DeadGuy Ale clone to Secondary: Should I rack or should I not?

[undallas]

Hi,

My dead guy ale clone (Yoop's recipe) has been in primary for 11 days. Data for SG is:

OG = 1.080 (higher than expected)
Current G = 1.038

Attenuation is only 50% ... I used my cultured pacman from shakespeare stout. This is lower than expected for sure...

I wonder if it is time to rack to secondary? or should I wait....
I was going to cook up a Newkie clone tonight and pitch on top of this yeast cake... Is this yeast still good? 50%... maybe I didn't have enough starter to kick it up... i think the lag was about 12 hours after I pitch.

The beer tastes good out of the test tube, but it is just too sweet... 5.6%ABV can still give me a good buzz...

If this doesn't work, I'll do my newkie with 5 g glass carboy with Notty...

Thanks

 

[Soulive]

Primary fermentation should finish as close to expected FG as possible. Secondary is for bulk conditioning, not furter fermentation. Dropping 2-3 more points in secondary is ok, but you need to drop another 20-25 points. Get that batch to finish out in the primary fermenter as well as you can. Bottom line, do not rack to secondary...

 

[Revvy]

It was on this beer that I discovered the magic of leaving it in Primary for a month then bottling...It makes for a really crisp, and jewell like beer if you let the yeasties clean up after themselves...it really seems to come out in this beer...

at least that's what the BJCP judges said in the contests I entered it in this summer...I didn't place, BUT my scores on it were quite acceptable...and the jusdges all commented on the ruby/jewel like clarity, adnd crisp spicyness...

I know from experience with this recipe...I've brewed it 3 times...Don't be so quick to move it to secondary....In fact don't move it at all....leave it for a month then bottle...

 

[kahunaman]

how bout a link to that delicious recipe?

 

[Soulive]

how bout a link to that delicious recipe?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/dead-guy-clone-extract-ag-see-note-25902/

 

[Yooper]

how bout a link to that delicious recipe?

Well, it's under my "recipes". If you can't find pacman yeast, I've found that any clean well-attenuating ale yeast will work. It'd be best if you could ferment it around 62 degrees or so- fruitiness is out of place.

 

[Revvy]

Well, it's under my "recipes". If you can't find pacman yeast, I've found that any clean well-attenuating ale yeast will work. It'd be best if you could ferment it around 62 degrees or so- fruitiness is out of place.

I've done it with 1338 Euro Ale yeast (recommended by my lhbs), Harvested pacman, and now with US05....all are fantastic.

 

[undallas]

thanks... I'll leave it in the primary longer for another 2 weeks before I do another SG reading....
I'm just surprised that it is still so sweet with high SG...
I wonder if bottle cultured pacman is not as potent as the real thing...
It did bubble really well when it was in its fermentation stage though....I was impressed with bottle cultured pacman... I'll hold my words until I bottle this puppy...

 

[nosmatt]

wow, 1.038?

was there a thread here about adding some yeast nutrient to a stuck ferment a few days/weeks ago?
seems like after 11 days, your not going to drop 20-25 points by leaving it alone.

am i wrong? (no, really, am i wrong?) this could help me out soon, because this is going to be my second AG brew, week after this one (too much family for brewin')

and would s05 be good enough?? say, two packets..?

 

[ifishsum]

and would s05 be good enough?? say, two packets..?

I've done this recipe twice with only 1 package of US-05 (rehydrated), both times it finished at 1.017 within 10 days. I don't think you need two.

 

[BEER_4_BREAKFAST]

Here's the recipe for the Rogue Dead Guy that I brewed this past weekend:

Dead Guy Ale Clone :: USA Microbrewery Beer Recipes :: "Replicator" Beer Recipes :: Bader Beer & Wine Supply, Inc.

 

[Jamo99]

I'm just surprised that it is still so sweet with high SG...

Specific gravity measures the amount of sugars in solution. Higher SG means more sugar....and sugar is sweet.

Edit: I'm suprised no one has asked what temperature you are fermenting. Perhaps warming it up can get things moving again. I would also take your primary and give it a good twisting back and forth to rouse the yeast. I would definately not rack to secondary or bottle with a gravity that high.

 

[undallas]

Specific gravity measures the amount of sugars in solution. Higher SG means more sugar....and sugar is sweet.

Edit: I'm suprised no one has asked what temperature you are fermenting. Perhaps warming it up can get things moving again. I would also take your primary and give it a good twisting back and forth to rouse the yeast. I would definately not rack to secondary or bottle with a gravity that high.

Jamo....
I fermented low... at mid to low 60s.. it is in a water bath with occasion ice pack if it is too hot...

I'm letting it sit now... I think it is the pacman experienment.... I'll use normal liquid or dry yeast next time for sure... besides the sweetness, it has good hopness for sure.

 

[undallas]

I just checked my dead guy primary...
I brewed a dunkleweizen last night, so the dead guy was lifted from the water bath to "room temp" with air as its ambient....surprisingly, it bubbles every 2 seconds....fermentation under way for sure....:rockin:
patience...

air should be around 65F... water should be close to the same.. I wonder if the extra swirl bring the yeast back to life again.

 

[undallas]

update: after almost 2 more weeks... Current SG = 1.026....dropped 10 points... I'll leave it in for another 2 weeks before I check this guy. The OG = 1.08 probably put some stress on yeast with small starter.
I think Pacman is still doing its job.. 3 bubbles per minute.. that's pretty good..