1.050 OG to 1.030 FG. Now What?

[timperkins]

I brewed a Vanilla Chocolate Porter two weeks ago. Pretty sure I mashed and sparged at too high of a temperature. I did witness active fermentation for about a week. But 50 to 30 was allot lower than expected. So I pitched another batch of yeast, thinking the first batch might have been suspect, but no changes.

The question now is, should I throw it out or proceed?

I was planning on serving this on Nitro. It's a basic porter, with some flaked oats, 1/2 lb cocoa powder, 1/3 lb corn sugar and 3 vanilla beans.

Thoughts?

 

[day_trippr]

Just as a sanity check, how are you measuring the current SG? If it's with a refractometer the reading needs adjustment to account for the presence of alcohol.

Otoh, if you used a hydrometer, well, that's not great. But, folks have been doing amazing things with various enzymes, so that could be an option. Alpha Amylase (aka Amylase 300) or the big hammer Glucoamylase should bring the FG down...

Cheers!

 

[timperkins]

Just as a sanity check, how are you measuring the current SG? If it's with a refractometer the reading needs adjustment to account for the presence of alcohol.

Otoh, if you used a hydrometer, well, that's not great. But, folks have been doing amazing things with various enzymes, so that could be an option. Alpha Amylase (aka Amylase 300) or the big hammer Glucoamylase should bring the FG down...

Cheers!

With a hydrometer, like 99% of the other home brewers out there.

 

[mjdonnelly68]

Dump it - enzymes will help get you a few more points, but from where you sit you'll need a time machine.

And give credence (and thanks) to the feedback of folks like day trippr. It's the quickest way to learn to brew better beer.

 

[GoeHaarden]

With a hydrometer, like 99% of the other home brewers out there.

Whoa! He was being helpful. A lot of homebrewers fall victim to the ~1.030 FG when using a refractometer without accounting for alcohol content. We see it a lot, that's probably why he asked...

 

[timperkins]

Oh, sorry, didn't mean to come off like "that guy"... Appreciate everyone's input. 20 years brewing and this might be the first batch I've tossed down the sink.

FWIW, I really don't care about the ABV on this one... Looking for a creamy, somewhat sweet holiday beer.

 

[mjdonnelly68]

Good on you. Hard to read tone on some of our posts.

If don't mind missing your numbers by a fair bit, why not follow day trippr's suggestion and see how low you can get it to finish. Then carbonate and taste. If you like it - great. If you don't, all you've lost is time.

Good luck with it.

 

[RM-MN]

I've had one beer stall out during fermentation with similar reading. I simply moved mine to the table, ready to bottle when I got the high hydrometer reading, then back to the floor. That move was apparently all it needed because a week later it was at the expected FG. It's worth a try to swirl up the settled yeast and set the fermenter somewhere warm for a week to see if that helps before writing off an entire batch of beer.

 

[micraftbeer]

Stir it up with a sanitized spoon, add five degrees warmer than you've been sitting at, and give it a couple days. Or if you think you can mix it up adequately by swirling the fermentor without opening it, go that route.

I'm a firm believer in never dumping a beer until after you try it. Sure, if it tastes like crap, dump it. But I wouldn't dump it just because your gravity is sitting at a really high number. You may never be able to recreate it, but it would be a shame to waste your hours of labor because it could be enjoyable.

 

[Yooper]

If it tastes great, it's worth saving. It might be a bit full bodied, but the taste might be great. See how it is before deciding to interfere with enzymes, or to dump.

 

[timperkins]

Thanks, everyone, for the great advise... Going to try a 10g package of Glucoamylase (see it on Amazon). Should I use the whole 10g package or some part of it?

 

[bracconiere]

Just as a sanity check, how are you measuring the current SG? If it's with a refractometer the reading needs adjustment to account for the presence of alcohol.

Otoh, if you used a hydrometer, well, that's not great. But, folks have been doing amazing things with various enzymes, so that could be an option. Alpha Amylase (aka Amylase 300) or the big hammer Glucoamylase should bring the FG down...

Cheers!

i can pretty much guarantee gluco would drop it. i don't think gel'd starch increases the 'density'?(yes i remember my lesson) at least i've had thick gravy and my hydrometer still floats at 1.000 So alpha wouldn't help here

i'd be curious what temp you mashed at to get that high a FG? and possibly double check it's accuracy for next time? mashing at 162-165f will get a beer like that...

https://brewhaus.com/gluco-amylase-enzyme-amyloglucosidase-2oz/

for 2 bucks you could save it!

 

[timperkins]

i'd be curious what temp you mashed at to get that high a FG? and possibly double check it's accuracy for next time? mashing at 162-165f will get a beer like that...

You nailed it, about 165. I usually heat the water to about 170 and it falls to 155 when I add the grains, but this batch had allot more water in the mash recipe, so the temperature barely moved.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I'd just try drinking it as is. You might be surprised. Dextrins (which you presumably have giving the high gravity) don't taste overly sweet, they just give body.

 

[bracconiere]

I'd just try drinking it as is. You might be surprised. Dextrins (which you presumably have giving the high gravity) don't taste overly sweet, they just give body.

i tried to drink a high FG rice beer once, before i knew about gluco, just used alpha...On the toilet all day! i'd say get some gluco, doesn't take much, like a tsp....bag would probably last for years for you. just in case you miss your strike temp again!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

i tried to drink a high FG rice beer once, before i knew about gluco, just used alpha...On the toilet all day!

Is that a food intolerance thing? How do you go with big imperial stouts, barleywine and the like?

 

[timperkins]

... i'd say get some gluco, doesn't take much, like a tsp....bag would probably last for years for you. just in case you miss your strike temp again!

Oh wow, really just a tsp? I was reading where a guy used half a bag for a 5 gal batch. I just ordered a 10g packet of
FERMFAST Glucoamylase, labeled as "Single Dose". How much of that stuff should I use?

 

[bracconiere]

Oh wow, really just a tsp? I was reading where a guy used half a bag for a 5 gal batch. I just ordered a 10g packet of
FERMFAST Glucoamylase, labeled as "Single Dose". How much of that stuff should I use?

i use 12g's for a 10 gal batch?

DAMN! i hope this isn't what you got

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FERMFAST-H...6:g:RKkAAOSwsc1bJ48E:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

I get a 1lb bag to my door $25...from BrewHaus


10 bucks is spendy! for a 10g 'single dose' pack

can't seem to find to many offers on ebay for it, but found this, probably be enough to finish about 4 batches

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1oz-Gluco-...5:g:0voAAOSwjXRXbSZ1:rk:1:pf:1&frcectupt=true

 

[isomerization]

I don’t think you want to be drying out a porter? You can’t really stop the glucoamylas without hearing your beer up, so it (and your yeast) will keep working until FG is at 1.000 (or lower). Don’t try bottling early!

Personally, I’d listen to the majority above, if it tastes good, run with it. Want more booze? Add some brown sugar to kick up the abv and be done.

 

[bracconiere]

I don’t think you want to be drying out a porter? You can’t really stop the glucoamylas without hearing your beer up, so it (and your yeast) will keep working until FG is at 1.000 (or lower). Don’t try bottling early!

Personally, I’d listen to the majority above, if it tastes good, run with it. Want more booze? Add some brown sugar to kick up the abv and be done.

I've done dry beers with lots of black patent malt before, you'd be surprised how much body they still have even at 1.000..

Could even be a new fad beer style...call it a "Black BrüT" have everyone trying to imitate you!
Just imagine if 'Arrogant Bastard' does so good...? lol

 

[timperkins]

Here's an update: I added 2/3rds cup of brown sugar and approx 5g of Glucoamylase.... and we have fermentation! Hoping it wasn't due only to the additional sugar. I'll get a gravity reading in a couple of days and let all of you know how it turns out. Thanks again!

 

[bracconiere]

with the gluco, it may take a while to finish. but should finish at 1.002 or less. but being a porter...Will still be thick and delicious! (And you can drink a couple extra!)

 

[timperkins]

Update: It finished around 1.004 I've racked it into a keg on top of 3 large vanilla beans that were soaked in rum for 3 weeks. Going to put it away for the next couple of months, something the recipe recommends, and then serve on Nitro (my first attempt at that).

Thanks everyone for the advise!

 

[bracconiere]

Update: It finished around 1.004 I've racked it into a keg on top of 3 large vanilla beans that were soaked in rum for 3 weeks. Going to put it away for the next couple of months, something the recipe recommends, and then serve on Nitro (my first attempt at that).

Thanks everyone for the advise!

Did you taste it out of the hydrometer jar? if so, how was the body?

 

[timperkins]

Did you taste it out of the hydrometer jar? if so, how was the body?

I did, it's a little chewy... allot of chocolate. Looking forward to putting it on Nitro.

 

[papz]

I know that you are already past the problem which you had presented but i wanted to convey an alternative to the suggestions above (not that there is anything wrong with them )

You could brew a second batch of beer using the same recipe or very similar but with a mash temp more suited to making a higher ABV beer. Say 148-F.
Once the second brew is done you blend the two together. Getting your mouthfeel from the first and your ABV from the second.

The downfall is that you have 10 gallons now instead of 5.
(first world problem right there folks)
-Cheers.

 

[bracconiere]

I know that you are already past the problem which you had presented but i wanted to convey an alternative to the suggestions above (not that there is anything wrong with them )

You could brew a second batch of beer using the same recipe or very similar but with a mash temp more suited to making a higher ABV beer. Say 148-F.
Once the second brew is done you blend the two together. Getting your mouthfeel from the first and your ABV from the second.

The downfall is that you have 10 gallons now instead of 5.
(first world problem right there folks)
-Cheers.

10 gals instead of 5! get out the calorie calculator, and buy another keg! sounds good to me!

 

[day_trippr]

That's an old school remedy (being old I can say that )
In this era of magical enzymes I would now bin the "brew a dry batch and combine them" to the very last resort...

Cheers!