Stuck at 1.020 FG

[Lemontato]

Hello!

I started a new batch 2 weeks ago and after letting it sit in the primary fermenter for 5 days, the FG was at 1.020 (OG was 1.044). I was surely expecting a lower FG considering the fermentation started after only about 6 hours. I transferred to secondary anyway as per the instructions that came with my kit and it has now been sitting in it for a week. I didn't take a reading yet because I don't want to introduce oxygen in my carboy, especially since I planned on letting this batch sit in its secondary for a while (1+ month).

Will letting it sit in the secondary for that long help fix the high FG? Will I need to repitch yeast before bottling? If yes, how much yeast?

What can I do to save my beer and make sure my mouth says it's yummy?

Here are the ingredients:
http://i.imgur.com/YzE99i4.jpg

Thanks!

 

[TastyAdventure]

As a general rule, no need to even crack the fermentor lid until 7 days, and secondary is unnecessary unless you are: 1) aging for 2+ months, 2) dry hopping (still could be done in primary). 3) adding fruit or something else.
5 days is when most of fermentation is over, but it will finish off another bit of gravity points during days 5-10 (general rule).

Don't follow directions, follow what your yeast are telling you, via your gravity reading. Your beer will be fine and there's still plenty of yeast to finish the job, it just would've been better with the yeast cake there.
Take another reading once you reach 3 weeks after brew date, it will probably be 1.010 -1.014. Take again after 3 days. If it stays the same, bottle it.

 

[Lemontato]

As a general rule, no need to even crack the fermentor lid until 7 days, and secondary is unnecessary unless you are: 1) aging for 2+ months, 2) dry hopping (still could be done in primary). 3) adding fruit or something else.
5 days is when most of fermentation is over, but it will finish off another bit of gravity points during days 5-10 (general rule).

Don't follow directions, follow what your yeast are telling you, via your gravity reading. Your beer will be fine and there's still plenty of yeast to finish the job, it just would've been better with the yeast cake there.
Take another reading once you reach 3 weeks after brew date, it will probably be 1.010 -1.014. Take again after 3 days. If it stays the same, bottle it.

Just to be sure, the yeast cake is what's sitting at the bottom of the fermentation bucket?

3 weeks after brew date would be in 1 week, will take a look at that time for a (hopefully) lower FG.

Thanks for your help! Will make sure to watch the gravity readings next time to know when to move to secondary.

 

[Getzinator]

+1 Listen to the yeast. No need for secondary in most cases, and definitely not before your gravity looks in line with what you're aiming at.

RDWHAHB. It's always the answer

 

[TastyAdventure]

Yeah yeast cake is all that gunk at the bottom

 

[eadavis80]

It should lower by a few points as it works in the secondary for a few weeks. What temp is the secondary at? If it's in the low 60's, you might want to bump it up a few degrees to get those yeasties going again, or give the ferm a MILD stir/shake, but NOT ENOUGH to create any oxidation. I panicked once on a beer that was "stuck" at 1.020 and I ended up adding champagne yeast to lower its gravity. It did, but it also dried out the beer more than I would have liked. Looking back on it, I think a 1.020 beer would have been better, but hey - live n' learn....

 

[fixitoscar]

Getting past 1.020 with extract can be very hard. You are at the mercy of what temp the brewer of that extract mashed at to make it. When I brewed extract A lot of my beers stalled at 1.020. If I wanted a dryer beer I learned substitute some sugar for extract gravity points.

 

[boydster]

I brewed a lot of extract batches, and only one stopped unexpectedly at 1.020. I wouldn't say it's common, but it happens sometimes. If that is where it stops, there isn't much to do. Warm the beer up a couple degrees and rouse the yeast. Hopefully it drops lower. If it doesn't, it's just done.

For me, I had good luck avoiding the problem by using fresh light DME like Briess Golden Light and taking care of my yeast. Hydrate dry yeast, make starters with liquid yeast, pay attention to pitch rate, aerate (especially for liquid yeast), start fermentation at the lower end of the yeast's ideal range, and ramp up the temp a little when fermentation slows to help encourage the yeast to stay active.

 

[Yooper]

With those ingredients, and that yeast strain, 1.020 is not unexpected.

It should taste great once it's carbed up. It will be lower ABV than you'd hoped maybe, but it sounds like it's about done and it sounds good.

 

[Lemontato]

UPDATE!

After sitting in my secondary for 3 weeks, the FG is now 1.012

Time solves a lot of problems they say!