Bock being stubborn......

[storytyme]

Hey everyone. Brewed a Helles Bock or Pale Bock and OG was good at 1.060. Pitched Wyeast #2206 Bavarian Lager with plenty of cells via yeast starter. Pitched at 50 degrees. 15 days now at 50 degrees and activity looks like it has slowed considerably after being very active. Took a reading and I am at 1.020! Need to be at 1.012. I've been brewing for a long time now, but not too many Bocks under my belt. Do I just be patient and let it do its thing? Did I miscalculate and under pitch? Do I raise the fermentation temp? Thanks everyone in advance on feedback. Cheers.

 

[Vale71]

Did I miscalculate and under pitch?

We can't know without data...

 

[IslandLizard]

Took a reading and I am at 1.020!

With a hydrometer?

 

[jdauria]

Yeah that's on the low end of the yeast temp range...raise it up to 60-62, give the fermenter a gentle swirl to rouse the yeast also. I usually pitch at 50 and then after 3-4 days raise to 52, then after 3-4 more, to 54, then to low 60's for diacetyl rest.

As for if you underpitched, how big was yeast starter and what was date of yeast pack? Using Brewer's Friend yeast starter calculator, for 5 gallons of 1.060 lager, at their minimum lager rate, if the yeast was packaged today, you would need a 2.2 liter 1.040 starter. Older the yeast, the more you would need. Also, what was your mash temps? If you mashed higher than you were suppose to, then you could have unfermentable sugars which would be why you are higher than target FG.

 

[Steveruch]

All-grain or extract?

 

[storytyme]

We can't know without data...

I built a 2 step starter using Brewer's Friend and pitched ~600 billion cells.

 

[storytyme]

All-grain or extract?

All-grain

 

[storytyme]

Yeah that's on the low end of the yeast temp range...raise it up to 60-62, give the fermenter a gentle swirl to rouse the yeast also. I usually pitch at 50 and then after 3-4 days raise to 52, then after 3-4 more, to 54, then to low 60's for diacetyl rest.

As for if you underpitched, how big was yeast starter and what was date of yeast pack? Using Brewer's Friend yeast starter calculator, for 5 gallons of 1.060 lager, at their minimum lager rate, if the yeast was packaged today, you would need a 2.2 liter 1.040 starter. Older the yeast, the more you would need. Also, what was your mash temps? If you mashed higher than you were suppose to, then you could have unfermentable sugars which would be why you are higher than target FG.

I bumped up to 60 and gently swirled it. Used Brewer's Friend and pitched ~600 billion cells. Got there doing a 2 step starter.

 

[storytyme]

With a hydrometer?

Yes.

 

[Vale71]

I bumped up to 60 and gently swirled it. Used Brewer's Friend and pitched ~600 billion cells. Got there doing a 2 step starter.

We still don't know your batch size. How did you aerate?

 

[VikeMan]

And what were the grain bill, mash temp, and mash length?

 

[storytyme]

We still don't know your batch size. How did you aerate?

Batch size was 5.25 gal. Aerated using oxygen wand as I normally do.

 

[storytyme]

And what were the grain bill, mash temp, and mash length?

43% Pilsner Malt
37% Maris Otter
20% Munich Malt

Mashed for 60 min at 150.4 degrees.

 

[VikeMan]

43% Pilsner Malt
37% Maris Otter
20% Munich Malt

Mashed for 60 min at 150.4 degrees.

That's not a terribly fermentable grain bill, but with those mash parameters and the yeast strain, I'd also expect this to get down to about 1.012 (per BrewCipher). Sorry, I know that doesn't help... was suspecting a very unfermentable wort, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

 

[dmtaylor]

All you need to do is warm it up. And swirling like you did was a good idea. Now just be patient.

 

[Alex4mula]

That's not a terribly fermentable grain bill, but with those mash parameters and the yeast strain, I'd also expect this to get down to about 1.012 (per BrewCipher). Sorry, I know that doesn't help... was suspecting a very unfermentable wort, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Three base malts not fermentable? I don’t get it.

 

[VikeMan]

Three base malts not fermentable? I don’t get it.

I said "not terribly fermentable." Maris Otter and (especially) Munich are less fermentable than pilsner and even most other "pale" malts.

 

[jdauria]

I bumped up to 60 and gently swirled it. Used Brewer's Friend and pitched ~600 billion cells. Got there doing a 2 step starter.

600 billion cells for a 5 gallon batch? Even at 50, that should have been enough to ferment it by now. Well hopefully warming it up and rousing the yeast helps you get down farther.

 

[storytyme]

Update. After bumping to 60 and a gentle shake the brew is now at 1.013. Cold crashing as we speak.