Quick drop to high FG

[FAJ]

I told myself I wouldn't post a newbie 'is my beer ruined?!' thread. I just wanted to lurk, not worry, and have a home brew. The advice I have gotten out of this forum and it's search function has been a great help, but I don't think this one will work itself out over time.

I am using DB's stovetop method for a 3.5 gallon batch of Cascadian dark ale (or black IPA or whatever it's called)

4# 2-row
2# Victory
1# Carapils
1/2# Chocolate

Mashed at 155F; BIAB-dunk-sparge at 170F.
Pre-boil SG: 1.047 (Promash predicted 1.048, but I got 4.25 gal, not 4.12)
Post-boil SG: 1.055 (Again, one under promash) So far so good.

WL0001 - California Ale yeast (one vial, did not make starter)
Fermentation in a closet kept at 65F
Primary is a 5gal Carboy

I pitched a little high, around 80F, because of a slow cool (not much ice in the freezer for the icebath). I checked on it the next morning to see no activity. I had to leave for the weekend, and when I came back (4 days from pitch) there was no activity, but a thin ring of gunk, which looked like a krausen had come and gone. There was no airlock activity at the time.

I relaxed, didn't worry, and had a home brew. I checked it each morning for the next 2 days, to see no airlock activity and no change in appearance.

I relaxed and didn't worry much, had a home brew; but got antsy and checked the SG about 5 days later (SG = 1.030). I searched around HBT for a 'no Krausen, but beer is fermenting just fine' thread, but didn't find any

I relaxed, worried a bit, and had a home brew. A week later I checked it again and it is still 1.030.

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So, it looks like a krausen came and dropped, and the beer seems to have stopped fermenting at a high FG (1.030). I was planning to dry hop this beer in a secondary; should I pitch more yeast when I transfer? Should I pitch more yeast in the primary, hope for a drop in SG and then secondary? Can I pitch more yeast and dry hop, all in my primary?

Or is my random recipe just a very unfermentable mix? and is 1.030 terminal? The wort tastes good, but it is not really beer.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Nateo]

Your recipe is almost half specialty grains. I rarely go above 10% specialty grain, and when I do, it's usually 15% or less.

Mashing at 155, with only base grain, would give you a fermentability of roughly 67-70%. So 70% of the gravity points from your 2-row would ferment out. Your carapils and chocolate probably won't ferment at all, and I'd guess most of your victory wouldn't ferment at all either. So 1.030 seems right given the amount of unfermentable wort.

http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Fast_Ferment_Test

That's really the only way to know how fermentable your wort is.

 

[dzlater]

Listen to Nateo, his answer is much better then what I posted

 

[FAJ]

I did not realize that victory was so unfermentable!

Is there any way to save this beer? It basically tastes like mostly unfermented wort, and from what you say, it will likely never ferment. Is there anything I can do with it other than dumping it? Could I brew a thin, higher alcoholic brew, and add them together?

Can I at least decant that unfermentable wort off the yeast cake, and try again with a new wort? ~8 lbs of grain didn't cost me much, but I would hate to have the entire thing be a total waste.

 

[FAJ]

Is it possible to add a highly fermentable wort to the primary, to counteract the load of unfermentables?

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

I say make another 2.5 gallon batch of 100% 2 row, mash at like 148 for 90 minutes, follow the same hopping schedule and then blend the two in the fermentor and let it all ferment out together.

 

[devilishprune]

You could just boil up some DME and add that to get your gravity up to a level where an FG of 30 would be acceptable. Be sure to add more hops!

 

[curlyfat]

There's always the option to add some amalyse(sp?) enzyme to try to break down the unfermentables, but that could be a little unpredictable. I've never actually tried it, either.

Otherwise, blending with a very dry beer would be a great option. Just throw it on your yeast cake from this one and I bet it'll ferment fast and crazy!

 

[FAJ]

So, transfer the current wort/beer to a secondary, and pour a very dry beer wort onto the yeast cake in the primary? Let the primary ferment out, then combine them?

Or just pour it right over the current beer?

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

I think either option would be fine, but if you combine them in the fermentor and get your yeast going again you may possibly get some additional attenuation on the original batch.

 

[FAJ]

What O.G. would I be aiming for to add to this? Do I try to match the gravity of the original wort?

How does this sound:
-3lbs of light DME in 3 gallons of water, boiled down to 2.5 gallons
-hopped with the same schedule as the previous wort
-old wort gets shaken up and poured into a 7 gallon bucket
-new wort gets poured on top of that

Would it be okay to assume that the DME solution would ferment out to about 1.010 on its own (from 1.055) and the combination of them would equal out to about 1.020? Can I add amylase to the combined worts, to maybe get some extra attenuation?