Final Gravity Readings

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platypus

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Ok, I've got a batch of stout sitting in the fermenter right now (my second batch that I've ever brewed), and it's been there for 10 days. I've taken one gravity reading each of the last 3 days, and it's been consistent at 1.020. The temp is 66, so it's probably a wee bit higher than that in actuality though, if I'm understanding the effects of temp on gravity readings correctly.

The recipe used one can of LME, one pound of DME, and then some steeping grains. According to the hopville.com beer calculus calculator, the target SG is 1.045 (nailed it), and the target FG is 1.011. With 3 days of consistent readings, one would think that fermentation was done, but it's almost .01 higher than what it should be. I need advice from you guys as to what I should do next.

Is the .09 difference enough to worry about or do I go ahead and bottle? I was thinking of racking to a secondary with some sterilized vanilla beans to add some flavor. Would sitting in a secondary for a bit do anything at all for the gravity? Or am I doomed to drink a stout with lower ABV than what I expected?

I know, I'm rambling at this point, just frustrated. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Ok, I've got a batch of stout sitting in the fermenter right now (my second batch that I've ever brewed), and it's been there for 10 days. I've taken one gravity reading each of the last 3 days, and it's been consistent at 1.020. The temp is 66, so it's probably a wee bit higher than that in actuality though, if I'm understanding the effects of temp on gravity readings correctly.

The recipe used one can of LME, one pound of DME, and then some steeping grains. According to the hopville.com beer calculus calculator, the target SG is 1.045 (nailed it), and the target FG is 1.011. With 3 days of consistent readings, one would think that fermentation was done, but it's almost .01 higher than what it should be. I need advice from you guys as to what I should do next.

Is the .09 difference enough to worry about or do I go ahead and bottle? I was thinking of racking to a secondary with some sterilized vanilla beans to add some flavor. Would sitting in a secondary for a bit do anything at all for the gravity? Or am I doomed to drink a stout with lower ABV than what I expected?

I know, I'm rambling at this point, just frustrated. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Sounds like fermentation is pretty much done! It is possible that the grains weren't steeped well or that your DME or LME has a higher percentage of non-fermentables than expected. I'd recommend bottling it, and since it is a stout, it will probably still taste pretty good with a lower abv.
 
I've tasted the samples that I've taken the readings from and it tastes pretty good, about like a stout should, but should be even better after some conditioning. I'd still like to let it sit a few days with some vanilla beans. Any harm in that, or should I go straight to the bottles now?
 
I've tasted the samples that I've taken the readings from and it tastes pretty good, about like a stout should, but should be even better after some conditioning. I'd still like to let it sit a few days with some vanilla beans. Any harm in that, or should I go straight to the bottles now?

No harm at all!!!
 
How much did you pay for the vanilla beans? One of my next beers is going to be a stout and I am planning on just adding a tablespoon of vanilla extract before bottling.
 
You're only at 55% apparent attenuation which is pretty low for most yeast strains. What kind of yeast did you use? Did you aerate the wort? Was the beer at consistent temps throughout fermentation?

Despite the low attenuation, if the gravity is stable then it's likely done. It's going to be on the lighter side at 3.3% abv, but should be tasty noentheless. Hope the vanilla works out!

Edit: Just re-read that it's only been in primary for 10 days. Best to give it more time on the yeast, it might drop a few more points. If you want you can also try swirling the carboy to re-suspend the yeast and warming the beer up to 70 or so. My first beers all finished up right around 1.020 and were good enough, but dropping a few points brings out hop and roasty flavors a bit more.
 
It was a Nottingham Ale yeast that the guy at the local shop recommended. I did aerate the wort, and the fermentation temp was 66-70 the entire time. I had a lot of activity in the airlock (I know that's not the best indicator) for about 3 days and then it just stopped. I'm gonna give it a few more days in primary and I've got it sitting on an electric blanket on low right now to ease the temp up a bit. Now, I'm gonna go swirl. Thanks!
 
I am also having trouble getting my final gravity to go below the 1.020-1.019 level. I am on my second batch of a pale ale, the temp has been steady between 66-68 and it looks as though all the yeast has settled I am on day 11 of primary fermentation. I really would like a stronger ABV, what are reasons that in stops at the 1.020 and what can we do to keep it going to get stronger? I am still hoping it will get better but I have a feeling it has stopped and is going to stay right where it is :-(
 
This is not a new issue (search threads for 1.020 curse) but there can be so many reasons for incomplete attenuation that there isn't one magical fix.

Good places to start are:

proper yeast pitching rate - starters for liquid yeast, re-hydrating dry yeast

temperature control - after initial vigorous fermentation when temp raises as much as 10 deg above ambient room temp, then falls as activity slows. Such large swings in temp can cause yeast to drop out too soon. A water bath for the fermenter can help combat this.

old liquid extract - don't have numbers or evidence, but LME does not last forever, and generally becomes less fermentable over time


For me, I got past the 1.020 barrier when I went AG, but that doesn't mean it's the only way.

Like I said before, 1.020 beer is pretty tasty, but for styles that really need to be drier (APAs, IPAs, belgians, etc) you will notice a big difference when you get the proper attentuation.
 
Giving it a good swirl might drop your SG by a point or two over another week. Three weeks is always my general rule of thumb for the primary. I never brewed many extracts but from my experience they all seemed to finish about 1.018 to 1.020.
 
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