Questions about FG and efficiency. Raising the temp, length in primary = lower FG?

[mister704]

So I brewed the Allagash Curieux clone and after 9 days my OG went from 1.083 to 1.020.

Looking at brewerfriends efficiency calculator, I hit it basically square on and it reports 93% efficiency. As much as I would love to accept this, I do think its a little over shot.

Anyways...its now been 20 days and I plan to check it again when I get home. From the Allagash thread...looks like most was getting 1.006-1.010 range. Is it possible that I could have dropped the rest after 11 days?

As well...A question that I have wondered about. If I let it sit in primary for more than the actual fermentation time(say I checked hydrometer and 4 days straight I have same reading), its is any benefit to leaving it in the primary for longer? For instance, I planned to leave the Allagash in primary for 30 days and then switch to secondary for the same amount of time and add in my bourbon soaked wood cubes.

Whats the benefit of leaving it on the cake for longer? Will it maybe keep dropping the FG?

Can I drop the current temp(75F) down to lets say 65F and then re-heat? Will that make any difference IF FG was not achieved?

Sorry for the run of questions...just wondering why leave it in primary so long if fermentation is done AND is there any way to squeak out the FG if it doesn't hit the mark and your OG was dead on(with wort aerated and 1.5L yeast starter)?

 

[Double_D]

Please post your recipe. With respect to the other questions, some people age only in the primary. Some people think it's the worst imaginable thing to do. So I'd say RDWHAHB and do what makes you comfortable. Temp fluctuations aren't a huge deal but lowering and raising it won't do anything but make your beer hotter or colder. I prefer to lower the temp and hold my secondary vessel at cellar temps or colder depending on the beer that I'm doing. I'd suggest that. As far as adding the oak cubes, I'd suggest if you're going to do any amount of extended aging to transfer from your primary when your fermentation has really started to slow down. That way you can separate it from the main body of trub and then it's still off gassing and will purge the secondary vessel of O2 naturally. Either that of purge your secondary with Co2 after you've been in the primary for your original 30 days and then transfer.

Oh and 1.083 - 1.020 is about 76% attenuation. Depending on your recipe you may not get down to .006 - .010 range.

 

[mister704]

Here is the recipe from the Allagash Clone Thread

13# pilsner malt
1 # Carapils
1 # corn sugar
0.5 oz tettnang 60 mins
1 oz hersbrucker 60 min
.25 oz tettnang 30 mins
.5 oz hersbrucker 30 mins
.25 oz tettnang 10 mins
.5 oz hersbrucker 10 min
.5 gal starter of wyeast Belgian Ardennes and wlp550

OG 1.085

it's been in primary for a bit now. I was planning on 30 days primary solo, then 30 days more (still on the cake) with 3 oz of Hungarian medium toast oak cubes that have been soaking in Jim beam for almost a month already- major bourbon flavor being the aim just like Curieux.


****I followed his 30 day frame...thats why I was asking if it really makes a difference.*****

I was about to go ahead and transfer for to secondary and drop in the oak and sit it in the corner so my chamber will be open for use for the next brew.

 

[jalmeida]

Mash temperature may be a factor as well. So IIRC efficiency effects primarily OG. But the FG is effected by a combination of yeast attenuation, mash temperature and OG. You can have 100% efficiency and still miss the FG if yeast and mash temperature are not where they needs to be.

Also, bigger beers can be finicky with yeast. Some yeast don't like big beers as much as others. I have been using yeast nutrient on beers in the 1.080 OG range to help. The good thing with you scenario is it will not hurt to wait a little longer and see what happens with the FG. Are you bottling or kegging? I would not bottle without waiting a bit, you might end up with bottle grenades.


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[mister704]

Mash temperature may be a factor as well. So IIRC efficiency effects primarily OG. But the FG is effected by a combination of yeast attenuation, mash temperature and OG. You can have 100% efficiency and still miss the FG if yeast and mash temperature are not where they needs to be.

Also, bigger beers can be finicky with yeast. Some yeast don't like big beers as much as others. I have been using yeast nutrient on beers in the 1.080 OG range to help. The good thing with you scenario is it will not hurt to wait a little longer and see what happens with the FG. Are you bottling or kegging? I would not bottle without waiting a bit, you might end up with bottle grenades.


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Oh I am definitely waiting. I didn't plan to bottle until Mid June so I could give most of it to my bro for his birthday. So I definitely have the time.

Will most likely taste it when I get home today and switch out the blow off back to the air lock. Sit it in the corner of the garage and let it just chill at 65F which is roughly what the garage temp will be. Should not be an issue since its basically done doing what its going to.

I will report back what the FG is when I get home and test it.

**Oh and I mashed at 152 but a few time it fell down to the 142-145F range because I had to run to the store and let the wife manage my mash....**

But no matter what, it will be perfect. I am really shoot for the taste over the Alc...8.5-9% is still strong enough for me.

 

[jalmeida]

Oh I am definitely waiting. I didn't plan to bottle until Mid June so I could give most of it to my bro for his birthday. So I definitely have the time.

Will most likely taste it when I get home today and switch out the blow off back to the air lock. Sit it in the corner of the garage and let it just chill at 65F which is roughly what the garage temp will be. Should not be an issue since its basically done doing what its going to.

I will report back what the FG is when I get home and test it.

**Oh and I mashed at 152 but a few time it fell down to the 142-145F range because I had to run to the store and let the wife manage my mash....**

But no matter what, it will be perfect. I am really shoot for the taste over the Alc...8.5-9% is still strong enough for me.

I would rouse the yeast and give it a little time. May have just stalled out.



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[mister704]

So I took a few photos and hydrometer reading. Looks like I did get down to 1.011 which to me is fine.

I still have to add the Jim Beam Bourbon soaked wood cubes which may actually add a little more but right now that is good with me. I believe 9.5% is more than enough.

***Rousing yeast...you mean give the bucket a little shake/swirl?***

Pics....

 

[BigFloyd]

From the pics it looks like it may still be fermenting. I'd leave it completely alone for another 4-5 days (no rousing is needed) and then do the additions.

 

[mister704]

From the pics it looks like it may still be fermenting. I'd leave it completely alone for another 4-5 days (no rousing is needed) and then do the additions.

Well that means its still fermenting after 20+ days...don't matter, I am just letting it go do its thing.

 

[TheCanisDirus]

Another vote here for leaving it longer. I dont touch anything before 30 days in primary. Even after fermentation the yeasties will continue to "clean up" the beer so it's general good practice with "most" beers to just let them be for a while. You'll likely attenuate further.

 

[mister704]

Another vote here for leaving it longer. I dont touch anything before 30 days in primary. Even after fermentation the yeasties will continue to "clean up" the beer so it's general good practice with "most" beers to just let them be for a while. You'll likely attenuate further.

Well thats what is going to happen anyways. I had so much foam after aerating that it basically looks like the foam turned into brown slop. But I will continue fermenting, as I will be removing the blowoff and taking it out the ferm chamber and sitting it in my basement.

The chamber will be used for my two new brews I am brewing today. So the temp will drop about 10 degrees because it is 75F in the chamber but my basement is about 65ish.

 

[Yooper]

Well thats what is going to happen anyways. I had so much foam after aerating that it basically looks like the foam turned into brown slop. But I will continue fermenting, as I will be removing the blowoff and taking it out the ferm chamber and sitting it in my basement.

The chamber will be used for my two new brews I am brewing today. So the temp will drop about 10 degrees because it is 75F in the chamber but my basement is about 65ish.

Aerating? Hopefully you mean at pitching and not recently. That will ruin the beer.

 

[mister704]

Aerating? Hopefully you mean at pitching and not recently. That will ruin the beer.

Of course. Definitely not now...just before pitching I forgot to say.

That would be real bad if done now.