First AG Porter... help please!

[ajbram]

I've done some AG brewing in the past with friends, but decided to go for it myself this time. I concocted a recipe (tweaked several is a better way to describe it) and came up with a blackstrap molasses porter that seemed to fit the bill for the flavour profile I was after. Here was the basic recipe:

9lb Canadian 2 Row
8 oz Crystal 77
6oz Chocolate
6oz Black patent
6oz flaked barley

1oz First gold @60 min
.5oz Mt. Rainier @20 min
.5oz Mt. Rainier @5 min
10 oz. Blackstrap molasses @ 15 min.


OG was 1.050

Pitched Safbrew T-58 last saturday night (Nov 27) and airlock activity was vigourous. Lots of krausen too.

As of last night, SG was down to 1.016, but airlock activitiy seems slow and SG has not moved for a bit. Sadly, temperatures in the house have been a little lower than I would have liked (and I think lower than the yeasties liked too). I'm thinking of putting this in a water bath at a constant 73 to see if I can get it down lower. IS this reasonable, or am I being hasty?

 

[JonM]

What was your mash temp?

 

[ajbram]

158

 

[JonM]

You'll get some unfermentable sugars with a higher mash temp like that, so I'd say there's a good chance it's done. My robust porter that I did at 156 was right around that FG too.

 

[ajbram]

That makes sense. I'll have to see what's going on with it when I get home.

 

[hypergolic]

I agree with JonM, you might not get any lower with that mash temp.

 

[JonM]

I bet you'll have a nice flavorful malty beer in the end. Cheers!

 

[ajbram]

That's what I was going for... I've just had mixed feedback as to what I should be expecting from the T-58, so I wasn't sure if it was done or stuck. Time to fire this one into the secondary and get it cleaned up. Hydrometer sample from last night tasted awesome!