FG too low?

[SEndorf]

I brewed an English bitter.
Target OG 1.056. I hit 1.059
Target FG 1.015. I hit 1.008
I can taste the alcohol in the hydrometer sample. Ugh.
I know all sorts of reasons why I can fall short of hitting the targets, but I'm at a loss why I over shot. The ABV is 6.7
1. Why are my gravity readings so out of range?
2. Will the alcohol taste age out? (I fermented at a constant 66)

 

[SEABrewer]

We'll need a bit more info about you process to provide any real advice. Mash profile? Yeast used? Etc.

 

[SEABrewer]

Oh, and there's a good chance some of the alcohol flavor will age out. You probably overshot your FG due to having particularly healthy/rambunctious yeast. Did you use a starter? How did you aerate the wort?

 

[SEndorf]

I was bit short on the mash temp. Brewed in the garage in Minnesota. Target was 152. I hit 150. Everything else went smoothly.
Yeast was white labs London ale WLP013.

 

[SEndorf]

I didn't use a starter. Aireated with oxygen tank and a stone for 60 secs.

 

[dobe12]

Being off on your OG by only .003 is completely acceptable in my opinion. Anything within .005 in either direction I wouldn't even think twice about. Way too many variables to figure out how you were over by such a small amount.

As for the final gravity, sounds like you maybe should have mashed a little higher. Maybe 154-156 range. If I mash a beer with those starting gravity numbers and at 150 (which is my standard range for pale ales, IPAs, etc) I'd expect it to finish around 1.008 - 1.012.

 

[SEndorf]

Thanks.
The mash temp was too low. Hopefully still drinkable!