Low attenuation again and again

[aron2382]

Ok so I've been brewing a few IPAs and they keep hitting a low final gravity every time.

Here's how Im setup/ brewing plus what I've done to adjust in order to get better attenuation.

Brewing at a lower temp to get better conversion and more fermentable sugars (150-153F).

Fermentation is a controlled temp of 68F in an enclosed small AC Room.

Used healthy starters of safe ale 04 and 05 on different batches. Same results for each (3 batches total)

Using nutrients to aid fermentation

Has plenty aeration prior to pitching at 70F. Worst take off like crazy within 12 hrs and goes for 4-7 days.

Letting each one go in primary for at least 2 weeks. SG is usually 1.06-1.065, then transferring into secondary and dry hopping a week. Usually after 2 weeks in primary I'm still at only 1.03ish and after secondary not much less 1.0275)

Using a calculated ATC refractometer for measuring gravities

PH in worst is around 5.2 each batch

Using pale ale malts 50%
Malted wheat 45%
5% Munich or a specialty

Grain crush is fine, getting around 70-75% extraction. Batch sparging around 170F and getting just over 5 gals of wort and hitting my target OGs of 1.06

Not sure what else I can do, but would like to be getting a FG of lower than 1.02

Using Fermenticus Brew Log to do my calculations.

Any help on getting a better attenuation for a lower FG is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Aaron

 

[Pkrd]

Its the refractometer, the reading isn't correct when alcohol is present, there a heaps of "my beer is stuck at 1.03" threads where it is being measured with a refractometer.

Use a hydrometer.

 

[aron2382]

Amazing, I guess I can brew some fully attenuated beers again. Who would have thought, It was definitely the refractometer...and I was just beginning to love this new guy. Surprised i never saw this issue in any of the other post I had read.Well guess back to the old way when checking FG.

Thank a bunch bud, drinking a 6.8 instead of a 4.9 in honor of you (Pkrd) tonight.

Cheers,

Aaron

 

[aron2382]

 

[j1n]

i found this out the hard way too when i first started. refractometer for before the fermentation for SG readings and hydro after. Another tip is if you can put the hydrometer in the fermentor to take a reading vs pulling some beer out into a cylinder. I usually do this if i already took a sample and tasted the wort and don't want to keep pulling beer out of the fermentor.