Final Gravity Too High?

[Heatwaves]

Am I in trouble or is this fine?

I recently tried an IPA extract kit. Original Gravity should be between 1.058 - 1.062 with final at 1.010 - 1.016. Alcohol content 6.2%. However, I added about 10 oz of honey which technically may raise everything.

My actual OG was 1.072 and my FG 1.025. This still technically would have an alcohol content of 6.2%.

Attenuation, however, would be only 65% and according the the standard for my yeast (Burton Ale by White labs) it should be 69 - 75%.

Fermenting temp was fine throughout. In primary for 3 weeks, in secondary for another 2 1/2 weeks. Does this look right considering the addition of honey? Also, I belive the FG was including the bottling sugar. Many thanks for your help!

 

[Double_D]

I'd think it depends on the honey. But I'd say generally, it looks ok but did you check the gravity before you transferred it off the yeast into the secondary or was that based on time? It's a rhetorical question at this point but something to think about. Honey is more complex generally speaking and ferments slower.

 

[Heatwaves]

I transferred it to the secondary based on time. The fermenter was only bubbling once every minute and a half at that point.

I always thought that honey didn't truly ferment, kinda like lactose. I tasted it upon bottling and it tasted great, but I've read all over the place that 1.025 is a high FG for most beers. When I calculated the attenuation and saw that was a little low, I became a little concerned.

 

[Double_D]

The best way to put this is: your airlock isn't a hydrometer. There's only one way to tell if you are ready to transfer. But honey does ferment. If it didn't we couldn't make mead. It just goes slow (usually, I mean). If you like it with the FG where it is there's nothing wrong with it. You probably couldn't take it to competition but who cares? Next time don't be afraid to let it sit on the yeast cake. You don't really have to worry. Plenty of people leave their beer in primary until it's ready to bottle.

 

[sweetcell]

not only does honey ferment, it ferments out almost completely. honey doesn't leave much behind - think of it as 99% sucrose. corollary: f you want honey taste in your beer, don't use honey - there will be nothing left to give any honey flavor. instead, use honey malt).

as DD pointed out, airlock activity should not be interpreted as a sign of fermentation, or lack there of. airlocks can continue to bubble even if no fermentation is happening, because the liquid might be of-gassing. alternately, there could be fermentation going on without airlock bubble - the CO2 could be finding another path out of the fermenter.

if you were using airlock activity as a sign of fermentation, why did you transfer when there was still a bubble coming up every minute and a half? that's not a lot, but it's still activity. had you waited long enough, you might have gotten another point or two off that FG.

if you're concerned about the FG, you could consider pitching some alcohol-tolerant yeast and/or some amylase.

 

[smokinj]

As previous posters have said, honey is (typically) almost 100% fermentable. It should raise your OG, but have little affect on your FG. Knowing for sure whether the FG was read before or after the priming sugar was added will make a difference. I you intend to bottle the biggest problem with having too many fermentables left will be over-carbonation, or worse, bottle bombs.

 

[Calder]

That's bomb territory! Your FG should be 1.015 or less (and that is without adding the priming sugar).

That yeast needs to be up around 70 F. Did you keep it that warm while in the primary. If it was down in mid 60s (or lower) when you racked, you could have left the majority of the yeast in the primary.

 

[Heatwaves]

That's bomb territory! Your FG should be 1.015 or less (and that is without adding the priming sugar).

That yeast needs to be up around 70 F. Did you keep it that warm while in the primary. If it was down in mid 60s (or lower) when you racked, you could have left the majority of the yeast in the primary.

No bombs yet (fingers crossed). Thankfully, being in Southern California temperature is not a problem. In the primary it was around 70 F the entire time. Right now, the bottles are at a consistent 72.

 

[Heatwaves]

I realize this is silly, but I didn't want to be dipping in the fermenters too many times to check gravity for fear of accidental contamination. A few homebrewing friends told me that if the bubbling is less than once every minute, it's done. Thanks for the insights, guys. I'll now be checking the gravity on a regular basis from now on.

 

[grimzella]

I realize this is silly, but I didn't want to be dipping in the fermenters too many times to check gravity for fear of accidental contamination. A few homebrewing friends told me that if the bubbling is less than once every minute, it's done. Thanks for the insights, guys. I'll now be checking the gravity on a regular basis from now on.

are your friends hydrometer's? if so, then kewl.. dip them in your brew and see if its really done if not.. dont trust your friends.. or an airlock. trust your hydrometer.

 

[ChillyCheese]

No bombs yet (fingers crossed). Thankfully, being in Southern California temperature is not a problem. In the primary it was around 70 F the entire time. Right now, the bottles are at a consistent 72.

Was the ambient 70 or was the wort 70F? If ambient was 70, the wort was probably closer to 75-80, so you may have a bit of a fruity beer due to ester production. You may have gotten even more esters if you only pitched 1 vial of WLP023 (and didn't make a starter).

With an OG above 1.060, you should definitely do a yeast starter or two vials, or your yeast is going to get too stressed and give you off-flavors then crap out before hitting FG.

 

[Heatwaves]

Unfortunately, ambient was 70 F. Hopefully, it's still drinkable. The third week of bottling ends this Sunday, so I'll check it out then.

I've since corrected the temperature issue for my next batch with a carboy fermometer and swamp cooler water bath.

 

[ChillyCheese]

As long as nothing else went wrong, it should definitely be drinkable -- the front end will just be really fruity, as well as the aroma. I lost all the hop aroma of my first batch to esters with a 70F ambient.