Is my beer finished?

[Triton]

Doing a cream ale, My OG was 1.052, Following through the recipe after 24 days and my final gravity ends up at 1.032, recipe says it should be 1.008. I had bubbles and trub when I transferred to the secondary so I know some fermentation happened. What should I do now? Did it not ferment all the way? Here's the recipe

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Safale S05
Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.008
IBU: 12.3
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 5 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 at 68
Additional Fermentation: Cold conditioning
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 at 55
8 pounds maris otter
1 pound flaked corn
8 ounces biscuit malt
8 ounces carapils

1 ounces hersbrucker (60)
1/2 ounce saaz (10)
1/2 ounce saaz (flameout)

Mash at 150 for 75 minutes.

 

[Jawbox0]

Basically, I'm thinking you pulled off of primary too soon and the remaining yeast in suspension dropped out when you dropped the temperature. I'd suggest that those entire 24 days should have been spent in primary at 68F.

 

[Jawbox0]

I've thought a bit about 'saving' a beer like this. I'd think you could start a scaled down 1 gallon batch of the same beer, start fermentation, and once it really starts chugging along, add the partially fermented batch in.

It seems like it should work at least as well as a normal starter.

 

[Hello]

Wait, what was the gravity when you transferred it to secondary? Was it 1.032? There is no way that is done.

 

[peterj]

Are you measuring FG with a refractometer? Refractometers are not accurate when alcohol is present. You have to use a calculator (like this one: http://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/) to convert the reading to get the actual gravity. Hydrometers are more accurate after fermentation has begun, but a refractometer used with a conversion calculator will give you an ok estimate.

 

[Ctownbrewery]

If all else fails, repitch new yeast

 

[Triton]

I was using a hydrometer for the reading. It's surgary sticking so I guess just pitch more yeast?

 

[khawk95]

I would rehydrate and pitch another packet of us05. Leave alone until fg is reached. Hope it didn't pick up bacteria while sitting. It's worth a shot.


Roed Haus Brewery

 

[leadgenm]

You should you refractometer to get accurate reasult. How this device can help you? https://www.nationalmicroscope.com/...er-ta-grape-must-concentrations-and-brix.html

 

[peterj]

I don't know why it would have gotten stuck. 10 days at 68F is plenty of time for US-05 to finish up. Really 5 days should be plenty of time! Are you sure you didn't have a temperature dip in there? Anyway, before you pitch more yeast I would try warming it up to the low to mid 70s F and swirling the fermenter a little to mix some yeast off the bottom. If you don't see anything happening after that, then I would make a starter and pitch it at high krausen.

You should you refractometer to get accurate reasult. How this device can help you? https://www.nationalmicroscope.com/...er-ta-grape-must-concentrations-and-brix.html

This is not true. Hydrometers are way more accurate after fermentation has begun.

 

[rmyurick]

Did you taste it? Hydrometer readings can be off, too, you kind of have to spin it around to knock the CO2 bubbles off.

 

[Triton]

I tasted it and it tastes good but it is sweet!

 

[Triton]

Ok pitched a pack of US-05 five days ago and check the wort with a hydrometer today. It's still at 1.030 at 70 degrees. What should I do now let it sit?

 

[peterj]

Ok pitched a pack of US-05 five days ago and check the wort with a hydrometer today. It's still at 1.030 at 70 degrees. What should I do now let it sit?

Have you checked the thermometer you used to do the mash? Maybe it wasn't calibrated correctly and you mashed a lot higher than you thought? What temperature is the beer at now? Try swirling it a little bit and warming it up into the high 70s.

Just to be absolutely certain, you are measuring with a hydrometer which looks like this picture right?

 

[rmyurick]

If you haven't done so already, check your hydrometer with some cool water & see if it reads correctly (1.000). If your mash temp was too high, you would end up with some unfermentable dextrins, but not that much (1.030).

 

[peterj]

If your mash temp was too high, you would end up with some unfermentable dextrins, but not that much (1.030).

Depends on how much it was off. If he actually mashed at 170F or something then he would have gotten very little conversion.

 

[Triton]

Peterj, that is the hydrometer that I am using and I just checked it in water and it is reading 1.00 So I will start raising the temp in the fermenter to the high 70's and see how it goes!
I mash in an igloo cooler and my mash temps were 152 degrees

 

[khawk95]

Did you test your thermometer?


Roed Haus Brewery

 

[Triton]

I'm using a digital temp controller and a small freezer, temp check out

 

[khawk95]

I meant did you test the thermometer you measured mash temp with? That would impact the fermentables in the wort.


Roed Haus Brewery

 

[Triton]

Didn't get that, but I will check it. Does that mean this batch is no good?

 

[m1k3]

Didn't get that, but I will check it. Does that mean this batch is no good?

Correct if you mashed very hot the wort would largely unfermentable... therefore the high finishing gravity.

The other way to tell is a forced ferment test.

 

[khawk95]

Didn't get that, but I will check it. Does that mean this batch is no good?

It doesn't mean the batch is bad, but mash temp is a key in determining FG and dry vs sweet finishes in your beer. Make sure you calibrate your thermometer in ice water and boiling water. If you are off a few degrees, you will need to adjust your process or your thermometer.



Roed Haus Brewery

 

[Triton]

I'm going to check the thermometer, according to the brew calculator my beer is at 2 % alcohol. What can I do now?
Thanks

 

[peterj]

Well if raising the temp and adding more yeast hasn't helped, then I'm not really sure what to do. My only guess is that for some reason or another you have a lot of unfermentables in the beer. So the way to go from there is to deal with those.

Do you like or have an interest in trying Brett? Brett can ferment a lot of things that Sacch yeasts can't. If you add a Brett culture now, it will probably slowly chew through all of the unfermentables and bring your FG down pretty low. It will also produce some funky flavors, so not sure if you're into that sort of thing.

You could also add some amylase enzymes to break down the dextrins and starches further into things the Sacch can ferment. But I've never used them before and I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.

Another option is to go with it as is, but it doesn't seem like it would be a good beer right now. Of course you could always just dump the batch and start over too.

 

[thehijjt]

Amylase enzymes won't help much at low temperatures (< 140s F). I have had a stuck batch before and used Glucoamylase, or Convertase Enzyme. It will convert starches to sugars at room temperatures. Be careful with this stuff if you are bottling because it will make your end gravity very low and create a lot of co2. I would suggest cold crashing and filtering (to remove the yeast) or doing something to stabilize as your yeast won't likely stop at 1.008. Also be prepared for some estery flavors. Good Luck

 

[peterj]

Amylase enzymes won't help much at low temperatures (< 140s F). I have had a stuck batch before and used Glucoamylase, or Convertase Enzyme. It will convert starches to sugars at room temperatures. Be careful with this stuff if you are bottling because it will make your end gravity very low and create a lot of co2. I would suggest cold crashing and filtering (to remove the yeast) or doing something to stabilize as your yeast won't likely stop at 1.008. Also be prepared for some estery flavors. Good Luck

Oh yeah, those were the enzymes I had in mind. I knew they made them that would break down stuff in the fermenter but just didn't know the name because I've never used them.

If I were you I would lean more towards adding Brett, but that's because I enjoy funky beers.