Cant get to fg.... Help

[bacchusmj]

I've got an amber that just can't get there. 1.061 og. Us001 yeast.

9 lb marris otter
1 lb Munich
12 oz c40
8 oz victory
8oz c120

Mash at 152
Right now I'm at 1.027 with a target of 1.013. It's been about 16 days and was fermenting aT 65 degrees. I bumped up the temp to 68, then just lightly shook it up a bit to excite the yeast. Any other tips to get it to finish? It's been in the 1.030 area for Bout 4 days.

Im hoping I dont have to pitch any more yeast.

 

[psubrewer]

Might consider pitching a different strain that attenuates better. Try a us05 packet and let it go a week to get the fg you want. Beware that it might go lower than you want.

 

[Yooper]

Are you using a hydrometer? If you're using a refractometer, toss it aside and check with a hydrometer.

 

[two_one_seven]

How are you taking gravity reading?

You have a lot of crystal malts in the recipe and that could be the issue as the produce non-fermentable sugars and residual sweetness.

Options:
1. raise temp and swirl.
2. re-pitch yeast. Best to use liquid make a starter and pitch at high krausen
3. Amylase (only an option if you are pasteurizing the beer to deactivate enzyme)
4. Call it a session beer and roll with it.

We have all been there, it's the beauty of homebrewing. You can always make another batch and figure it out.

 

[two_one_seven]

Dang, Yoop beat me to it. Darn my long winded nature.

 

[bacchusmj]

These are hydrometer readings. I actually put it in water after the last sample and it read 0000 so it's def still at 1.028

 

[Yooper]

These are hydrometer readings. I actually put it in water after the last sample and it read 0000 so it's def still at 1.028

Nit picky, but it should have read 1.000.

anyway- the only thing I can think of is that your mash temperature was much higher than 152, and that you've got a ton of long- chained sugars in there. Otherwise, WLP001 should tear through that grainbill, even with that much crystal (not that much, actually, as I often go 12-15% with my ambers).

How many packages of WLP001 did you pitch? Or did you do a starter?

 

[bacchusmj]

I did a starter from a batch of washed yeast. I've had a jar of that same yeast cake take down a 1.077 imperial (dropped the starter so just tossed in a jar and prayed) so I know the yeast was viable.

I'm staring to think I might have had a bad thermometer and my mash temp was high. The samples are great, but sweet. This being a summer beer if like it lighter. Should I pitch some us-05 or just wait and see if stirring does the job?

 

[bacchusmj]

Not stirring, shaking

 

[Yooper]

I did a starter from a batch of washed yeast. I've had a jar of that same yeast cake take down a 1.077 imperial (dropped the starter so just tossed in a jar and prayed) so I know the yeast was viable.

I'm staring to think I might have had a bad thermometer and my mash temp was high. The samples are great, but sweet. This being a summer beer if like it lighter. Should I pitch some us-05 or just wait and see if stirring does the job?

At this point, I doubt s05 or stirring (and don't do that- just swirl!) will help I'm sorry to say. WLP001 with a starter should easily handle that. I think there is something that happened in the mash that made this less fermentable.

If you still don't get any further dropping on the Fg, the only thing I know of that works is to rack it on a cake of another beer that just finished. Amylase might work, but it might overattenuate then so I'm unsure if that would be advisable.

 

[two_one_seven]

The amylase would work and that is most likely it. Unfortunately it will work and work and work.

Yooper, would the pH affect the attenuation? Don't know my mash chemistry as well as I should.

 

[bacchusmj]

Alright yoop I think I have a plan. It's sitting next to an ipa I was gonna dry hop, also 001. I might just dry hop in a secondary and then rack the amber back onto the ipas cake. If that doesn't work it's just a nice sweet amber I guess.

 

[Yooper]

Alright yoop I think I have a plan. It's sitting next to an ipa I was gonna dry hop, also 001. I might just dry hop in a secondary and then rack the amber back onto the ipas cake. If that doesn't work it's just a nice sweet amber I guess.

That sounds like a plan!