FG way to high, any way to save?

[dirtyb15]

Hello all. Well this is a first for me. Did an IPA with my home grown hops (also a first for me.). I have been using bells yeast, and it has always done great for me, this was a second generation. I almost didnt pitch this yeast because the starter smelled a bit sour, but tasted okay. At any rate, fermentation took off in 24 hours and looked no different then anything i have seen in the past. OG was 1.072 and was hoping to get down to 1.019 or so. Mashed right at 153, and everything went as expected during brew day. Left in primary for about 2 weeks at 68 degrees by which point little activity was going on (normal for me anyways), then dryhopped in primary for another week at around 70 degrees. Went ahead and kegged it up, then thought, i should do a reading. Came in at 1.035....... So.... any way to save it? Could i try repitching some more yeast?

Also, if my bells yeast mutated, is there the possibility it just won't ferment out like it should? Just curious on what the cause was, i have never had this problem.

Thanks!

 

[schematix]

i had this happen once. I ended up pushing the beer back out onto the cake of another batch a couple months later. 1.030 helles wasn't good. much better at 1.016.

 

[Gavin C]

Here is a very helpful thread from @passedpawn on this very topic.

Looks like a great solution.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=212926

 

[DurtyChemist]

Add some San Diego Super Yeast. It seems to be recommended here often enough. I personally wouldn't have racked off the yeast cake until the beer was done just because pitching a second vial possibly could have been prevented. Stop using air lock activity as a sign of things or days on a calendar. Take a gravity reading.

Did you make a starter? Reused yeast? Oxygenate well?

 

[dirtyb15]

Add some San Diego Super Yeast. It seems to be recommended here often enough. I personally wouldn't have racked off the yeast cake until the beer was done just because pitching a second vial possibly could have been prevented. Stop using air lock activity as a sign of things or days on a calendar. Take a gravity reading.

Did you make a starter? Reused yeast? Oxygenate well?

Yeah, got lazy this time and was in a hurry. I had already racked before i took a reading unfortunately. Lessoned learned.

Yes, made a starter, oxygenated just by shaking like i usually do. Yeast was a second generation from a bottle harvested bell's yeast so maybe it mutated and that was the issue?

Thanks everyone for the replies, guess ill push it all back into carboy's and repitch

 

[flars]

Did you use a refractometer for SG? If so, check again with a hydrometer. Very doubtful the yeast mutated in second generation.

 

[Calder]

Did you use a refractometer for SG? If so, check again with a hydrometer. Very doubtful the yeast mutated in second generation.

^^^^^ This, and did you taste it.

 

[dirtyb15]

Did you use a refractometer for SG? If so, check again with a hydrometer. Very doubtful the yeast mutated in second generation.

Dont have a refractometer so used the hydrometer. Maybe just stressed yeast then? Who knows how many generations it was on coming from the bells bottle, and i did harvest from the two hearted....

At any rate, pushed it all back into carboys again, pitched some wlp001 and after 24 hours, alot of activity already.

 

[dirtyb15]

well, after about a week after pitching wlp001 on this beer i took a reading. Im still at about 1.028. Still some airlock activity so hopefully will come down some more, but it is sure not in a hurry. Still trying to figure out what was different this go around. Did try a new grain supplier, but i actually got better efficiency than usual so doubt it was the crush. This was the first time i used maris otter as a base. Grain bill look okay?

(8.5 gal batch)
21lb maris otter
2 lb munich
1 lb crystal 60

 

[slym2none]

That still might be a little too much crystal, and that might be keeping your FG high.