Belgian Wit Final Gravity

[caligula]

I considered posting this in the beginner's forum, so please move if it is more appropriate there.

First homebrew back after 2 year layoff, and only about my 10th batch. I only started checking the gravity for my last few attempts, and they were all high-alcohol beers. This one is not, so I've nothing to compare it to.

Brewed this based on a vague recipe given to me at my LHBS. Recipe is at the bottom below. I normally research a proven recipe online but this was a spur of the moment decision to get back in to brewing.

My starting gravity was 1.055. The airlock bubbled for a day or so and then stopped (yes, I know this isn't a reliable indicator of anything). After about 3 days I took another reading, and got 1.027. Now a few days later I'm still at or very close to that gravity. This seems high to be finished at considering my starting gravity.

Is this a decent final gravity? If not, what should I do about it? Pitch more yeast? Call it done?

Thanks for your help.

Recipe used:
6 lbs wheat malt extract
1lb wheat malt
1 oz coriander
1 oz bitter (seville) orange (I'm estimating 1 oz, it was the zest of two small sevilles)
2/3 oz Saaz hops (bittering)
1/2 oz cascades hops (flavoring)
Safbrew S-33 yeast (had not seen/used this brand before)

typical hour boil, with Saaz going in at start. Cascades was scheduled to go in at 15 minutes remaining, but that seemed too early for the coriander and orange zest and I didn't have another bag to put them in, so I compromised with adding hops/coriander/orange at 13 minutes remaining.

 

[FrewBrew]

Rdwhahb. Close it up and let it ferment another ~week. I've got a wit thats been fermenting for over a week and is still bubbling away. Just leave it.

 

[Bradinator]

If your gravity doesn't change in a couple days I would look at the ambient temperature of the room. If its too cold where your beer is fermenting it can slow down or even stall your fermentation.

 

[caligula]

The temp didn't get too low for sure, I'm more worried that it could have gotten too hot (80F) but you need to be hotter than that to stop fermentation don't you?

I tasted the hydrometer sample and it didn't taste too sweet (although a bit more orange than I thought) so I'm going to RDWHAHB as suggested, bottle at the end of the week, and see how it comes out...... and then CONSUME!

 

[HempelNet]

I wish mine would have had a little more orange but I overly grounded my coriander which made it a little too over powering. Who knows maybe with the higher ferm temps you had you may get a little banana or clove taste both would be nice additions to a wit.

 

[Gunfighter04]

I wish mine would have had a little more orange but I overly grounded my coriander which made it a little too over powering. Who knows maybe with the higher ferm temps you had you may get a little banana or clove taste both would be nice additions to a wit.

If you want the orange flavor just using the orange peels try WLP380. It finishes with a citrus hint that's not banana or clove. I just did a couple ounces of bitter and sweet orange peel and with that yeast it's evident. I'll agree about the correander, I used a 1/2 oz cracked and it's still pretty prevalent.

 

[jheld00]

I have only used the wyeast strain 3944. I've used it about 12 times maybe more and it always takes two weeks or more to completely ferment even with a starter and nutrient. So I would let it sit for another week or so.