitch champagne yeast into one or two of them just to see what happened and it took some points off down to about 1.011-.012. If this happens again you can always give that a try but it will change the character of the beer a little.

This might not be helpful (sorry, not trying to rub salt in the wound) IMHO the old adage of RDWHAHB could not have been more true in this case. Never ever dump a beer unless you've got an infection. You've worked way too hard on it.

Just to illustrate the point, I made a hefeweizen with juice from honeydew melons as one of my first couple AG batches. I fermented it out for 3-4 days and when the airlock slowed down, I racked into secondary onto the honeydew melon juice. Fermentation picked back up and went pretty crazy for another day or two. When it was done, bottled, and carbed I thought it tasted like crap. It had an apple cider vinegar taste and I hated it. But I bottled it up and let it sit and it's been sitting now for over a year. I've had a few along the way just to see how it's going and about a month ago I started drinking them regularly. The vinegar flavor completely disappeared and now it just tastes like a hefe with a little too much alcohol content. In this case you could have probably racked to secondary (or kept in secondary) for another month just for grins. Then you can be certain fermentation is done and there is no risk of bottle bombs. Just bottle it up and put it in the back of the basement and forget about it for 6 months. More likely than not it will end up being good beer. I've probably made 20-25 batches of AG and every once in a while I really don't like one of them...but when I let it sit I usually love it after a few months of conditioning. You work too damn hard at getting it to the bottling stage - might as well take a shot. If it still sucks in 6-12 months then it'll probably never get any better and you can dump it then or suffer through it.

Good luck with Cranmoor part II!