After 2 weeks in primary

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Erythro73

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Hi,
today, after 2 weeks in primary, I racked to secondary (to add vanilla extract, 1 tbsp in a 2.5 gallons batch). While I racked to secondary, I took a sample in a tube to measure the gravity of the 2 weeks old beer.

I don't know if I should be worried or not, but my gravity reading was 1.020 (with correction added) while my OG was initially 1.055 and the recipe and Beersmith calls for a 1.014 FG. Here is the recipe : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f68/none-more-black-vanilla-stout-96969/

Is it normal? Is it normal that after two weeks, my gravity reading is still this high? Should I re-pitch some yeast? I'm guessing that having racked would have swirl the mix enough as to help yeast finish their work. The temperature was in the high end of the yeast optimum working temperature (as the recipe calls for a 70F fermentation temperature).

And what is an acceptable range close to what the recipe calls for? +/- 0.002?

Or should I just RDWHAHB and let it be? Don't get me wrong -- I'll take the beer as it is at the end -- I just don't want a beer who's not finished when I'll bottle, resulting in bottle bombs.

(I tasted the sample, and it was very good, even without the added vanilla extract).
 
Your FG is not optimal and most likely you will experience residual sweetness above what the finished beer calls for. However, you are at the point where pitching more is more or less pointless. At that OG, my guess is that either you underpitched your yeast, you wort wasn't properly aerated, or the temperature was too high such that the yeast stressed out and decided to quit.

See how the finished beer turns out. You may be surprised. If not, make the necessary adjustments next time. I make a starter EVERY time with any gravity over 1.030 (which is essentially always) using liquid yeast. With dry yeast, you would be ok even with that gravity.

Make sure you calculate proper pitching rates. Here is a good resource:

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
 
Your FG is not optimal and most likely you will experience residual sweetness above what the finished beer calls for. However, you are at the point where pitching more is more or less pointless. At that OG, my guess is that either you underpitched your yeast, you wort wasn't properly aerated, or the temperature was too high such that the yeast stressed out and decided to quit.

See how the finished beer turns out. You may be surprised. If not, make the necessary adjustments next time. I make a starter EVERY time with any gravity over 1.030 (which is essentially always) using liquid yeast. With dry yeast, you would be ok even with that gravity.

Make sure you calculate proper pitching rates. Here is a good resource:

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
I didn't do a starter because I was doing a 2.5 gallons batch with an OG of 1.055, which, by my calculation, didn't need any starter, even using liquid yeast (plus, as it was my very first batch, I did want to simplify the recipe as much as possible)...

Even the Mr. Malty's calculator state I didn't need any starter. It wasn't an old yeast and well... it was well aerated (as I did put my wort in the fermenter, then put it back in the pot, then back in the fermenter).

So, does it mean the FG has no chance to go down after 2 weeks?
 
I didn't do a starter because I was doing a 2.5 gallons batch with an OG of 1.055, which, by my calculation, didn't need any starter, even using liquid yeast (plus, as it was my very first batch, I did want to simplify the recipe as much as possible)...

Even the Mr. Malty's calculator state I didn't need any starter. It wasn't an old yeast and well... it was well aerated (as I did put my wort in the fermenter, then put it back in the pot, then back in the fermenter).

So, does it mean the FG has no chance to go down after 2 weeks?

So you didn't top up a 2.5g batch to 5 gallons. If that is the case, you are right...no starter need. If you topped up to 5 gallons, Mr. Malty calculates a 1.82 liter starter (192 billion cells). If you used Wyeast, they state 100 billion cells (of which who knows what % are viable). So, you should have used a starter.

At this point, FG is not going to decrease. It is odd that if you did a 2.5g batch that was well aerated and pitched a new vial/pack of liquid yeast that you didn't attenuate out to a lower gravity. :confused:
 
But, if I bottle in a week with this kind of FG... Isn't there a risk that fermentation continue in the bottle (the fermentation of the residual sugar, I mean) which, mixed with the fermentation of the priming solution, would result in exploding bottles?
 
But, if I bottle in a week with this kind of FG... Isn't there a risk that fermentation continue in the bottle (the fermentation of the residual sugar, I mean) which, mixed with the fermentation of the priming solution, would result in exploding bottles?

If fermentation is complete (stable FG readings over 3 or 4 days), this is highly unlikely. Reintroduction of sugar (priming sugar) will get the yeast going again, but the residual sugars are most likely unfermentables because nothing else would really explain why they didn't ferment out. You used good aeration, healthy new yeast, allowed plenty of time, etc. The "fermentation" that will occur in the bottles will be the conversion of the priming sugar, not the residuals left over from the wort. If you are concerned, place the bottles in a secure location (maybe inside a box inside a big rubbermaid container). However, if it were me, I would not be very concerned.
 
If fermentation is complete (stable FG readings over 3 or 4 days), this is highly unlikely. Reintroduction of sugar (priming sugar) will get the yeast going again, but the residual sugars are most likely unfermentables because nothing else would really explain why they didn't ferment out. You used good aeration, healthy new yeast, allowed plenty of time, etc. The "fermentation" that will occur in the bottles will be the conversion of the priming sugar, not the residuals left over from the wort. If you are concerned, place the bottles in a secure location (maybe inside a box inside a big rubbermaid container). However, if it were me, I would not be very concerned.

OK, thanks a lot for your help!
 
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