Puzzled...

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nobadays

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Hello to the wise!

3 weeks ago now I did my first AG-BIAB in my new eBIAB rig (loving it!) It went pretty well, with a couple of "minor" hiccups. Heres the deal...

I brewed a 10 Barrel Joe IPA clone - recipe/method (because I know I'll be asked):

Method: BIAB
Style: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 8.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.061 (recipe based estimate) (MINE was 1.063)
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

Original Gravity:1.072 (Hit it dead on!)
Final Gravity: 1.019 (Well...so far I am at 1.017)
ABV (standard):6.93% (and then some!)
IBU (tinseth):69.05
SRM (morey):5.93

Fermentables
Amount Fermentable
14 lb American - Pale 2-Row
0.25 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 40L
0.5 lb American - Munich - Light 10L
0.5 lb American - Wheat

15.25 lb Total

Hops
Amount Variety
0.75 oz Simcoe Pellet First Wort
0.75 oz Simcoe Pellet Boil 60 min
0.25 oz Amarillo Pellet Boil 30 min
0.25 oz Amarillo Pellet Boil 15 min
0.5 oz Mosaic Pellet Boil 5 min
0.5 oz Mosaic Pellet Whirlpool at 205 °F
2 oz Simcoe Pellet Dry Hop 7 days
0.5 oz Amarillo Pellet Dry Hop 7 days
1.5 oz Mosaic Pellet Dry Hop 7 days

Mash Guidelines Infusion 154 F 60 min

Set my controller at 162F, the strike temp based on grain temp. When this was reached re-set the PID to my mash temp of 154F set the lid off and started "doughing in." As we are adding the grain I notice the element kicked on and glanced at the PID and the temp had slipped. A few seconds later I thought the element had been on a long time (usually kicks on and off pretty quickly when maintaining heat.) That's when I realized the temp probe is in the lid that was setting on the stand and looked at the kettle temp gauge (I have calibrated all of my temp gauges to within a degree +/- of each other) and it read 168F...NO!! I switched off the element and we continued to dough in.

The lid was put back on and the recirc. pump restarted... it took approx. 20 minutes for the temp to return to the mash temp of 154F. I decided to mash for 90 minutes because of the error. As noted above pre-boil gravity was 1.063 - and post boil was 1.072. So far not too bad.

Here is the "bad" part. After whirlpooling the wort through the CF chiller then doing my hop stand, I pumped the wort into my Fastferment, fermenter - through the CF and got a temp of 68F. I pitched 1 packet of Mangrove Jack M44 yeast - not re-hydrated. (So here was the first bad... should have used 2 and should have re-hydrated.) I have had great success with MJ M44 and figured this would be a good yeast for this beer...clean.

July 1st - Fermented @ 66F - As usual it took about 36 hours before airlock activity started... then we left for a week.

Fast forward 10 days, July 11th...took gravity, 1.028 still very cloudy. - RAISED temp to 70F - July 14th, no airlock activity, SG of 1.023. July 17, SG of 1.023. Should have been around 1.019 attributed lack of attenuation to high dough in temp. Very cloudy still and "yeasty" smelling.

July 17th - dry hopped. July 18, there are bubbles in the airlock...must be CO2 I thought. July 19th still bubbles, SG 1.021...it's falling, fermentation restarted! July 23rd, little if any airlock activity SG of 1.017 yikes!!

The beer is still cloudy though not "yeasty" smelling, It tastes good, smells nice and grape fruity, if not a bit bitter from all the hops in suspension.

I have never had this happen! Low pitching rate caused stalled fermentation? MJ M44 usually clears well for me, not this time. Should I re-dry hop? Puzzled...

Anything constructive welcome!

Thanks!
Don
Primary: Joe IPA clone
Secondary: nothing
Bottled: Oatmeal Stout, APA and Rye IPA
(1 case of homebrew left...gotta get this in the keg!)
 
Sounds like a great brew! At this point I would put it into the keg. Enjoy that flavor today!
 
Sounds like you under pitched and started a bit too cool, did you aerate? I think your yeast just got tired for a bit and are finishing up, I would give it a gentle swirl and let it sit until the end of the month. But I bottle.

If you have an empty keg, fill er up. any miniscule fermentation from here on won't cause problems. Never heard of a keg bomb from natural carbonation...yet.
 
Thanks for the replies... Yes I did aerate for about 30-40 seconds using O2 and a diffuser. I'v just never (in 30 years of off and on brewing) reached what seemed like terminal SG then had the ferment take off again. Then again I don't think I have ever brewed a beer this big either. Usually I'm in the .055 -.065 range. Hitting 1.072 was huge and I just wasn't thinking when I pitched the yeast...I often just sprinkle dry yeast on top (US-05 and this MJ M44 are my "go-to" yeasts for IPAs and Pales) and let it go with no worries.

I'm seeing a bubbling in the airlock again at a rate of about every 15-20 seconds. Crazy! Mangrove Jack M44 is known to attenuate pretty well, and flocculate OK. I'm hoping I don't end up with a really dry beer...if it doesn't clear up no problem as I will cold crash and gelatin the beer to drop out the proteins/yeast.

I'm just questioning if I should dry hop it again... pretty sure the yeast will strip most of what I have in there now out when it settles...It is still very cloudy/opaque but tastes really awesome! Thoughts anyone?

Thanks!
Don
Primary: Joe IPA clone
Secondary: nothing
Bottled: Oatmeal Stout, APA and Rye IPA
(1 case of homebrew left...gotta get this in the keg!)
 
If the final looks of the beer are important to you, cold crash and fine with 1/2 tsp gelatine in 1/2 c 110*F water. Stir gently, let settle for a couple of days and keg. It sounds like you have a real winner, and clarity/briteness might not be as important as flavor. Enjoy what you have.
:mug:
 
Well... I took a reading this morning, after deciding it was time to cold crash and gelatin the beer. It had hit 1.014...yikes!! That is 8.14% ABV, wild!

I just racked it into a carboy with gelatin (I use 1 tsp/1cup water @ 150ish degrees,has always worked) then stuck it in the beer fridge and turned the controller down to 33* F. I'll give it a couple of days to clear then get it in a keg.

Had a taste and man this beer is awesome! Cloudy for sure and a bit of hop bite but I think when it settles out it will be great! If the settling strips too much hop goodness I'll know better next time and dry hop it after I cold crash...I think you can...

Thanks!
Don
Primary: nothing
Secondary: Joe IPA clone
Bottled: Oatmeal Stout, APA and Rye IPA
(1 case of homebrew left...gotta get this in the keg!)
 
I've always heard you should cool the beer first and then add gelatine. Worst case is that the beer may not clear as well but just the act of cold crashing will still clear it up some.
 
I think you are right... It did drop a lot of sediment in the carboy but it still didn't clear as much as I thought it should have. I kept it in the fridge at about 33* for 2 days then racked it to a keg and let it sit a couple more days before tapping it (force carb'ed it when I put it in the keg). The first couple of pints were horribly cloudy - throw out cloudy. Then it gt better but still not there. Three days ago I added another batch of gelatin to the keg then re-pressured it. I drew a pint last night and definitely better... I think it is going to clear if I will be patient!

I think more than anything what I need is patience! Looking back I should have left the beer in the primary until I was sure it was finished... started at 1.072 and was supposed to finish at 1.019.... at 1.014 and three weeks in the primary already! I thought I should stop the ferment - (cold crash out the bulk of the yeast) but I think this was a mistake. It just wasn't done. Mangrove Jack usually flocculates quite well if I let it finish the job.

Love the beer but the suspended yeast gave us both horrible gas! That's why I hit it again with gelatin.

Lessons learned: Pitch the correct amount of yeast, Let "IT" tell me when it is done - not the other way around, bring the temp down before adding gelatin, then give it time...at least a week before racking to the keg. Patients!

Thanks!
Don
Primary: nothing
Secondary: nothing
Bottled: Oatmeal Stout, APA and Rye IPA
Kegged: Joe IPA Clone
 
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