Dry yeast not finishing

[30Bones]

Question. I have used dry yeast safe ale 04 and 05 on my last two batches. One a red ale, the other a pumpkin ale. I do a ~1200ml starter even though I've been told starters are not needed with dry yeast??

Both beers are in the 1.055 range and fermented well for the first few days, then fell flat on their face stopping at a 1.020 even both times. Is the dry yeast my issue for not getting a bit lower FG #?

Mash in temp 152-155*

Fermenting temps have been in the 66-70* range. I moved it to a warmer area tonight in hopes to warm it up some. It's been 8 days since pitching it and it's been inactive for 4 days. Do I need to toss in another dry pack? My red ale is already kegged so I'm not messing with it, the pumpkin ale is consistent with the red so this is why I thought I'd ask

 

[eastoak]

dry yeast is not the issue. how are you measuring the gravity?

 

[30Bones]

dry yeast is not the issue. how are you measuring the gravity?

Refractometer

 

[eastoak]

also, you are accomplishing absolutely nothing by making a starter with dry yeast. many people sprinkle the yeast dry into the wort for all of their beer, me included. you have more than enough yeast in a packet for a 1.055 beer.

 

[eastoak]

Refractometer

ah, bust out your hydrometer and get back to us with the new reading.

 

[Ta0]

ah, bust out your hydrometer and get back to us.

Yup, refractometer won't read correctly with any amount of alcohol, you can look at "corrections" online and do a little math, but I wouldn't really trust them

 

[30Bones]

I'm too lazy for that tonight. Maybe tomorrow and I'll report back. Thanks.

 

[eastoak]

I'm too lazy for that tonight. Maybe tomorrow and I'll report back. Thanks.

we'll be here, waiting.

 

[BigFloyd]

we'll be here, waiting.

And betting that the hydro reading will show that it's done.

 

[30Bones]

And betting that the hydro reading will show that it's done.

I hope you are right. In the past I rarely checked the FG and since I got the refractometer I have gotten even lazier. :cross:

 

[peterj]

also, you are accomplishing absolutely nothing by making a starter with dry yeast. many people sprinkle the yeast dry into the wort for all of their beer, me included. you have more than enough yeast in a packet for a 1.055 beer.

^This. Dry yeast manufactures build nutrients into the cell walls of the dry yeast. When you make a starter with dry yeast you are just depleting these nutrients unnecessarily since (as eastoak said above) there is already more than enough yeast to handle a 1.055 beer. I usually just rehydrate mine in 95ish degree water.

Also I just plugged your refractometer numbers into a calculator and it's estimating your OG at 1.007. I would take a hydrometer reading though.

 

[eastoak]

I hope you are right. In the past I rarely checked the FG and since I got the refractometer I have gotten even lazier. :cross:

if i check the FG it's while i'm already kegging the beer. 2-3 weeks in the fermentor and it's always done, always use dry yeast. if i time it right i'll have a fresh yeast cake to scoop out of for a new batch if i'm to lazy to tear open a new dry yeast packet.

 

[RM-MN]

if i check the FG it's while i'm already kegging the beer. 2-3 weeks in the fermentor and it's always done, always use dry yeast. if i time it right i'll have a fresh yeast cake to scoop out of for a new batch if i'm to lazy to tear open a new dry yeast packet.

This will work fine with your kegs but I've had a few beers take off and ferment more after apparently being done. If they are still in the fermenter it's fine but when they are already bottled.....BOOM!

 

[eastoak]

This will work fine with your kegs but I've had a few beers take off and ferment more after apparently being done. If they are still in the fermenter it's fine but when they are already bottled.....BOOM!

agreed and this is a very important thing to point out; the dreaded bottle bomb due to beer not being fully fermented.

 

[30Bones]

^This. Dry yeast manufactures build nutrients into the cell walls of the dry yeast. When you make a starter with dry yeast you are just depleting these nutrients unnecessarily since (as eastoak said above) there is already more than enough yeast to handle a 1.055 beer. I usually just rehydrate mine in 95ish degree water.

Also I just plugged your refractometer numbers into a calculator and it's estimating your OG at 1.007. I would take a hydrometer reading though.

Thanks for the calculations. Assuming you are correct, I doubt I break out the hydrometer every batch I also may just use dry yeast and no starter from now on since it's cheaper and easier.

if i check the FG it's while i'm already kegging the beer. 2-3 weeks in the fermentor and it's always done, always use dry yeast. if i time it right i'll have a fresh yeast cake to scoop out of for a new batch if i'm to lazy to tear open a new dry yeast packet.

I plan to brew one last cold weather beer this weekend and may just pitch onto this yeast cake

 

[BigFloyd]

Thanks for the calculations. Assuming you are correct, I doubt I break out the hydrometer every batch I also may just use dry yeast and no starter from now on since it's cheaper and easier.

Simple rehydration in warm tap water (that's been boiled and allowed to cool to about 100*F) is the best way to do dry yeast for the best cell count.

You can confirm completed fermentation with a refractometer by getting consecutive readings a few days apart. Just be aware (as you now are) that the reading won't be the true FG unless you run it through the correction calculations.

I plan to brew one last cold weather beer this weekend and may just pitch onto this yeast cake

If you do that with a medium gravity (1.050-1.060) ale, you really ought to either 1) remove about 70-75% of the yeast cake or 2) harvest the yeast into a sanitized pint jar and pitch that. Since that's now liquid yeast, you'll want to aerate your wort well (not really needed when pitching a dry yeast because of the sterols included).

 

[30Bones]

Also I just plugged your refractometer numbers into a calculator and it's estimating your OG at 1.007. I would take a hydrometer reading though.

You were really close. I got 1.009 so I'm calling it done and will keg it this weekend. Thanks everyone, this was something new I learned and I appreciate it.