Help needed please!

[Gary Sherwood]

Im very new to home brewing so please bear with me!
I'm at the moment brewing a Geordie lager kit, that has been sitting on a heat pad @22c or 72f the start SG 1.040 on 14th March (12 days ago), I took the first reading 23rd it was 1.013, so today I've just taken another reading and its stayed the same 1.013 a drop of 27 points, by my reckoning that makes it about 3.5%? the instructions in the kit say it ideally needs to be at 1.005. My concern is that it won't reach the 1.005 level. So my question!:is there anything i can do to help it reach that level or shall i sit tight and just wait? Many thanks in advance for any replies.
Gary

 

[McKnuckle]

Info found online states that this kit is meant to finish at 3.8% ABV. You're at 3.5%, so it's probably a point or two away from FG at the most. You are already fermenting much too warm for lager yeast, so there is no more room to grow, so to speak. I would leave it til the weekend and call it done.

This guy got 1.012 as an FG with this kit, by the way.

As a drinker, you won't detect any difference between its current gravity and a couple of points lower, so it doesn't really matter. All that matters now is stability, so it can be bottled without concern for over-carbonation.

 

[kh54s10]

Is this a kit that actually has lager yeast or one of those kits called a lager that are actually pale ales using an ale yeast? IMO 72 is too high for most ale yeasts also.

A true lager starts somewhere around 50 degrees, sometimes gets a diacetyl rest at about 65 degrees then is "lagered" by lowering the temperature to a little over freezing over 2 weeks to X months.

I think it is most likely done. Wait another day or two then proceed.

 

[IslandLizard]

Did you add sugar or "beer enhancer" (= Dry Malt Extract, DME)?
That could make a difference in your final gravity (FG), sugar finishing lower, giving you more alcohol, but also less flavor.

Most, if not all kits like that do not use a lager yeast, they use an ale yeast. Mainly for ease, since beginning brewers usually don't have ways to control fermentation temps. Especially at the lower temps (~50-55F) needed for lager yeast fermentations and the following lagering period at near freezing temps for several weeks.

This whole thread is about using that very same kit. Worth reading:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/absolute-beginner.347869/#post-4335316

Now you've brewed your first batch it's time to learn more about brewing. Here's a good start:
HowtoBrew (an older, online version)

His book is in its 4th Ed. now.

 

[bracconiere]

So my question!:is there anything i can do to help it reach that level

there are enzymes you can add....but enzymes will drive it to 1.000 (or less)

 

[Gary Sherwood]

Info found online states that this kit is meant to finish at 3.8% ABV. You're at 3.5%, so it's probably a point or two away from FG at the most. You are already fermenting much too warm for lager yeast, so there is no more room to grow, so to speak. I would leave it til the weekend and call it done.

This guy got 1.012 as an FG with this kit, by the way.

As a drinker, you won't detect any difference between its current gravity and a couple of points lower, so it doesn't really matter. All that matters now is stability, so it can be bottled without concern for over-carbonation.

Many many thanks for your reply..I really appreciate your time in doing so! Im going to try and keg it, I have purchased all the equipment to do it, wish me luck! Thank you again.

 

[Gary Sherwood]

Did you add sugar or "beer enhancer" (= Dry Malt Extract, DME)?
That could make a difference in your final gravity (FG), sugar finishing lower, giving you more alcohol, but also less flavor.

Most, if not all kits like that do not use a lager yeast, they use an ale yeast. Mainly for ease, since beginning brewers usually don't have ways to control fermentation temps. Especially at the lower temps (~50-55F) needed for lager yeast fermentations and the following lagering period at near freezing temps for several weeks.

This whole thread is about using that very same kit. Worth reading:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/absolute-beginner.347869/#post-4335316

Now you've brewed your first batch it's time to learn more about brewing. Here's a good start:
HowtoBrew (an older, online version)

His book is in its 4th Ed. now.

Yes I used beer enhancer, and yeah ale yeast. Maybe i will take it off the heating mat now and see how it reads at the weekend. Many thanks for replying, really appreciate it!

 

[Gary Sherwood]

Is this a kit that actually has lager yeast or one of those kits called a lager that are actually pale ales using an ale yeast? IMO 72 is too high for most ale yeasts also.

A true lager starts somewhere around 50 degrees, sometimes gets a diacetyl rest at about 65 degrees then is "lagered" by lowering the temperature to a little over freezing over 2 weeks to X months.

I think it is most likely done. Wait another day or two then proceed.

Many thanks for your thoughts, I will post my results! Regards G

 

[IslandLizard]

Yes I used beer enhancer, and yeah ale yeast. Maybe i will take it off the heating mat now and see how it reads at the weekend. Many thanks for replying, really appreciate it!

Just leave it at 72F until you keg it. There is no advantage lowering the temps now, you want it slightly elevated toward the end to make sure it has finished out as much as possible.

That is, unless you want to cold crash it at 32F for a few days to clarify it, with or without the help of some gelatin, dropping all the yeast, but that needs a refrigerator or temp controlled freezer. It may have dropped clear already. Most ales are done in 2 weeks or sooner, especially at higher ferm temps.

Are you measuring gravity with a hydrometer? Have you calibrated it, as in: reading 1.000 in distilled water at 60F (or whatever temp is printed on the paper scale)?

 

[ncbrewer]

That is, unless you want to cold crash it at 32F for a few days to clarify it, with or without the help of some gelatin, dropping all the yeast, but that needs a refrigerator or temp controlled freezer.

I don't cold crash but have seen several posts about problems with air being sucked in during cold crashing, leading to oxidized beer. Wouldn't this be a problem, unless special arrangements are made?

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't cold crash but have seen several posts about problems with air being sucked in during cold crashing, leading to oxidized beer. Wouldn't this be a problem, unless special arrangements are made?

Yeah, sure, due to the volume contraction as the beer chills during cold crashing, air can/will get sucked in, which should be prevented as much as possible. Capturing some of the fermentation gas in a mylar balloon, then re-attaching the balloon to the airlock stem when starting the cold crash is a good and fairly easy remedy.

This may be outside the scope of the beginners forum, though, but it's not hard to do and requires minimal equipment.

 

[kh54s10]

Until a few years ago when LODO started catching on almost everyone who cold crashed their beer did it with just an s style airlock. Or the blow off tube in a gallon or more of Starsan leading to "suck back of Starsan into my beer - is it ruined?" threads.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

What are you using to measure gravity - refractometer or hydrometer?

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

What are you using to measure gravity - refractometer or hydrometer?

This is important. If you used a refractometer to measure your FG, your actual FG as measured with a hydrometer could be as low as 1.000

 

[bracconiere]

What are you using to measure gravity - refractometer or hydrometer?

damn, i must be getting slow....i just ass-u-med every one knew that by now......there should be a built in bot that automatically posts that in these threads.....lol