Final gravity consistently too high

[seanjb]

For my last 3 batches, I have ended up with a final gravity that has been significantly higher than it should be. The first one of these was a brown ale that ended at ~1.025, then an IPA that ended around ~1.035, and currently I have a stout sitting in a secondary that is at 1.036 too (I've checked to make sure my refractometer is correctly calibrated). Obviously I must be doing something wrong, but I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong exactly.

At first I thought that I wasn't oxygenating my beer enough, but for the most recent batch I made sure to oxygenate it really well. I don't have a thermostat for my apartment so I am unable to keep it at a consistent temperature, but I keep my beer in a closet that is pretty well insulated from temperature changes so I think it generally hovers between 68-72 degrees.

Right now my thinking is that I am transferring it over to the secondary too early. For the most recent batch (stout), my OG was 1.065, and I added 2 packets of Nottingham dry yeast. I transferred it 9 days after brew day when the fermentation had really started to slow down, and the gravity was at 1.035. 2.5 weeks later, I took another reading and the gravity was unchanged - 1.035. Yesterday I added a yeast starter to the secondary to try and get it moving again, but this morning there is no activity so I'm guessing the yeast must have died after exposure to the alcohol present (?).

So, I'm looking for suggestions/help for a short-term solution for my stout that is stuck in fermentation, and a long-term solution to prevent my beer(s) from consistently getting stuck. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Rob2010SS]

For my last 3 batches, I have ended up with a final gravity that has been significantly higher than it should be. The first one of these was a brown ale that ended at ~1.025, then an IPA that ended around ~1.035, and currently I have a stout sitting in a secondary that is at 1.036 too (I've checked to make sure my hydrometer is correctly calibrated). Obviously I must be doing something wrong, but I'm not really sure what I'm doing wrong exactly.

At first I thought that I wasn't oxygenating my beer enough, but for the most recent batch I made sure to oxygenate it really well. I don't have a thermostat for my apartment so I am unable to keep it at a consistent temperature, but I keep my beer in a closet that is pretty well insulated from temperature changes so I think it generally hovers between 68-72 degrees.

Right now my thinking is that I am transferring it over to the secondary too early. For the most recent batch (stout), I transferred it 9 days after brew day when the fermentation had really started to slow down. The gravity was at 1.035. 2.5 weeks later, I took another reading at the gravity was unchanged - 1.035. Yesterday I added a yeast starter to the secondary to try and get it moving again, but this morning there is no activity so I'm guessing the yeast must have died after exposure to the alcohol present.

So, I'm looking for suggestions/help for a short-term solution for my stout that is stuck in fermentation, and a long-term solution to prevent my beer(s) from consistently getting stuck. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I wouldn't think not oxygenating enough would be the problem. It would just result in a really slow fermentation and slow start.

Transferring to secondary too early isn't it either. 9 days after brewing isn't early at all. Even if you were transferring to secondary early, your yeast still in suspension would still continue to consume the sugars.

Are you extract or all grain brewing? What is your process like? Please go through your last brew day for the stout step by step. Include every detail you can think of. This will help analyze your problem a bit more.

EDIT: Please include ingredients you used as well in your stout. Yeast also?

 

[PsychoBiter]

Are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer to test? Your post says refractometer, but the 2nd post's quote says hydrometer.

A refractometer's reading will not be correct if there is alcohol present. Test with a hydrometer or use a correction calculator for refractometer with alcohol present.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer to test? Your post says refractometer, but the 2nd post's quote says hydrometer.

A refractometer's reading will not be correct if there is alcohol present. Test with a hydrometer or use a correction calculator for refractometer with alcohol present.

That's weird. I quoted his post and didn't change anything.

 

[Parrothead01]

Did you rehydrate the yeast? Half of them will die as soon as they hit the wert if you don’t. Also I think the temperature might be dropping at night more than you think it is. I Have had that happen to me, but a starter pitched at high Krausen should work.

 

[Morrey]

Are you using a refractometer or a hydrometer to test? Your post says refractometer, but the 2nd post's quote says hydrometer.

A refractometer's reading will not be correct if there is alcohol present. Test with a hydrometer or use a correction calculator for refractometer with alcohol present.

To back up good information from PsychoBiter: If you are using a "Refractometer" to check your FG since alcohol is present, you can use an online calculator such as the one from Northern Brewer to adjust your gravity readings. Its worth a look just to gain the experience.

To avoid these conversions, I use a refractometer during the mash and boil to get my OG. Once fermentation begins the alcohol being created skews the refractometer into false high readings unless converted. Because of this, I begin to use a floating hydrometer to check FG.

While I may be wrong, the FG number you quoted sounds suspiciously like you may be using a raw refractometer reading w/o conversion. With a starting OG like you quoted and the yeast you used, it is not likely an alcohol content as low as you'll have will kill the yeast. Your temps sound in the normal range. At 1.036 your beer will taste really, really sweet. How does it taste?

 

[GrimBrewer]

Your issue may be the with the extract you are using.
I came to realize that the DME I can get in SA is a lot less fermentable than online calculaters stated. With the "same" recipe, OG and yeast, FG would be lower for All Grain vs 50% extract. For instance Saison with 10%special malt and Bella Saison yeast wth FG of 1.001 vs 1.010.

So I started to substitute a portion of the DME with sugar.

 

[seanjb]

Originally I posted that I was using a hydrometer for my readings, but that was incorrect. I have been using a refractometer for all of my readings, and I have not been converting these readings, I didn't realize that you needed to do that! (Still getting my feet wet with this home brew hobby). Could this be my mistake?

I just tasted the stout, and it doesn't taste overly sweet. Interestingly the IPA that I bottled tastes very sweet, but that could just be due to a crappy recipe that I devised.

 

[Yooper]

Originally I posted that I was using a hydrometer for my readings, but that was incorrect. I have been using a refractometer for all of my readings, and I have not been converting these readings, I didn't realize that you needed to do that! (Still getting my feet wet with this home brew hobby). Could this be my mistake?

I just tasted the stout, and it doesn't taste overly sweet. Interestingly the IPA that I bottled tastes very sweet, but that could just be due to a crappy recipe that I devised.

Refractometers aren't accurate once alcohol is in the mix, since alcohol skews the refraction of light. For accuracy a hydrometer should be used.

For a decent guestimate, this calculator works better than most: http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

 

[seanjb]

Yep, that appears to be my problem - operator error with the refractometer. I feel a little foolish, but good to know that nothing is terribly wrong with the beer.

Thank you all for your input!

 

[MaxStout]

An IPA should not be sweet. Use a hydrometer and post the FG (or do the correction calcs for refractometer). Give us some info about your process and we can try to help problem-solve. Are you doing all-grain or extract? Can you post your recipe? Did you rehydrate your dry yeast before pitching? Perhaps the yeast was outdated, or maybe a bad packet? Your ferm temps are not likely the culprit, if it's 68-72.