Specific Gravity Stall

[goingcamping]

Hey All;

I've recently made the jump to AG brewing and decided my inaugural brew would be 6 gallons of Scwarzbier. Here I am 10 days into the primary (SSbrew 6.9gal Brewbucket) according to the Beersmith recipe I used, I should keg at 10days, but my SG is at 1.033 (starting at 1.062)

Here's the recipe and important info:

6lbs 11.4oz Pilsner 2 Row (2.0 SRM)
4lbs 4.0oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
7.2oz Chocolate Malt (450 SRM)
5.4oz Caramel/Crystal Malt 30L (30 SRM)
3.6oz Carafa I (337 SRM)
1.8oz Roasted Barley (300 SRM)
Mash In 15.10qt (3.77gal) @ 165.9˚F (for a step temp of 152&#730 Actual 152˚F
Mash Out 8.46qt (2.11gal) @ 201.8˚ Actual 199˚

I batch sparged the remaining 3.32gal @ 168˚F
Added water to reach pre-boil volume of 7.76gal (I forgot to check pre-boil SG)

Boiled for a total of 90min with starting hop schedule at 60min.
1.4oz Hallertauer (4.80%) 60min
1.0oz Halertauer (4.80%) 20min
.5 Whirlfloc Tablet @ 9min
.67oz Halertauer (4.8%) 1min

Post-boil volume ~6.76gal Post boil SG Est. 1.053 Actual 1.062 (OG)

Cooled with SS coiled wort cooler to 80˚F (here's where I jumped the gun). I then pitched the yeast (Safale American (DCL/Fermintis #US-05)dry, into the boil kettle, then transferred to the Fermenter.

Has been fermenting for 2 weeks at 63˚F for 14 days in my basement(recipe recommended 64.4˚F)

Did I screw up by adding the yeast to the boil kettle, even though the temp was correct? I use my Thermapen along with the calibrated dial thermometer to monitor temps as well?

I use a Refractometer to check SG and have calibrated/checked against a fellow HB...It appears accurate?

Any thoughts? The beer/wort actually taste great, albeit a little sweet?

I wanted to keg and have the secondary fermentation at 32˚F as per the recipe; however, thanks to all the great info on here, I've learned that the yeast will all but stop in the Cold Chill?

I've moved the Brew bucket to above my Keezer on our main level...hoping the more moderate temps of 66˚-70˚F will stimulate the yeast?

Thanks for any input!

~Brett

 

[RM-MN]

Hey All;

I've recently made the jump to AG brewing and decided my inaugural brew would be 6 gallons of Scwarzbier. Here I am 10 days into the primary (SSbrew 6.9gal Brewbucket) according to the Beersmith recipe I used, I should keg at 10days, but my SG is at 1.033 (starting at 1.062)

Here's the recipe and important info:

6lbs 11.4oz Pilsner 2 Row (2.0 SRM)
4lbs 4.0oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
7.2oz Chocolate Malt (450 SRM)
5.4oz Caramel/Crystal Malt 30L (30 SRM)
3.6oz Carafa I (337 SRM)
1.8oz Roasted Barley (300 SRM)
Mash In 15.10qt (3.77gal) @ 165.9˚F (for a step temp of 152&#730 Actual 152˚F
Mash Out 8.46qt (2.11gal) @ 201.8˚ Actual 199˚

I batch sparged the remaining 3.32gal @ 168˚F
Added water to reach pre-boil volume of 7.76gal (I forgot to check pre-boil SG)

Boiled for a total of 90min with starting hop schedule at 60min.
1.4oz Hallertauer (4.80%) 60min
1.0oz Halertauer (4.80%) 20min
.5 Whirlfloc Tablet @ 9min
.67oz Halertauer (4.8%) 1min

Post-boil volume ~6.76gal Post boil SG Est. 1.053 Actual 1.062 (OG)

Cooled with SS coiled wort cooler to 80˚F (here's where I jumped the gun). I then pitched the yeast (Safale American (DCL/Fermintis #US-05)dry, into the boil kettle, then transferred to the Fermenter.

Has been fermenting for 2 weeks at 63˚F for 14 days in my basement(recipe recommended 64.4˚F)

Did I screw up by adding the yeast to the boil kettle, even though the temp was correct? I use my Thermapen along with the calibrated dial thermometer to monitor temps as well?

I use a Refractometer to check SG and have calibrated/checked against a fellow HB...It appears accurate?

Any thoughts? The beer/wort actually taste great, albeit a little sweet?

I wanted to keg and have the secondary fermentation at 32˚F as per the recipe; however, thanks to all the great info on here, I've learned that the yeast will all but stop in the Cold Chill?

I've moved the Brew bucket to above my Keezer on our main level...hoping the more moderate temps of 66˚-70˚F will stimulate the yeast?

Thanks for any input!

~Brett

Have you used a correction table for you refractometer? Refractometers are not accurate once alcohol is in the sample and the correction tables will get you closer but they are still not as accurate as a hydrometer would be.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

When you used the refractometer for the final gravity did you adjust for the alcohol in the beer?

(If you didn't do the correction, then the actual final gravity is 1.017. See here: http://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/ )

Also, refractometers are more sensitive to temperature than hydrometers. You'll want to calibrate it with water at the same temperature as the beer for an accurate measurement.

80°F is the recommended rehydration temperature, so you are fine there. It's not too hot at all. Although, while the temperature drops to the fermentation temperature, the yeast will be using energy to adjust their metabolism, which means you may see an longer lag time, but after a couple of weeks there should be little difference.

 

[govner1]

Why? Did you pitch into your BK?? Also, 80°F is a bit hot. The max recommended for 05 is 75°F.
your OG was high so your FG will probably be high as well. Was your post boil volume on target?
Last, check you gravity post fermentation w/ a hydrometer.

 

[goingcamping]

Thanks for the quick replies!! In summary:

1) A refractometer is not the most accurate way to read OG, due to the alcohol?! Use a hydrometer (I'll get one right away)!

2) 80deg F is too warm for O5

3) don't pitch yeast in boil kettle (this I actually knew...I just got ahead of myself!)

 

[btbnl]

A (properly calibrated) refractometer is fine for measuring FG provided you allow for the alcohol in the beer. In this case, if your OG was 1.062 then a refractometer reading of 1.033 corresponds to a gravity of 1.016.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

You're doing more right than you give yourself credit for.

1) A refractometer is not the most accurate way to read OG, due to the alcohol?! Use a hydrometer (I'll get one right away)!

As long as you correct for the alcohol it's a fine way to measure final gravity.

2) 80deg F is too warm for O5

80°F is actually the ideal temperature to rehydrate, but it is too warm for fermentation.

3) don't pitch yeast in boil kettle (this I actually knew...I just got ahead of myself!)

As long as you aren't doing a whirl pool to separate debris I don't see why you shouldn't do this. It allows you to use the kettle and the bucket to pour wort back and forth for aeration. This is the way I normally do it.

 

[goingcamping]

Again,

Thanks for all the help.

It leads my to my second beer, American Amber Ale (Fat Tire Clone), which was racked from primary to secondary yesterday. The SG (again with refractometer) read 1.024 (starting at a lighter than estimated SG of 1.062 Actual 1.048). I thought my grains weren't as finely ground as it was a different LHBS?!

So, based on the math of using a refractometer during/after fermentation I'm at an ~FG of 1.015, which is right on the number in the recipe; however, I still have 4-5 days for the secondary!

Cheers,

Brett