First SMaSH

[KeizerBrewr]

Hey all,
Happy Friday!! So I've been brewing extract for years now and just since the beginning of the year I converted to all grain to help get the batch costs down as extract is expensive. Anyways, my first batch was a best bitter, undershot my OG a bit, but who cares? Beer finished out still to my corrected FG of 1.012, turned out great. Fast forward to my current batch, a Sabro SMaSH that I did Memorial Day afternoon (May 31st). Grain bill is 11.5# Great Western NW Pale and .5# Weyermann Acidulated(to adjust pH for my water) to end up with a 5.5 gallon(into the fermenter) batch. I used more grain as my BH efficiency was 60% my very first run. Did a single infusion at 148F for an hour and ten minutes, stirred a couple times. Lost about 3 degrees over that time. Proceeded to fly sparge with 180F water(yes, I know 170 is best), but over the course of transfer to the MLT from the HLT and the hour sparge time, it ended up being around 160F. Anyways preboil was 1.052, collected 6.75 gallons. Did an hour boil(0.5 oz @ 60min, 0.5 oz @ 10min, 1oz @ 1 min, dumped spider after flame out, 2oz hopstand @ 160F for 20min). OG came out to 1.056, estimated was 1.048. 5.2 gallons went into the fermenter, pitched packet of US-05 at 68F, aerated wort using sparge nozzle from fermenter and also an angry one minute shake after pitching. Saw activity about 12 hours later. Dry hopped at high krausen with 2 ounces, which was about 36 hours after noted gravity drop on the Tilt. I shared that info to help clarify and direct the best input. I current gravity is 1.020, but the Tilt is showing a plateau. It will be a full four days since pitching come 9:00pm PST tonight. my estimated FG is 1.012(which is on the low side for US-05). This all being said, what are the chances of it finishing out all the way? What might I be missing? Is it stalling?

A video of the action last night:

 

[RM-MN]

Your Tilt hydrometer may have picked up some bubbles from the fermentation and is floating higher which gives you an erroneous reading.

 

[AlexKay]

Yep. Never trust the absolute reading on a Tilt. My theory is that it's krausen on the device that really throw it off, but I've totally had SG go up during a fermentation. The Tilt is great for trends -- you'll know when fermentation is done! -- but best confirmed with another method on packaging. Either hydrometer or refractometer would be good.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

Your Tilt hydrometer may have picked up some bubbles from the fermentation and is floating higher which gives you an erroneous reading.

Yep. Never trust the absolute reading on a Tilt. My theory is that it's krausen on the device that really throw it off, but I've totally had SG go up during a fermentation. The Tilt is great for trends -- you'll know when fermentation is done! -- but best confirmed with another method on packaging. Either hydrometer or refractometer would be good.

I was thinking that might be the case! I always let my beers ride a full 14 days before I do anything with them, just being a Nervous Nelly.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

Gravity is still dropping, currently at 1.014, I'm a nerd. LOL Took the dry hop bag out of the fermenter this morning and the brew smells soooo good. Excited for it to finish up!

 

[hotbeer]

current batch, a Sabro SMaSH that I did Memorial Day afternoon (May 31st)

• OG came out to 1.056.... pitched packet of US-05 at 68F
• Saw activity about 12 hours later
• current gravity is 1.020, but the Tilt is showing a plateau. It will be a full four days since pitching come 9:00pm PST tonight. my estimated FG is 1.012(which is on the low side for US-05). This all being said, what are the chances of it finishing out all the way?

With your conditions, it you are still holding 68°F or better, then with US-05, I'd expect it to get lower than 1.012. I've been seeing 1.010 or less pretty often.

Though I don't know if the 180 sparge will affect anything. Probably not. Unless it took a long time to actually sparge.

I might have pitched a half pack more or even two packs for 5 gallons. But still you should be okay.

Let us know what the tilt shows after day 14.

No reason to be in a hurry is there?

 

[KeizerBrewr]

My current FV temp is 66F, and its been slowly chugging away. No rush, just pre-mature panic I always let my brews ride to 14. 99% are finished and ready to go by then. Many of my beers, with my pitching rates, are typically done in the first ten days.

 

[hotbeer]

I've always been under the impression that falling temps will stall the yeast and make them think about things and maybe go have a beer themselves before they get to working again.

Sometimes I pitch US-05 at lower temps than 68°F but my ambient air temps are 69 - 71°F where I keep the FV, so the beer is always warming up from pitch. Never cooling from pitch.

Even the lager people normally start cold and get warmer while in the FV... I think. Not warm to cold. Except maybe after it's out of the FV. But I way out of my comfort zone even mentioning lager... though I like to drink it.

Though at 66°F unless you got there quickly, you are probably still good.

I always let my brews ride to 14. 99%

I'm not sure what you mean here.

But when beers are finished is a little subjective for some of us. Just because it might have finished fermenting in the first week or less doesn't mean its ready to come out of the fermenter. Other stuff happens afterwards. Good stuff both for flavor and clarity.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

It's been between 65-67F for the last couple days as my garage fluctuates throughout the day, but have the fermenter in a ferm chamber to buffer said temp swings.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

Just packaged the beer Wednesday night. FG was 1.006, resulting at 6.5%ABV. Guess I could have mashed a bit warmer, but for finishing dry for the style, it is really good.