Wyeast 1007 - stuck?

[uatuba]

I'll never use it again. I have read many threads with people who love this yeast, but I have also read many stating that it takes forever to finish. Wyeast says it works quickly, but that has not been the experience of myself and several others. I'm OCD about my process, from sanitizing to keeping stable temperature. I really don't think my process was bad, EXCEPT I did not create a starter (but I never have...I have ordered supplies to correct that). My OG was 1.055 (as expected...actually, slightly higher than expected as I predicted my efficiency at 75% and actually hit 79.4%). My FG should be 1.012. Now, 13 days after pitching, I am sitting at the high side of 1.019 and should be at around 1.012. Three days ago I was at 1.021. Does it really take 3 days to drop less than two points toward the end of fermentation? I fermented at 62* and have jumped it to 66*.

BTW, looking at the calibration of a hydrometer wrt temperature, it seems by gravity may not have changed at all. I measured the 1.021 at 64* and the 1.019+ at 66* ...

 

[jtejedor]

Extract or all grain? If all grain what was the mash temperature? I have used this strain a few times and don't remember it taking a long time. Also many of these English strains will drop out early and rousing them a bit will help get things going. I generally overpitch most English strains a bit so they finish before they dropout. And since fermentation is mostly done you could go higher then 66 degrees.

 

[uatuba]

All grain. Mashed at 152 for 60 minutes. Raised grain temp to 171 for 10 minutes (mash out), then sparged. Like I said, based on my grain bill at 75% efficiency, I should have had an OG of 1.052. Instead I had 1.055 and pre-boil gravity was 1.050 rather than the expected 1.047, giving me an efficiency of 79.4%. It just seems this is a common problem with this strain, or at least more common than with other strains. What I am wanting to know is how to fix it.

This was my first all-grain batch, and I've done three since then using the same process (one with the exact grain bill using the exact same process and hitting almost to the decimal the same stats, only using a different yeast). And they are all finished with primary fermentation.

 

[Hex23]

Did you aerate? How? Underpitching will have a negative effect on attenuation. I can't say that it would explain your numbers. Do consider that 1.055 -> 1.012 is the high end of the attenuation for that strain.

By your mash temps you should have a moderately fermentable wort, but even a couple of degrees inaccuracy in the wrong direction might raise your FG a point or two. Ever consider doing a forced ferment to rule out fermentability?

My experience with this yeast is that at 65 wort temp, it was still pretty vigorous (had a blowout) and had good attenuation.

 

[Hex23]

At this point it wouldn't hurt to raise to 70F and even rouse the yeast if they've flocculated.

 

[uatuba]

I have roused the yeast and I am bringing the fermenters upstairs so they will hit 70*. I'll check again in three days and see what's up. I have been swirling the fermenters gently for three days but I'm getting to the point that I'm afraid I will shake the hell out of them.

How about just pitching a different yeast altogether, like US-05? I want to be wrong about it being the yeast, but hitting the same stats with the same grain bill and the same process with much better results, using only a different yeast, it is becoming more and more difficult to be convinced otherwise...

 

[Hex23]

What yeasts were used in those other beers that gave you better/faster attenuation? By chance is it US-05? If you pitched an 11g pack of that, a "process" difference there is that you did not underpitch and it could be tolerant of some underaeration.

 

[uatuba]

I aerated with a full 1.5 minutes of O2.


I used WLP-029.

 

[uatuba]

Also, Wyeast says that 1007 attenuates at 73-77%. Right now I'm at 63.1% attenuation and well below the 11% alcohol tolerance.

 

[Hex23]

If you're willing to give 1007 another shot, try a starter next time and see if it makes a difference.