High FG from extract: too high?

[MarshalFlint]

I brewed the True Brew IPA kit (my first batch) on 3/7. OG was 1.052. Started bubbling within 24 hours, then slowed down by Day 3.

Took a 72 hr reading of 1.022. Again at 6 days, only down to 1.021. Today (day 9) still at 1.021.

Temps have been consistently mid-60s.

I have read that extract kits tend to finish high, but with a target around 1.015 or so, not sure if I should be expecting more.

If the gravity hasn't dropped further by day 14, should I chalk it up to first-time margin of error and bottle? I've seen suggestions to wait 3 weeks in primary, but if the gravity hasn't moved for a week, is another week helpful?

 

[bobeer]

I brewed the True Brew IPA kit (my first batch) on 3/7. OG was 1.052. Started bubbling within 24 hours, then slowed down by Day 3.

Took a 72 hr reading of 1.022. Again at 6 days, only down to 1.021. Today (day 9) still at 1.021.

Temps have been consistently mid-60s.

I have read that extract kits tend to finish high, but with a target around 1.015 or so, not sure if I should be expecting more.

If the gravity hasn't dropped further by day 14, should I chalk it up to first-time margin of error and bottle? I've seen suggestions to wait 3 weeks in primary, but if the gravity hasn't moved for a week, is another week helpful?

You're dead on. Another week will give the yeast time to clean things up but you probably wont lose any gravity points. You can try to dry it out with some sugar or honey to get the FG a little lower. However, you should probably just ride it out and mess with it next time since this is your first batch. Sounds like you're "so far so good"

Congrats on the first batch btw!

 

[adamdillabo]

It stinks, man. I brewed an extract this year that stalled on me and no mater what I couldn't get the sweetness out of it.

I hope yours will turn out better.

 

[ong]

It might not be a bad idea to move it someplace where it can get up to 70-ish. Warming it up can wring a couple more points out of the yeast. And I'd give it a third week in the fermenter anyway.

 

[bobeer]

another thought is when you bottle it and it conditions out again it'll drop a tad too. If it were me I'd ride it out and make some sugar additions next time to dry it out a bit.

 

[planetscott]

Make sure the yeast is healthy and you have plenty of it. I never trust the yeast in the kits for viability. Next time, get extra yeast appropriate to the style. If an IPA, Saf Ale US 05 is a great all purpose yeast.

 

[brewbama]

I think some extracts are mashed at higher temps (in the alpha sach range) so they produce a less fermentable wort in an effort to create a nice malty beer with great mouth feel (as opposed to a "watery" beer). Unfortunately this also means high FG. Maybe raise the temp of the fermenter to the high range of the yeast used to ensure the yeast keep eating sugar and don't go dormant thinking they're job is done too early.

 

[MarshalFlint]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have taken the simplest route and moved the fermenter to a slightly warmer area. I don't want to mess with it too much at this point, but I am definitely keeping these suggestions handy for my next batch. Cheers.

 

[TungstenBeer]

Good luck! My extract batches always finished between 1.019 and 1.022 back in the day.