stuck at 1.021- 59F- nottingham

[findlaym]

I brewed up a batch of brown ale and used nottingham yeast. I racked to a secondary and then I went off to work for about 3 weeks. while i'm at home I have a brew belt that's on a timer switch keeping everything at about 65F (18C). however, the temp in the closet is now about 59F (15C) without the brewbelt and has been that way since I left, possibly colder at times because it's an outside wall and we do get winter up here. when I racked to secondary I threw in some gelatin finnings.

over the 3 weeks I was gone the gravity has not fallen. This is the first beer I have had "stuck in secondary". over the same time (and conditions) a batch of cider has been going along great with notty and is down to 1.010. the brown ale tastes great but just very low attenuation. what's the best course of action?

-should I warm up the carboy? I didn't think that 59F was way out of range for notty
-Pitch more yeast? seems silly unless I can ID what's up with the beer.

nothing odd about the recipe...

Fin

 

[brewit2it]

Was it an extract batch?

 

[jbrookeiv]

1.021 isn't out of the ordinary. Extract or all grain?

 

[KevinW]

If your beers are dropping in gravity points in the secondary then you are probably racking them too soon.

Try warming it up to about 70°!

The secondary is really best for post-fermentation activities like dry hopping, adding fruit/flavorings, or for lagering/clearing.

A lot of brewers here primary for about 3-4 weeks without secondary and do pretty good!

 

[findlaym]

partial mash,


just to be clear, gravity hasn't dropped since racking to secondary onto finnings

 

[JLem]

With the racking, the finings, and the low temp your yeast are probably relatively few in number and quite inactive. I would raise the temp up to 70 or so and then give the fermenter a gentle swirling to rouse the yeast back into suspension. You might need to pitch more yeast too.

Of course 1.021 could be your FG. It's a common "curse" of a lot of mostly extract brews.

 

[Hockeyhunter99]

swirl to mix the left over sugars and yeast. many of the yeast will have settled out but won't float to get the sugars. your SG should drop. if not, then your beer will be a bit sweet but drinkable.

 

[Yooper]

Nottingham works easily down to 57 degrees, so it's not the temp. I think adding gelatin finings to drop out the yeast might have something to do with it!

Next time, don't add finings until the beer is finished. But at 1.021 for a brown ale, I'd call it done now.

 

[jonmohno]

Certain malts like llaglanders or alexanders pale can have higher finish gravitys also.
If it were me and i was unshure if it dropped out of suspension, i would rouse it and get it up to 70 degrees then check it after 4 or more days.
I would almost bet it is done.

 

[findlaym]

Yeah, that's sort of what I figured. I thought it should go lower. I've missed my target FG for more than a few brews but never by this much. Here's the recipe, nothing special. I think I need to make the jump to some kind of fully controlled fermentation chamber...

LHBS English Brown Ale
Southern English Brown Ale


Type: Partial Mash
Date: 30/01/2011
Batch Size: 22.90 L
Brewer:
Boil Size: 13.73 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (3 Gallon)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
1.33 kg Dark Liquid Extract (17.5 SRM) Extract 37.15 %
0.90 kg Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 25.14 %
0.75 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 30L (30.0 SRM) Grain 20.95 %
0.25 kg Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 6.98 %
0.25 kg Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 6.98 %
0.10 kg Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 2.79 %
28.30 gm Bullion [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops 19.9 IBU
28.30 gm Fuggles [4.50 %] (10 min) Hops 4.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.039 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.009 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.021 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.83 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 3.78 %
Bitterness: 23.9 IBU Calories: 480 cal/l
Est Color: 21.4 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Full Body Total Grain Weight: 1.35 kg
Sparge Water: 12.50 L Grain Temperature: 22.2 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C TunTemperature: 22.2 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Full Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Saccharification Add 3.52 L of water at 78.0 C 70.0 C
10 min Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 10 min 75.6 C



Mash Notes: Temperature mash for use when mashing in a brew pot over a heat source such as the stove. Use heat to maintain desired temperature during the mash.
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 129.7 gm Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 15.6 C Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 11.1 C

Notes

Mash did not go so well because of a difference of several degrees between inside and outside of the pot. need more insulation or something.
Topped off with water to achave the FG.
2/5- G= 1.021
3/1 G = 1.021

hmmm, finished early?

 

[Yooper]

That's a lot of crystal! (Dark LME has crystal in it, too)

I don't think 1.021 is unreasonable for that recipe.

I do think that the beer shouldn't be racked and fined next time until after it's at FG, but I don't think you did any harm this time because it seems like it would have finished in that area anyway.

 

[JLem]

I agree with Yooper - wow, that is a ton of crystal malt

I retract my earlier statement and am now 99.99% sure it is done fermenting.

 

[findlaym]

hmmmm, yes. After some reading I have discovered the HBT articles on the fermentability of crystal malts and the assumptions that my brewing software makes about the fermentability. I am doubtful that the temps could be wrong because the same yeast is going along nicely in a carboy right next to my brown. I'm gonna rouse it and warm it up and see what happens.

 

[Yooper]

hmmmm, yes. After some reading I have discovered the HBT articles on the fermentability of crystal malts and the assumptions that my brewing software makes about the fermentability. I am doubtful that the temps could be wrong because the same yeast is going along nicely in a carboy right next to my brown. I'm gonna rouse it and warm it up and see what happens.

I wouldn't- it's done. If you rouse it and warm it up, all you're doing is possibly oxidizing the beer. I see no reason, especially once you add gelatin, to rouse the beer. You added gelatin to drop out the yeast, which it did. Rousing it now, when it's finished, isn't the least bit necessary. Mucking with it is probably the worse choice you could make. As was mentioned, 57 degrees is a safe fermenting range for nottingham. Warming it won't help, either.

That much crystal means the beer is finished. I'd either let it sit, or bottle it. I'd bottle, if it was me.