Extract Tripel Kit stuck at 1.022

[japa2121]

I am on my first brew (Brewer's Best Belgian Tripel Extract) and after 3 weeks in the primary I am stuck at a fg of 1.022. I measured this on day 18 and 21. I have already swirled the fermenter on day 18 to try and get some yeast back in solution. Any advice on things I could do next, I was thinking heating somehow( bathtub?) or repitching some yeast? Here is what went into it:

6.6 lb Light LME
3 lb Pilsen DME
1 lb Candi Sugar

I only used one sachet of the yeast (I think S-33)

OG 1.086
FG 1.022

The recipe with the kit says FG 1.017-1.020 but if possible I would like to go lower than that. Is there anything I can do?

 

[dwhite60]

It's probably done. Take it any lower and it won't be quite to style. Another .005 drop in gravity is maybe another 0.8% in ABV.

Plus you've used extract. Extract usually won't ferment as dry as an all grain batch. An all grain mash at 141F - 145F MIGHT have fermented out lower but it's doubtful. Especially at 1.086 starting gravity.


Check it over a few days. If it doesn't move, it's done.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[chickypad]

You could try warming it up a bit, unfortunately I agree it might be done. Repitching is gonna be hard as the beer is already over 8%, to have a chance I'd think you'd have to pitch a really big active starter of an alcohol tolerant yeast. It normally shouldn't be too hard to get a tripel quite a bit lower than that, even a higher gravity one, but it looks like the recipe is working against you with under 10% sugar and all that extract (I'd normally go up to 20% sugar and that's with an all grain batch where I could also manipulate mash temp). I'm not familiar with that yeast and if it attenuates as well as some of the liquid Belgian strains. You could search around about using amylase which some folks seem to have success with, or just let it ride. Belgians are IMO hard to evaluate until fully carbed, but how does it taste?

Next time you might try bumping up the sugar percentage to at least 20%, trying a different yeast with a big healthy pitch and good oxygenation of the wort, starting the ferm temp on the low end making sure the temp rises steadily and stays there for the end of fermentation.

 

[tgmartin000]

Not the ideal yeast strain, but that's ok. I'd try warming this one up to 75, and consider adding a pound of sugar to get the yeast going. You could also consider pitching a pack of wyeast 3711 french saison yeast in this case. That might get you a few points lower.

 

[japa2121]

Thanks guys,I decided to let it ride and rack it to secondary for a couple weeks and see how it works out.

 

[DevilNuts]

Extract usually won't ferment as dry as an all grain batch. An all grain mash at 141F - 145F MIGHT have fermented out lower but it's doubtful. Especially at 1.086 starting gravity.

What's the science behind this? How come sugars converted at higher temps won't ferment as well as sugars converted at lower temps? I ask because I am potentially facing a similar situation - people are telling me that because my mash was 151-155F instead of 149-150F that my expected FG of 1.012 will probably instead turn out to be closer to 1.024.

I don't get it.

 

[bruteforce]

What's the science behind this? How come sugars converted at higher temps won't ferment as well as sugars converted at lower temps? I ask because I am potentially facing a similar situation - people are telling me that because my mash was 151-155F instead of 149-150F that my expected FG of 1.012 will probably instead turn out to be closer to 1.024.

I don't get it.

Your mash temp determines which enzymes are active. Those enzymes break apart the starch into sugars. Palmer's how to brew has a decent explanation, but basically, if you don't get warm enough, there isn't much activity. Get warm enough, and the enzymes do their thing. A little warmer and different enzymes that leave larger saccharide chains are doing more. Warmer still and all the enzymes denature and you have a sticky mess.

You can always add amylase to the beer to get more enzymatic activity, but some people get off flavors and its hard to know how dry the beer will go after that.

 

[BigMack]

It might just be done fermenting. One of my earliest brews was an extract tripel that started at 1.082 and finished at 1.020 which was right on the money for the kit.

 

[yeastylad]

It's probably done. Take it any lower and it won't be quite to style. Another .005 drop in gravity is maybe another 0.8% in ABV.

Plus you've used extract. Extract usually won't ferment as dry as an all grain batch. An all grain mash at 141F - 145F MIGHT have fermented out lower but it's doubtful. Especially at 1.086 starting gravity.


Check it over a few days. If it doesn't move, it's done.

All the Best,
D. White

Agree its most likely done. That yeast is a low attenuator - expect 70 - 75% apparently. You're right in the middle of that range. With an extract brew, the only way you're going to get higher attenuation is with more simple sugar than you had.

Disagree that lower attenuation won't be to style. This FG and even what the instructions said to expect is too high an FG for this style. It's not your fault, and I'm sure the beer will still be tasty, just maybe a little on the sweet side.

As for the mash temps, beta amylase (which chops ups larger sugars into the more fermentable smaller sugars) is more active in that lower temp range, alpha amylase which leaves a higher proportion of un-fermentable sugar is more active at the higher temp range. So at the most basic level, lower mash temps give a more fermentable wort, leaving you with a drier, thinner beer, and higher mash temps leave a bit more unfermentable sugar in the wort, causing the beer to finish with a higher FG and making a "sweeter" or more full-bodied beer. Using extract leaves this in the hands of the gods, as the mash has already been done prior to you touching it, so you really don't know how fermentable your extract is. If you want the best chance of high attenuation with extract, use the lightest stuff you can find - extra light or pilsen.