Can I bottle at 1.018?

[Scarthingmoor]

Doing a traditional bitter kit (Munton's) using 1 KG of DME. OG was only around 1.04, maybe slightly higher. Was in primary for about a week, secondary for another week. Seems to be stuck at 1.018 though (over a few days). I've tried shaking it just a bit, hasn't made any difference.

Is this too high to bottle? Should I add more yeast? What would you do?

 

[Just1pepsi]

Give it more time, leave it alone, take another measurement every day or two to compare the results, also a nice opportunity to taste it.. if it tastes right after a week of steady gravity reading: bottle, if not.. bottle. Thats what I'd do.

Did you get a reading before transferring to the secondary?

 

[waldoar15]

Not uncommon for extract brews to die @1.020. You could give it some more time (chances are it's stuck), or just bottle it.

 

[Scarthingmoor]

Any way to get it started again? would I even want to? Any danger of bottle bombs if I bottle (with dextrose for conditioning)?

 

[HighCountryBrewer]

I brewed an Oatmeal Stout with OG 1.062. FG stalled at 1.020 after 3 weeks in the primary. I am drinking this now and is a great brewski. Don't worry -- you will be fine

 

[Just1pepsi]

no worries about bombs > yeast consume the dextrose and produce co2 that has nowhere to go, thus finding its way back into the beer. As long as your fermentation has stopped, you're fine. Make sure to use the correct amount of dextrose when bottling to avoid bottle bombs.

 

[beergolf]

Not uncommon for extract brews to die @1.020. You could give it some more time (chances are it's stuck), or just bottle it.

I wish this myth would die...It does not help new brewers solve their problems. If an extract brew stalls it is for some other reason than the extract. We are not helping new brewers by throwing the "extract brews stick at 1.020" fallacy out there.

It is most likely lack of aeration, low pitch rates, the recipe, or something else, but it is not just beacuse it is extract. I am guessing it is because it was racked to secondary too early. Letbthe yeast do it's job.

What was the recipe? What temp was it fermented at? Did you aerate properly? Give us some more info and we can help diagnose the problem.

 

[Scarthingmoor]

I wish this myth would die...It does not help new brewers solve their problems. If an extract brew stalls it is for some other reason than the extract. We are not helping new brewers by throwing the "extract brews stick at 1.020" fallacy out there.

It is most likely lack of aeration, low pitch rates, the recipe, or something else, but it is not just beacuse it is extract. I am guessing it is because it was racked to secondary too early. Letbthe yeast do it's job.

What was the recipe? What temp was it fermented at? Did you aerate properly? Give us some more info and we can help diagnose the problem.

Appreciate the help. It's one of my first batches and probably my mistake somewhere.

Don't have the exact temp for fermentation, unfortunately. Room temp in an apartment.
Aerated by stirring vigorously after topping up the wort with water in the primary, prior to pitching. Yeast was the cheap stuff that comes with the kit. Instructions with the kit were to stir in the yeast, which was different from instructions I had seen in the past. Didn't use a starter for the yeast, just pitched it directly from the pack. (I've done it this way in the past and had reasonable luck).

Realize there's lots that could be the cause here.

 

[beergolf]

A lot of kits say to rack to secondary after a week. It is much better to leave it in the primary for longer to let the yeast work. Patienve will be rewarded.

Some kits have good recipes, but terrible instructions. Spend some time reading this forum and you will glean a ton of information

 

[Scarthingmoor]

Thanks dude. It's funny, my original instructions were to always rack to secondary after 3-4 days. I actually thought a week might have been too long. You're right about the instructions sucking on these things too.

 

[bjl110]

Read howtobrew.com. Awesome starter info.

 

[GUZ808]

I have also had this problem with finishing with a high gravity reading(1.020). My brews came out ok but I think there must be way to lower the readings

Any ideas veterans?

 

[eastoak]

I have also had this problem with finishing with a high gravity reading(1.020). My brews came out ok but I think there must be way to lower the readings

Any ideas veterans?

i'm not a brewing veteran but high mash temps can leave more unfermentables so the FG can be higher. sometimes the yeast take a rest at 1020 for some reason then they have at it sometime later with a bump in fermentation temps and a swirl.

 

[Scarthingmoor]

Update: left the beer in secondary for another week or so. Now it's fermenting away like crazy. A few little shakes seems to have done the trick.

 

[VillageBrew]

I don't touch my primary for at least two-three weeks unless I am racking it to a secondary for addititives or if I am doing a "clear" beer. I just bottled my Oktoberfest, which has set for just over four weeks. Don't rush the primary!