My FG fell too low. What gives?

[aggins]

The target OG for my brew was 1.050 & I hit 1.047. Although the recipe called for letting it sit in the secondary for 4-10 days, based on an earlier post I made of following the recipe vs letting it sit longer to age for more flavor, I'm currently at 11 days in the secondary & now my FG, targeted for 1.011, is 1.004.

1. I know that after everything's said & done, it'll be beer but I'm wondering why such a variance or if that should even be considered "variant" as my real OG started .003 below the target OG?

2. Short of taking the gravity again tomorrow, would I be in a good position now to bottle it vs the potential of the gravity falling even further?

 

[jborho]

if its down from 1.047 to 1.004 and remains there... its done. I would thank the yeast for a job well done. Seems a little low, but hell... it is what it is.

 

[beaksnbeer]

Fermenting at higher...warmer can cause this to happen.

 

[sonex]

next time for that recipe mash at a higher temp and use a less aggressive yeast.

 

[ChemE]

Have you tasted any? I would imagine a likely explanation is infection. I don't think many yeasts are capable of that sort of apparent attenuation unless you pitched champagne yeast.

 

[Ravenshead]

I'd rather be at 1004 than stuck at 1020. You're fine, though a little dry, aging at this point has less to do with fermentation than blending flavors. It's like chili, it's cooked after the first hour but it's only good if you simmer it for four so the ingrediats get a chance to meld. Beer does the same thing when you condition it in mass.

I typically secondary for 14 days minimum and then bottle condition for another three weeks.

 

[sonex]

Have you tasted any? I would imagine a likely explanation is infection. I don't think many yeasts are capable of that sort of apparent attenuation unless you pitched champagne yeast.

did you use sugar in that recipe to get such a low FG?

 

[Calder]

Have you tasted any? I would imagine a likely explanation is infection. I don't think many yeasts are capable of that sort of apparent attenuation unless you pitched champagne yeast.

Have you ever used PacMan or some of the Belgian yeasts? I've had 3711 take a 1.060 down to 1,002. There are a few really aggressive yeasts out there.

 

[MBasile]

Knowing your recipe and procedure would help a lot...

EDIT, saw the link, nevermind.

 

[jd3]

might be crazy here, but what temp were both readings taken at? I can't believe how many people don't correct for temp.

 

[MBasile]

might be crazy here, but what temp were both readings taken at? I can't believe how many people don't correct for temp.

Not to mention the inaccuracy at high temps, I've had different readings from corrected down from 75* vs taken at 60*

 

[aggins]

@beaksnbeer: recipe called for it to be 66-76 in 2ndary & it never got above 76.
@cheme: i did taste some & it didn't taste infected.
@sonex: no, i didn't use any sugar. i simply followed the recipe.
@calder: the yeast i used was Wyeast American Ale (1056) 125ml.
@jd3: OG was taken about 80 degrees with most recent reading taken @ 74ish.

 

[MBasile]

@jd3: OG was taken about 80 degrees with most recent reading taken @ 74ish.

take another sample, but this time cool it down to 60 before taking the reading.

 

[hector]

In some cases wild Yeast makes the Beer so dry .

Hector

 

[aggins]

@MBasile: Thanks for the tip. I'll give it one more test right before I bottle it but that temp will probably be around 70 so I'll share whether there was any variance in taking it at 70 vs 74.

 

[aggins]

Well I just took the gravity again at 70-72 & got 1.010 (recipe called for 1.011). (shrug) I'll take it.

 

[ChemE]

Well I just took the gravity again at 70-72 & got 1.010 (recipe called for 1.011). (shrug) I'll take it.

Corrected down to 60°F (the way it should be taken) it is 1.011. I'd say mystery solved.

 

[Hang Glider]

The recipe may not be giving you good advice, either. In this instance, my bet is a fast, hot fermentation.

For each yeast you use, go to the manufacturer's website and check their specifications, don't trust someone's recipe.

for the wyeast 1056, look here.

Remember, fermentation initiates an exothermic reaction, causing the fermenting wort to rise anywhere from 4-8 degrees above ambient. A water bath helps, as water is a decent thermal conductor. My fermenting chamber is water based and sits at 63F. An air-based chamber (refrigerator) should be set at closer to 60 in order to get a good ferment below the top of the yeast range.