what would you do?

[barleyhole]

I brewed a 10 gallon batch of maibock a couple of weeks ago, fairly standard recipe with mostly Pils and some Vienna and light munich. Mash was on target around 150F and I pulled a decoction and added back in around 1 hour. 80% efficiency. My OG was around 1.067 and I split the batch into 2 fermenters. One got a dose of WLP 862 (Cry Havoc) and the other WLP 838 (Southern German Lager). I think the 838 came out OK, the gravity was down to 1.017. Not as low as I wanted but at the top of the supposed range for the style. However the Cry Havoc only went down to 1.020-1.021. For some reason I was talked into this strain at my homebrew store given that it seemed pretty neutral and completely ignoring its low- poor (IMO) attenuation of around 68%. Both yeasts seemed to hit their average mark for attenuation..so I do not think this was a fermetables issue...

So what would you do if you want to get the Cry Havoc down a few more points? I tasted out of primary. It wasn't bad per se. Of course it's not a flocculant strain either and these beers need to lager for a reason.... But perhaps a bit too much malt sweetness for my liking.

Forget it. Lager it. Enjoy it? Or try something (what?) to knock it down a few points? Currently it's sitting in the 63 F basement hopefully dropping another point before I start lagering this weekend but there is no reason to think it will drop anymore than it has already without some intervention.

 

[IkeKrizzule]

If it's been only 2 weeks I'd leave it another and raise it to an "upstairs" temp but I'd guess it's done. A week can't hurt, but even if done I doubt you'll find a difference between 1.017 and 1.02.

 

[RM-MN]

If it's been only 2 weeks I'd leave it another and raise it to an "upstairs" temp but I'd guess it's done. A week can't hurt, but even if done I doubt you'll find a difference between 1.017 and 1.02.

The warmer temp may help bring the FG down but if it doesn't, just say you were doing a diacetyl rest.

 

[madscientist451]

The beer that finished at 1.021 looks like a good candidate for some experiments.
If you really don't like it all that much, what do you have to lose at this point?
If you have 5 gallons, chill it down to get the yeast to settle, split the batch and use 2, three gallon carboys.
In #1, I'd add ECY bug farm or a Belgian Sour mix. I've used the ECY yeast bug farm with good results.
In #2, I'd add WLP 925, which is supposed to attenuate to 82%. I've never used this yeast, but it looks like may do what you were looking for, getting the FG lower.
Its supposed to be good at 62-68, so you could just leave it in the basement and see if it works.
I'd make a starter for the WLP 925, but just throw the ECY bug farm right in.

 

[barleyhole]

OK, I really like this idea...both doing the sour for half the batch and the HP Lager yeast for the other half.

I agree with the other comments that there is not much difference between 17 and 21 GU, they are both high enough where the malt sweetness denies hop bitterness but I can tell the one at 17 is very slightly dry on the finish. I'll just let that one sit for another week or so before it is lagered.

The beer that finished at 1.021 looks like a good candidate for some experiments.
If you really don't like it all that much, what do you have to lose at this point?
If you have 5 gallons, chill it down to get the yeast to settle, split the batch and use 2, three gallon carboys.
In #1, I'd add ECY bug farm or a Belgian Sour mix. I've used the ECY yeast bug farm with good results.
In #2, I'd add WLP 925, which is supposed to attenuate to 82%. I've never used this yeast, but it looks like may do what you were looking for, getting the FG lower.
Its supposed to be good at 62-68, so you could just leave it in the basement and see if it works.
I'd make a starter for the WLP 925, but just throw the ECY bug farm right in.

 

[Calder]

Rack it onto the cake of the batch that got down to 1.017 to get a few points with little effort.