propush
Active Member
Hello everyone!
(tl;dr: go to the list of possible reasons for under attenuation.)
So, there is a lot to read about this subject. The reason I'm asking this - Is to present my brewing routine, and then get specific advice as to why this happens in my setup specifically.
So I will bring on 3 examples. One of them didn't under attenuate. The other 2 - have.
So the first was Belgian strong ale, with O.G. of at least 1.085 (was my first brew - didn't really measure it in pin point accuracy). The yeast was t-58 @21c ambient. I have collected EVERYTHING from the brew kettle, and added it to the fermenter. Very vigorous bubbling started in about 3 hours, and the fermentation ended in a few days, with f.g. of 1.013. Pitching: I pitched one 11.5g packet of dry t-58 yeast directly in to the wort.
grain bill: base malt, and a bit of Munich.
This beer was good, and the attenuation actually exceeded expectation (1.017 was estimated).
Mash temp 67C.
I had another beer done in this method, which also attenuated well - 1.013 and expected was 1.017. This one had some dark crystal malt, and a bit of chocolate malt as well. Yeast was S-04, and it was pitched directly, like the first one. Mash temp was 67 C.
Now lets move on to the beers which under-attenuated:
1. Baltic porter. Same routine. I had too much water, and was forced to dump about one gallon of wort. O.G. was 1.066. Fermentation temp was 15 ambient, and I didn't change it at all. F.G. was 1.022 with estimated 1.018 - so we have 4 unwanted points. The beer came out amazing though! Yeast was s-04 English ale. This was a baltic porter - with about 500gr of darker malts and 400g of 40l crystal. Mash temp was 65-66c, and never less then 65.
2. Belgian pale ale that is in the fermenter right now. Used same method of brewing. Temp was 19C with S-33 dry yeast. Raised temp to 21 after 4 days. All the yeast have flocelated (I took out a shot glass of beer every day, and every day there were less yeast - until today: almost no yeast sediment in the 250ml vile I use to measure gravity. F.g. is 1.022, for three days now, with expected F.G. of 1.018. So again - 4 unwanted points. Grain bill contains 200g Dexedrine malt, with some buiscit and crystal 50l - and base malts. Mash temp was 67c.
So, from my reading I figured the fallowing could be the problems, and I wanted to consult you guys prior to my next brew:
1. I collect EVERYTHING from the kettle. I read that some of it - the sediments - is not wanted. I read the the stuff at the bottom are cold and hot brakes, and I should only have a bit of those in the fermenter.
2. I pitch directly, which diminishes cell count. If I were to rehydrate - maybe it'll solve the problem. Yet, The first two beers did very well - if I were to rehydrate, wouldn't I then end up with too many cells?
3. I don't raise the temp after 2-3 days when fermentation relaxes a bit. Maybe if I did - it would help. Didn't do it with the first beers and had no problem though.
Am I correct? Also, I used the same routine for 4 beers - 2 of which attenuated perfectly, and 2 under attenuated with 4 extra points.
What say you?
Thank you guys, seriously. I get so much help in this forum, and the advice is always so good - and results in epic beers which my friends and I really enjoy!
(tl;dr: go to the list of possible reasons for under attenuation.)
So, there is a lot to read about this subject. The reason I'm asking this - Is to present my brewing routine, and then get specific advice as to why this happens in my setup specifically.
So I will bring on 3 examples. One of them didn't under attenuate. The other 2 - have.
So the first was Belgian strong ale, with O.G. of at least 1.085 (was my first brew - didn't really measure it in pin point accuracy). The yeast was t-58 @21c ambient. I have collected EVERYTHING from the brew kettle, and added it to the fermenter. Very vigorous bubbling started in about 3 hours, and the fermentation ended in a few days, with f.g. of 1.013. Pitching: I pitched one 11.5g packet of dry t-58 yeast directly in to the wort.
grain bill: base malt, and a bit of Munich.
This beer was good, and the attenuation actually exceeded expectation (1.017 was estimated).
Mash temp 67C.
I had another beer done in this method, which also attenuated well - 1.013 and expected was 1.017. This one had some dark crystal malt, and a bit of chocolate malt as well. Yeast was S-04, and it was pitched directly, like the first one. Mash temp was 67 C.
Now lets move on to the beers which under-attenuated:
1. Baltic porter. Same routine. I had too much water, and was forced to dump about one gallon of wort. O.G. was 1.066. Fermentation temp was 15 ambient, and I didn't change it at all. F.G. was 1.022 with estimated 1.018 - so we have 4 unwanted points. The beer came out amazing though! Yeast was s-04 English ale. This was a baltic porter - with about 500gr of darker malts and 400g of 40l crystal. Mash temp was 65-66c, and never less then 65.
2. Belgian pale ale that is in the fermenter right now. Used same method of brewing. Temp was 19C with S-33 dry yeast. Raised temp to 21 after 4 days. All the yeast have flocelated (I took out a shot glass of beer every day, and every day there were less yeast - until today: almost no yeast sediment in the 250ml vile I use to measure gravity. F.g. is 1.022, for three days now, with expected F.G. of 1.018. So again - 4 unwanted points. Grain bill contains 200g Dexedrine malt, with some buiscit and crystal 50l - and base malts. Mash temp was 67c.
So, from my reading I figured the fallowing could be the problems, and I wanted to consult you guys prior to my next brew:
1. I collect EVERYTHING from the kettle. I read that some of it - the sediments - is not wanted. I read the the stuff at the bottom are cold and hot brakes, and I should only have a bit of those in the fermenter.
2. I pitch directly, which diminishes cell count. If I were to rehydrate - maybe it'll solve the problem. Yet, The first two beers did very well - if I were to rehydrate, wouldn't I then end up with too many cells?
3. I don't raise the temp after 2-3 days when fermentation relaxes a bit. Maybe if I did - it would help. Didn't do it with the first beers and had no problem though.
Am I correct? Also, I used the same routine for 4 beers - 2 of which attenuated perfectly, and 2 under attenuated with 4 extra points.
What say you?
Thank you guys, seriously. I get so much help in this forum, and the advice is always so good - and results in epic beers which my friends and I really enjoy!