Stuck at 1.025 or finished?

[aidan]

I checked the SG on my IPA on day 9 when I was dry hopping it and it was 1.025. 5 days later it is still at 1.025. It actually tastes really good already, I'm not tasting any excessive sweetness (like I did on my previous batch that finished high). This might be because the high IBUs are balancing the sweetness. The target final gravity is 1.017 so it's quite a ways off. Is it possible it could be finished at such a high FG?

The yeast is US05. I fermented at 18C (64.5F). I raised the temp to 20C (68F) after day 9. It's a partial mash and mash temp was 65.5C (150F). OG was 1.064. Full recipe here.

I'm definately going to leave it another week before I cold crash it and I've given the fermenter a little swirl in an attempt to rouse the yeast. But what if SG is still 1.025 in another week? Will it be safe to bottle?

 

[unionrdr]

Another week will be fine,as it'll only be 3 weeks total. The problem could be malts with too many unfermentables.

 

[Brulosopher]

Another week will be fine,as it'll only be 3 weeks total. The problem could be malts with too many unfermentables.

+1 on waiting at least another week. You might also consider rousing your yeast a bit by swirling your fermenter. After checking the recipe, I'm certain your FG should be much lower... not too many unfermentables.

 

[aidan]

Yeah, as I said I'm planning on leaving it at least another week, I'm not in any hurry, but since the SG hasn't dropped in the last 5 days, there's a chance it won't drop in another week. So what do I do then if it's still at 1.025? just go ahead with cold crash and bottle?

 

[jmprdood]

Yep, it'll be finished. No worries.

 

[Brulosopher]

Yeah, as I said I'm planning on leaving it at least another week, I'm not in any hurry, but since the SG hasn't dropped in the last 5 days, there's a chance it won't drop in another week. So what do I do then if it's still at 1.025? just go ahead with cold crash and bottle?

If after rousing the yeast and waiting another week it's still at 1.025, pitch another S05. That's really high for an IPA.

 

[BrewThruYou]

It could be finished...it's extract and it has a pound of carapils in it.

 

[dcp27]

what temp did you mash at? 67C like the AG copy?

 

[slarkin712]

Check that your hydrometer is calibrated correctly in some tap water. I just realized that one of my hydrometers was reading 4 points too high. I'm not sure how this happened, as it read 1.000 in tap water when I first got it.

 

[aidan]

what temp did you mash at? 67C like the AG copy?

I mashed at 65.5C (150F)

 

[aidan]

Check that your hydrometer is calibrated correctly in some tap water. I just realized that one of my hydrometers was reading 4 points too high. I'm not sure how this happened, as it read 1.000 in tap water when I first got it.

I've used this hydrometer on lots of other batches, getting readings as expected so I'm confident that's not the issue.

 

[aidan]

If after rousing the yeast and waiting another week it's still at 1.025, pitch another S05. That's really high for an IPA.

I'm a bit doubtful that adding more yeast will do anything. I pitched a 1.5L starter to begin with, so I think the original pitching rate was pretty ample. Any other opinions on whether repitching might do anything?

 

[JLem]

I've used this hydrometer on lots of other batches, getting readings as expected so I'm confident that's not the issue.

Still doesn't hurt to check. The paper scale inside the hydrometer can shift as the hydrometer is jostled about between uses.

 

[aidan]

Ok I checked the hydrometer in tap water and it looks like it's about 0.004 off. I don't understand why as I've checked it in water before and got dead on 1.000. But this time it looks like I'm getting 1.004. The paper inside looks solid, no sign of any movement. I've taken pictures to see if you guys agree with my reading. To take a reading, I fill the tube to as level with the brim as I can get it and try to read using the brim as a guide. I checked the SG of the beer and it's still the same, it hasn't budged in 8 days. My reading looks to be about 1.026 (see picture and let me know if you agree with my reading). So if we subtract .004 to make up for how much the hydrometer is out, the adjusted reading would be around 1.022.

The original AG recipe for this IPA anticipates an FG of 1.015. My calculator, Brew Mate, calculates it at 1.017 for my extract version of the recipe. So, if I go with 1.017 for the target, I'm off by 0.005. That's probably not too bad eh? I think it should be safe to go ahead and cold crash soon and bottle it up, do you guys agree? My gut tells me that pitching more yeast won't do anything except waste yeast. What do you think?

 

[Bob]

I think your gut is right. The grist of your beer is such that a deviation of that magnitude is possible.

More importantly, if your hydrometer is giving you like readings over several days, you can be confident the ferment has completed. While the predicted FG is important to note as a benchmark, all manner of things can happen inside the fermenter to make that number relatively meaningless. Your hydrometer lets you listen to your yeast; it's like a translator. Your yeast will tell you when they've finished. The don't pay any attention to what your recipe says, for they can't read. They'll do what they do and be damned to the recipe sheet! Listen to them.

Cheers!

Bob

 

[Draken]

Search "1.020 curse". You can caramelize some of your extract and create unfermentable sugars if you add it all early in the boil. Or at least that's what I read on here

 

[JLem]

To make reading the hydrometer easier, you might try filling the tube with less liquid. If it's not filled to the brim you can avoid having the liquid climb the sides of the hydrometer. I always find I get more accurate readings if I leave an inch or so of space at the top.

 

[aidan]

To make reading the hydrometer easier, you might try filling the tube with less liquid. If it's not filled to the brim you can avoid having the liquid climb the sides of the hydrometer. I always find I get more accurate readings if I leave an inch or so of space at the top.

That's the way I used to do it but I found that I was still getting a meniscus. I find that when I fill it right to the top and use the top edge as a guide it helps me ignore the meniscus.

 

[aidan]

Search "1.020 curse". You can caramelize some of your extract and create unfermentable sugars if you add it all early in the boil. Or at least that's what I read on here

I've read lot's of threads already about the 1.020 curse. I did my main boil with the wort from the mash only and gave the LME a short boil just to sanitise in a seperate pot, so I would probably not be so prone to caramelization.

 

[aidan]

I think your gut is right. The grist of your beer is such that a deviation of that magnitude is possible.

More importantly, if your hydrometer is giving you like readings over several days, you can be confident the ferment has completed. While the predicted FG is important to note as a benchmark, all manner of things can happen inside the fermenter to make that number relatively meaningless. Your hydrometer lets you listen to your yeast; it's like a translator. Your yeast will tell you when they've finished. The don't pay any attention to what your recipe says, for they can't read. They'll do what they do and be damned to the recipe sheet! Listen to them.

Cheers!

Bob

Good, at least one person agrees with my assesment. By the way the beer tastes great, not even a hint of unwanted sweetness at all.

 

[JLem]

That's the way I used to do it but I found that I was still getting a meniscus. I find that when I fill it right to the top and use the top edge as a guide it helps me ignore the meniscus.

You can't ignore the meniscus - that's where you read the value. When you fill it to the brim, like you have it, the meniscus is "reversed" but you should still read the hydrometer where it is. Given the photo you posted, your beer looks like it is reading 1.023ish. Your water sample looks like about 1.002ish. Though I guess as long as you read both in the same place and correct for it, it doesn't really matter.

BTW, I was curious about this, so I just checked my hydrometer both filled to the brim and not and it checks out as I suspected - you need to read the top of the meniscus in your situation.

EDIT: Also, from Wikipedia (must be correct, right?) - "When reading a scale on the side of an instrument filled up with liquid, the meniscus must be taken into account in order to obtain a precise measurement. Manufacturers take the meniscus into account and calibrate their measurement marks relative to the resulting meniscus. The measurement is taken with the meniscus at eye level to eliminate parallax error, and at the center of the meniscus, i.e. the top of a convex meniscus, or the bottom of a concave meniscus."

 

[aidan]

You can't ignore the meniscus - that's where you read the value. When you fill it to the brim, like you have it, the meniscus is "reversed" but you should still read the hydrometer where it is. Given the photo you posted, your beer looks like it is reading 1.023ish. Your water sample looks like about 1.002ish. Though I guess as long as you read both in the same place and correct for it, it doesn't really matter.

BTW, I was curious about this, so I just checked my hydrometer both filled to the brim and not and it checks out as I suspected - you need to read the top of the meniscus in your situation.

EDIT: Also, from Wikipedia (must be correct, right?) - "When reading a scale on the side of an instrument filled up with liquid, the meniscus must be taken into account in order to obtain a precise measurement. Manufacturers take the meniscus into account and calibrate their measurement marks relative to the resulting meniscus. The measurement is taken with the meniscus at eye level to eliminate parallax error, and at the center of the meniscus, i.e. the top of a convex meniscus, or the bottom of a concave meniscus."

I've read that you should read from the level of the liquid and not the top of the meniscus. Here's an example of where it's explained that way:
http://www.stevenson-reeves.co.uk/howto.htm

 

[unionrdr]

That's the way I was taught to do it in science class. & the way the instructions with my hydrometer said to. You read through the level of liquid through the meniscus,not at the top of it. Unless that particular one is set up to read at the top of the meniscus.

 

[JLem]

That's the way I was taught to do it in science class. & the way the instructions with my hydrometer said to. You read through the level of liquid through the meniscus,not at the top of it. Unless that particular one is set up to read at the top of the meniscus.

That is true IF the meniscus is concave. But you need to read the top if it is convex, like it is when the hydrometer tube is overflowing.

(from the Wikipedia article on "Meniscus")

 

[aidan]

That is true IF the meniscus is concave. But you need to read the top if it is convex, like it is when the hydrometer tube is overflowing.

I make sure the level of the liquid is flat relative to the top of the tube. If it's overflowing, i.e. bulging above the top of the tube, I blot a little away with a paper towel until it's as level as possible. Then I read through the meniscus (as best as I can because it makes it hard to see clearly), in accordance with the dotted line in this picture: