Fermentation won't finish

[JVHBass]

Hi everyone,
I'm brewing my second beer, a saison, which has been in the fermentation bucket for about a week and a half. It's only a 2 gallon brew and I pitched a whole Wyeast packet (3711) without a starter into it because I read it shouldn't be a problem. Anyway my blowoff tube wasn't bubbling much so I took a gravity reading and got 1.012 with an original gravity of 1.095. After I took the reading I stirred the yeast and now it is bubbling about once every 5 seconds through the tube. I'm going to check gravity tomorrow but I'm worried that it won't stop fermenting. Can gravity go below 1.0? I don't have a secondary fermenter so it will be bottled after this. I don't want to prime and bottle this and have it explode in the bottles. Any help? Am I just worrying too much?

Thank you!

 

[DMartin]

Not all the sugars ferment out. 012 sounds like a proper FG for starting at 095. The bubbles after you took the reading was likely residual CO2 that you disturbed by stirring, not new fermentation.

What recipe are you using? Is there a target FG listed?

 

[JVHBass]

I'm using a recipe from a member here on HBT, I don't recall any FG being listed but it was estimated to be 7-7.5% ABV. I think what I have now is close to 11%

 

[DMartin]

Can you link us to the recipe?

 

[djfriesen]

It will only go below 1.0 if you have some kind of infection. I believe some bacteria are much more alcohol-tolerant thatn brewer's yeast. The yeast will go dormant because of the alcohol content before it can get the final gravity down that far. However, some bacteria can go to town and bring it quite a bit lower. Unfortunately, they also make it not beer.

 

[bribo179]

Usually only dry wine or mead ferments below 1 due to the less complex sugars involved. You wouldn't want a beer to finish that low

Sound like you did just fine!!

 

[jonmohno]

Im thinking the op meant go below 1.010. Ive had some lowest finishes of 1.006-1.004. But most of mine are around 1.010+. It sounds like your finished and i would say thats a very good finish for that kind of OG you had.
I personally with that gravity let it sit for 4 weeks before bottleing, im shure its done if you check the hydrometer again after another 3 days it should be the same if not its not done,im shure it is though.
Depending on your temps you could put it someware a little warmer for the last few weeks.But thats probably not neccessary, i do it sometimes.
You dont want to bottle if its still bubbleing really and its ok to leave it when its not bubbleing. Just because it stops bubbleing does not mean its time to bottle.
Gennerally that high a gravity needs more time than a more average gravity beer does.
Especially a saison, those seem to take a few months in the bottle as well. But i would give it 3-4 weeks at least and a month or two bottled but checking them periodically to see where you think they are good yet. Hell, i check one after a week bottled often my average gravity beers. That high a gravity i probably would expect it to still be flat in the bottle after a week though, and some people even repitch some yeast before bottleing especially letting it sit a month or more and a high gravity-like barleywines.They do take longer to carb up it seems.
Does it look like its clearing up already?Just curious,that is somewhat unimportant though. But after a hydro you dont really want to stir your yeast.Im not shure what kind of finished gravity your expecting it to be "done" im almost certain it is, but you hydro is your only proof,checking after another 3 days to see a drop.And assuming your in your yeast temp range also.

 

[JVHBass]

Here is the recipe that I used:

1.0 lb Rye grains (steeped in 2 gallons for 25 min)
1.0 lb Briess Golden Light DME
1.0 lb Wheat DME
1.0 lb Munich Liquid LME
1.0 oz Kent Golding Hops (.5 at 60 min, .5 at 15 min)
1.0 oz French Strisselspalt Hops (at 5min)
Wyeast 3711 French Farmhouse

I tasted the stuff in the hydrometer and it didn't taste like there was any type of infection. I'm going to take a reading today and/or tomorrow and if its about the same I was planning on bottling it. I was only planning on leaving it bottled for about a week before the fridge. Should I let it sit a bit longer?

 

[unionrdr]

Yes.it'll take longer than that to carb & condition.

 

[mrk305]

I leave mine in the primary for four weeks. Three is probably okay, but I have a three or four full at all times so I can be patient. I leave them in the bottles at least three weeks before chilling. Like Jonmohno wrote, a big beer like this may take longer to fully carb.

Be patient & brew some more.

 

[flabyboy]

That is a huge OG for a Saison. That's getting up into Barleywine numbers. I'm surprised it got as low as 1.012

 

[ajf]

I don't believe your OG was 1.095 if you made a 2g batch with the fermentables listed.
1.075 is as much as you could realistically get.
1.095 to 1.012 would give you ~11% ABV.
1.075 to 1.012 would give you ~ 8% ABV.
I think you have either a bad gravity reading or a typo.
I'd leave it in the fermenter for at least 3 weeks before bottling, and check your hydrometer in 60 F water to make sure it is telling the truth. If your FG really is 1.012, you will not get bottle bombs if you prime at the correct rate.

-a.

 

[JVHBass]

I'll definitely check the hydrometer and make sure it works correctly, but when I measured the OG both my dad and I looked at it. I was extremely surprised by the high reading but unless my hydrometer is funky I'm pretty sure it is correct

 

[chickypad]

a is right, that gravity is not possible with that recipe. 1.075 is the max you would get if you were doing a partial mash. Just steeping the rye for 20 min won't get you much gravity points so you could be more like 1.062 O.G.

 

[cervezarara]

I have done several Saisons with 3711 and it is fully capable of dropping your sg to 1.004 to 1.006. If you warm up your fermenter a bit, let it go as low as it can-- the resulting beer will not be overly dry, even at such low fg.

 

[emjay]

Here is the recipe that I used:

1.0 lb Rye grains (steeped in 2 gallons for 25 min)
1.0 lb Briess Golden Light DME
1.0 lb Wheat DME
1.0 lb Munich Liquid LME
1.0 oz Kent Golding Hops (.5 at 60 min, .5 at 15 min)
1.0 oz French Strisselspalt Hops (at 5min)
Wyeast 3711 French Farmhouse

3711 can attenuate like nothing else can.

Hydrometer measurement issues aside, the FG isn't *too* bad considering the OG, but I've noticed a problem with your recipe... at least in my opinion.

Saisons need to be *DRY*, and as such, the use of simple sugars is almost critical. Next time, try incorporating some table sugar (about 10% of the gravity points is a good place to start), and the saison will probably be closer to what you'd expect from a saison.