1.025 OG possible?

[LamIAm]

Long story short, I tried my first BIAB while grinding my own malts. The recipe called for 12 lbs of grain total.

Bad grind combined with not taking any readings and a leaking fermenter is making me worried.

I brewed on a Sunday and forgot to check gravity until Thursday. It was at 1.025. Checked yesterday (1 week after initial gravity check) and still at 1.025.

Could it be possible that I brewed a beer with an OG of 1.025? This is using the yeast cake of a 4th generation S-05.

Should I toss and start over?

 

[Weizer]

When did you pitch the yeast? Did you see signs of fermentation? With 12 # grain(assuming it was all fermentable) you should have had an OG in the ballpark of 1.060 - 1.065. It's possible 1.025 is your FG..but you didn't get very good attenuation.

Assuming you pitched the yeast on the same day you brewed, it's very possible your beer's fermentation is complete.

 

[hunter_le five]

1.025 Is not your OG, you never got one. You waited several days after pitching yeast to take a gravity reading. It sounds like your FG may be 1.025. What was your target OG?

 

[andy6026]

Since you brewed it Sunday, it's had 4 days to ferment. It's not likely that 1.025 is your OG. It could have dropped considerably from what the OG actually was.

What is more troublesome, likely, is that a week apart between readings the gravity is still at 1.025. I would take another sample in a day or two to be sure that your reading is correct. If it is the same, then I suggest you post your recipe and process in more detail, as you may have a stuck fermentation, or it may well be that it's the FG for this recipe. Be sure to indicate what yeast you're using and whether or not you rehydrated or made a starter, your fermentation temps, etc. The devil is in the detail.

 

[LamIAm]

1.025 Is not your OG, you never got one. You waited several days after pitching yeast to take a gravity reading. It sounds like your FG may be 1.025. What was your target OG?

Let me rephrase because I don't think my original post was well written
If I had zero fermentation going on, the 1.025 could have been static for the four days between brew and when I checked. That's why I was wondering if it was possible to brew something at 1.025. The recipe called for an OG of 1.055.

Be sure to indicate what yeast you're using and whether or not you rehydrated or made a starter, your fermentation temps, etc. The devil is in the detail.

Blue Moon clone. I'll get the recipe at home but it had 6 lbs of Pale Ale malts with just two hop additions. There was a lot (in my mind) of stuff that went wrong being my first BIAB.

I had to no chill because I didn't have an IC. I did not mash out correctly. I did not get good output from my mill. I did pitch on top of a yeast cake from an IPA that had a 4th gen Safale 05.

The beer is for my father's 60th birthday so I'd rather have a *good* batch. Tossing it isn't necessarily a problem if I can't fix it. I'll free up a fermenter and I still have time to get it keg carbed.

 

[hunter_le five]

Let me rephrase because I don't think my original post was well written
If I had zero fermentation going on, the 1.025 could have been static for the four days between brew and when I checked. That's why I was wondering if it was possible to brew something at 1.025. The recipe called for an OG of 1.055.

It's possible, but unless you really FUBARed the mash, or had an abysmal grind, it seems unlikely. It's more likely that you had fermentation and then it stalled at 1.025. In fact, if you mashed too high, there just may have been no fermentable sugars left to get past 1.025

Did you see signs of fermentation? Was there krausen or a krausen ring in the fermenter? etc

 

[LamIAm]

It's possible, but unless you really FUBARed the mash, or had an abysmal grind, it seems unlikely. It's more likely that you had fermentation and then it stalled at 1.025. In fact, if you mashed too high, there just may have been no fermentable sugars left to get past 1.025

Did you see signs of fermentation? Was there krausen or a krausen ring in the fermenter? etc

I'm not discounting my grind was horrible.

I could have mashed too high, that's for sure. I was lazy and did not scrape the krausen ring on my brew bucket before I poured the beer on top of the existing yeast cake so no way to know.

Reading your response makes me feel better that I probably did have fermentation. I've seen S05 finish after 4 or 5 days before so it could have been likely.

This is what happens when you drink and brew. You forget the little things (like taking notes).

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Taste it, does it have booze in it? Does it have a mild fizzyness? Are there bubbles rising if you stare at the surface? If yes to any, then you had fermentation. If no to all then you're 1.025 was the OG and its just been sitting for two weeks.

 

[andy6026]

Sounds like a lot of things didn't go exactly right with this brew. It's either stalled out or got as much attenuation as is possible from a poor grind, a poor mash, and whatever else didn't go exactly according to plan. So long as your fermentation temps were reasonable, that yeast shouldn't stall out at that point. More experienced brewers than myself might offer a different opinion.

It also sounds like you may not want to gift this one. if you have any love for your father. If you think it's worth throwing more yeast at it, you can try that, although I'd be doubtful that it'll help.

Wait a day or two... take another reading, and if it's stable and you think it will be drinkable then bottle it and keep it at home.

For your dad's b-day, I suggest you brew another batch. You can always give it to him in pre-conditioned bottles and tell him to sit on them for the remainder of the conditioning time. He might even get a kick out of sampling one here and there to see how they progress in the conditioning process.

edit: just read now that you're kegging. I wouldn't necessarily toss this batch, but since it's for your dad's 60th, I recommend you brew him something you can be proud of.