Long Primary, Low Attenuation

[diablodawg]

For my second all-grain (BIAB) brew I followed Denny's Rye IPA recipe listed in the forums. Unfortunetly, my SG was very low (1.044.) I pitched as normal, got the usual airlock activity, etc. Fast forward to today- a month later- and I foolishly racked it into my bottling bucket onto my priming DME before checking the FG. It was only 1.032.

I racked it back into the fermentation bucket and am in a quandry. Did I probably aerate it too much? Should I repitch a different yeast? Any other advice?

Thanks.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

If you took a gravity reading after mixing in the DME, your actual gravity was a few points lower depending on how much you primed with. That's still pretty high though for such a low original gravity. You ought to be closer to 1.010. What temperature did you mash at? You could rouse the yeast and let it go for another week, but you should be as far down as it's gonna go by 4 weeks in. Sounds like you may have mashed too high.

 

[diablodawg]

I can't remember specifically, but I usually start mash at 155 and lose a couple of degrees over the time period.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I don't think 155 would make it finish that high. Not sure what the problem may be.

 

[agdoc04]

Wow. That is just short of no fermentation based on that reading...Is it accurate? Was you hydrometer clean (I don't know what would keep it that buoyant..soap?) Was your yeast viable? Were the sugars fermentable (high temp might make them less fermentable, but at 155 you aren't even close to the danger zone). Sanitation intact? Fermenting temperature >60 degrees?

You could try:
1. take another reading
2. put your bucket in a warmer spot and then stir it up (start over)
3. pitch more yeast

If there is sugar to ferment, yeast (0ld if viable and new) should eat it up.

 

[RM-MN]

Tell us a little more about your process. How did you go about getting an OG of 1.044 with that much grain when Denny gets 1.073? What yeast did you use and how did you pitch? What was the temperature of the wort when pitched and what temperature did you ferment at? Was this temperature constant or did it fluctuate?

I wouldn't want to bottle it at that gravity so I'd try warming it to 72 to 75 to see if I could get it to attenuate more and probably pitch a different yeast too.

 

[diablodawg]

I did a BIAB, single pot with grains single-crushed at my LHBS. I initially used American Ale from Wyeast. Wort temp when pitched was 65-70, fermentation temp was 65-70, flucuating somewhat throughout the day (its in my closet.) I put a blanket on it and pitched some S-05 about a week ago, and still no change to FG. I'm thinking the OG was low due to higher than normal mash temp, too light a grain crush, and an incomplete method at the time.

What do you all think about adding about 3.25 lbs of DME to the primary? Or should I rack the wort onto the DME on a secondary and pitch some more yeast?

 

[smokewater]

You have been messing with this batch for what...6 weeks or so? I would probably just bottle it 3 weeks after your latest S-05 pitch, call it done and move on to another batch. What does it taste like?

 

[diablodawg]

Taste is alright; not very much malt flavor. Pretty much hopwater.

 

[Tinga]

You have been messing with this batch for what...6 weeks or so? I would probably just bottle it 3 weeks after your latest S-05 pitch, call it done and move on to another batch. What does it taste like?

I would be careful about bottling with this high of an OG. if the fermentation restarts in the bottle you could get bottle bombs. It sounds like you did all you needed to do to ensure a decent attenuation. It seems like the yeast was bad or some completely random variable thwarted you.

 

[diablodawg]

I'm thinking about treating it like a no chill beer and mixit onto some boiled and cooled DME to get the OG right, then rack it onto a yeast cake from another stout I have going. Is oxidation an issue if it's not attenuated yet?

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Shouldn't be an issue as long as you don't aerate it. Since you are going to throw it on a yeast cake, don't bother aerating the wort since you are already over pitching and will have plenty enough yeast to get the job done without any replication. Just rack it gently onto the yeast cake and oxidation shouldn't be a problem.