Help me save it!

[shyturtle]

I recently made an IPA according to the recipe below (5 gal). The idea was to use a bag of mango spice powder that I found at a middle eastern supermarket. The ingredients aren't listed but I suspect it's at least 95% dried mango powder and turmeric. The goal was to create an IPA similar to Ballast Point's Indra Kunindra, a porter with a strong turmeric flavor.

9.2 oz 60L Crystal
3# Light DME
6# Extra Light DME
1.1 oz Columbus (60 min)
1.6 oz Mosaic (60 min)
1 oz Falconer's Flight (30 min)
1 oz Falconer's Flight (5 min)
1 tsp Irish Moss (5 min)
5 tbsp Mango Spice Powder (flameout)
1 package WLP001


The OG came out to 1.068. Fermentation looked fine for the first week with nice bubbling, so I racked it to secondary and dry hopped with 2 oz Centennial for another two weeks before cold carbing with gelatin for another week. At this point I realized that I only pitched one packet of yeast instead of two and had a mental breakdown.

After kegging I took an FG reading (1.024) and tasted the final product. The flavor was okay but the mouthfeel was thick and syrupy. It also has a maple syrup flavor after the mango and turmeric, which seemed out of place.

According to Beersmith the target FG for this recipe is 1.016, and since I only pitched one packet instead of two I figured the syrupy texture of the beer was from unfermented sugars. I reracked the beer into a carboy and let it sit for another two weeks before kegging it again. However the FG stayed the same (1.024) and the syrupy mouthfeel persisted. At this point I'm unsure where this texture is coming from and am worried that this batch is beyond saving. Any advice would be really appreciated.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

What did you use to measure your gravity? If a hydrometer did you account for temperature? If a refractometer did you adjust for alcohol?
Did you hydrate your yeast?

 

[fatnhappy]

One package of yeast should have been enough. I believe you cold crashed it before the yeast could finish. Try making a yeast starter and add it while it's very active. Hopefully it will finish the beer

 

[shyturtle]

What did you use to measure your gravity? If a hydrometer did you account for temperature? If a refractometer did you adjust for alcohol?
Did you hydrate your yeast?

I used a hydrometer and all the gravity readings are temperature adjusted. I didn't hydrate the yeast, I just mixed the liquid in the packet and let it sit for two hours before pitching.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Oh pardon me, I see now you used white labs. With OG over 1.060 it is recommended to use two or make a starter. With that said, I would think the yeast would eventually do their work. Are you controlling your fermentation temp? Maybe warm it up a couple degrees if it is cool, a small addition of yeast enigizer may help get it going again.

 

[shyturtle]

Oh pardon me, I see now you used white labs. With OG over 1.060 it is recommended to use two or make a starter. With that said, I would think the yeast would eventually do their work. Are you controlling your fermentation temp? Maybe warm it up a couple degrees if it is cool, a small addition of yeast enigizer may help get it going again.

I don't control my fermentation temps but living in southern California it's almost never a problem. The room temperature where my carboys sit is always somewhere between 70 and 75. I'll try adding some energizer. What are your thoughts on the dried mango potentially being the source of the syrupy mouthfeel?

 

[kh54s10]

I don't control my fermentation temps but living in southern California it's almost never a problem. The room temperature where my carboys sit is always somewhere between 70 and 75. I'll try adding some energizer. What are your thoughts on the dried mango potentially being the source of the syrupy mouthfeel?

You should always make a starter with any liquid yeast for a wort over 1.040. They say it will do for 1.060 but IMO that is not best practice.

A room temperature of 75 is WAY too warm. Fermentation creates heat and your wort could have risen as high as 85. Off flavors can be gotten with temperatures only a little over 70 degrees. Most ale yeasts do best in the mid sixties.

It might not have finished when you cold crashed and used the gelatin. That process took out most of the yeast. And would have slowed down any further fermentation dramatically. Though it should have continued.

The spices could be giving you the mouth feel. How does it taste. If it is not sweet, I would say that it is the spices.

If it is drinkable, I would go that route. By racking the beer back into a carboy you probably oxidized the beer. If so it will not last too long before getting off flavors from oxidation. Anything you might do to fix it will have to happen quite quickly.

Personally, I wouldn't bother unless it is undrinkable.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I don't control my fermentation temps but living in southern California it's almost never a problem. The room temperature where my carboys sit is always somewhere between 70 and 75. I'll try adding some energizer. What are your thoughts on the dried mango potentially being the source of the syrupy mouthfeel?

I have no experience with mango powder, however if it is dried and pulverized fruit it would have fiber, likely pectins that could give it that syrupy or thick mouth feel. Sorry I'm not more help on that front.