Another Stuck Fermentation???

[Seabee John]

I brewed this extract recipe from midwest about three weeks ago. Unfortunatly, I was un able to rack to a secondary after the main ferment. Tonight I pulled a sample for SG (1.020) before kegging, and I thought it looked a little high, but figured it's a porter, it may just be that way. I drained the sample into a glass - for my first taste... Ugh! it still tasted really sweet. The initial ferment was very active (in a 6.5 gal carboy) Nothing out of the ordinary happened. This is my first porter and maybe I'm just not used to the way it tastes. Any suggestions?

Power Pack Porter w/ London Ale Activator Wyeast 1028
Ingredients for this recipe include 6 lbs of Dark malt extract, 3.3 lbs Light malt extract, 4 oz. Black Patent malt, 4 oz. Chocolate malt, 8 oz. Caramel 120 L., 1.5 Tettnang bittering hops, 1 oz. Willamette aroma hops, grain bag, priming sugar and yeast.

 

[david_42]

1.020 for a porter isn't unusual and dark extracts tend to have more unfermentables. The caramel is mainly long-chain, sweet sugars as well. Also, some porters are intended to be sweet.

Finally, the carbonic acid formed during carbonation will balance the sweetness a bit.

 

[malkore]

what was the starting gravity?

I agree 1.020 sounds reasonably close for a final gravity, especially after 3 weeks in primary (which I wouldn't worry about really).

 

[Seabee John]

what was the starting gravity?

I agree 1.020 sounds reasonably close for a final gravity, especially after 3 weeks in primary (which I wouldn't worry about really).

I think it was around 1.068 but I'll need to check my log. I was just worried because all of the other brews I've done have been fairly bitter going into bottle or keg. It wasn't super sweet or anything, just sweeter than I expected.

 

[Got Trub?]

You are 80% attenuated which is pretty good so it is likely done. Extracts are highly variable in terms of unfermentables and are the likely source for your remaining gravity points and the sweetness as well as the crystal malt. See how it tastes in a few weeks and if it is too sweet for your taste next time increase the bittering hops.

GT

 

[Seabee John]

Ok, here's living proof I'm a noob. I went ahead and kegged, cold crashed and carbed. This saturday I had over twenty people over for a "teach a friend to brew day" I was quite surprised to find that the porter was extremely well received, especially by my father who enjoys his dark beers. The carbonation really changed the taste. what a great beer.