Beer sticking around 1.026

[FuelshopMcgee]

Hey fellas I threw together a random beer from ingredients that I had laying around after my old friend and brew partner left (he got out of the air force and left me here in Germany w/ nobody to brew with!) Anyway he gave me a bunch of ingredients he had laying around when he left and I tossed them into beer tools and came up w/ a hoppy brown ale. I only had a witbier dry yeast package from Brewferm "blanche" I thought that it would be an interesting experiment to ferment out a hoppy brown ale w/ a fruity belgian wit yeast. Well as it turns out the smell and flavor is fantastic. HOWEVER the beer finished out @ around 1.026 which seems really high compared to anything I've ever brewed before. But the hydrometer sample tasted so good I'm considering just cold crashing this thing and tossing it in the keg for ****s n giggles.

Can you guys suggest anything to bump it down a few points or should I just trust my taste buds and see what happens? The only thing I don't want is a cloying sweet beer that is barely drinkable. Figured you guys might have some ideas or just tell me to RDWHAHB.

Anyway here is the recipe if you're intersted. I'll post up in the recipe section if it turns out as good as the hydro sample tasted.

Old Craigers Ale
10-C American Brown Ale
Author: Tony Bozzi
Date: 9/1/11

Size: 6.0 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 69.0%
Calories: 281.94 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.083 (1.045 - 1.060)
Terminal Gravity: 1.026 (1.010 - 1.016)
Color: 30.82 (18.0 - 35.0)
Alcohol: 7.6% (4.3% - 6.2%)
Bitterness: 80.2 (20.0 - 40.0)

Ingredients:
3.0 lb Belgian Special B (steeped at 170 for 30 min)
11.5 lb Premier Gold Liquid
1.0 oz Chinook (10.3%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
1.0 oz Chinook (10.3%) - added during boil, boiled 45.0 min
1.0 oz Goldings (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 35.0 min
.5 oz Chinook (10.3%) - added during boil, boiled 15.0 min
1 ea Whirlfloc Tablets (Irish moss) - added during boil, boiled 10.0 min
12 oz Honey
.5 oz Chinook (10.3%) - added during boil, boiled 3.0 min
1 oz Chinook (10.3%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
1.0 ea Brewferm Blanche yeast (small starter 500ml used to ensure yeast was still viable)

Schedule:
Ambient Air: 70.0 °F
Source Water: 60.0 °F
Elevation: 0.0 m


Notes
This was made w/ ingredients left behind by my good old friend Craig Erstad.

The malt was old...the hops were old...The yeast was old and mismatched for this style of beer. BUT EFF IT! Let's experiment and see what happens!

OG came out to be 1.086 w/ the honey addition (it didn't add anything on beer tools for some reason).

The yeast is actually Brewferm Blanche dry yeast. I used a small starter to just to make sure it was alive and to get it ready. Not sure that packet will handle this big of a beer but lets see what happens!

Old Craigers Ale!

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.5.17

 

[VolFan]

I'm not familiar with this yeast but .5 l starter with a 1.083 beer is likely underpitched, plus the 3 lb of Special B will provide lots of unfermentables. This is probably as low as it goes. Measure SG again after a day or two to make sure it is done and carb away.

 

[hoppymonkey]

+1. It is probably done. Alot of unfermentables from special B@170 + a generally higher OG anyway.

 

[Calder]

What volume. The LME and honey would give you 1.088 without the Special B in 5 gallons. Add the special B and you will be around 1.097. If everything was not fully mixed you could get a low OG measurement.

The Special B will increase the FG, but having a high OG will also result in a high FG.

I think you are done, and there isn't much you can do about it.

Next time, use a lot less Special B.

 

[FuelshopMcgee]

Well I should have posted more info...This was simply a quick on a whim extract brew w/ random stuff laying around the house. I actually calculated it out to be a 6 gallon batch because I always leave about a gallon or so in the bottom of the keggle after a boil. Just the way that works best for me. The special b was just for color/aroma and flavor I was not trying to do any conversion w/ it but I realize you still extract unfermentables from it and 3lb was likely overkill. Next time I will cut back on that by 1/2 if this ends up being worth trying again.

Thanks for the comments so far.I already cranked up the fermentation chamber to drop everything out as much as I can (it's a wit yeast so I don't know how much I'll be able to drop out).