Stuck fermentation or just normal?

[Kenshyin]

Hello guys, first time post here, hope i can get some help.

I brewed a Double IPA, on the 30th of May, here is the recipe:
4.5 kg (9,92lb) Pale Malt
1 kg (2.20lb) Wheat
0.5 kg (1.10lb) Vienna
0.4 kg (0.88lb) Goldswaen Amber (caramel malt)
0.44 kg (0.97lb) Cane sugar

30min
25g (0.88 oz) Cascade
10g (0.35 oz) Magnum

5min
25g (0.88 oz) Cascade
25g (0.88 oz) Mosaic
25g (0.88 oz) Citra

Hopstand 20min 77c (170.6F)
25g (0.88 oz) Cascade
25g (0.88 oz) Mosaic
25g (0.88 oz) Citra

Suposed to dry hop with 30g (1.06oz) with Cascade, Mosaic and Citra, when fermentation is over...

Mashed for 1 hour at 68c (154.4 F)
30 min boil

The OG was 1084, fermented with 400ml of Kveik Voss slurr that I had stored from a previous batch. One week before brew day, I tested the health of the yeast with a bit of the slurr in a mini mash, and it fermented like crazy, has one would expect with the Norwegian Beast.

Pitched the yeast at 30c (86F) and at day 3 ramped gradually to 37c (98.6F)....Since day 5 the FG marks 1018...The brewfather calculator estimated a FG of 1011....so now im confused...is the Fermentation stuck or is it over? I inted to measure the FG the next 3 days just to confirm the FG stays at 1018...But nevertheless, I cant help to wonder if I should pitch some more yeast (I have a slurr of S-04 that I can use), to bring this sucker FG down...
It tastes very good, no off flavours and it isnt too sweet at all, Its just the way I like it....but since im bottling this DIPA, I freeze with the possibility of bottle bombs! What do you guys think? Is it 1018 an acceptable FG?

 

[tracer bullet]

Is it 1018 an acceptable FG?

Yes, definitely, especially starting at 1.084. It sounds like it's simply done.

An hour at 154+ is totally fine, but slightly on the higher side of temperatures, and would be expected to end in a slightly higher gravity as well.

There's basically no chance you'd taste the difference if you'd mashed lower and gone down to 1.011. Predictions are just that.

If you want to know more about mash temps read up on alpha and beta amylase.

You're good to go. Enjoy the beer!

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, Omega claims attenuation of 70% to 82% for their Voss Kveik, and the brew in question is at 76%. Considering the mash temperature there's a good chance it's done, just needs verification after a few days...

Cheers!

 

[Kenshyin]

Thanks guys!! Its dry hop time then!!

 

[dmtaylor]

Thanks guys!! Its dry hop time then!!

Dry hopping can reduce gravity as well, since hops contain enzymes. Maybe you'll hit your goal later anyway. Or something in between.

 

[kenmcchord]

Dry hopping can reduce gravity as well, since hops contain enzymes. Maybe you'll hit your goal later anyway. Or something in between.

The problem with that can be how soon after dry hop one begins cold crashing. In my bigger IPAs, especially when I'm dry hopping with a health load of hops, I've been adding ALDC to the hops to prevent the formation of any possible diacetyl. Had a black IPA that, unbeknownst to me, kicked back into fermentation after I dry hopped. Two or three days later I cold crashed which locked in the precursors to the formation of diacetyl. Still didn't perceive diacetyl, but after bottling up for a competition, and really after those bottles got to warm for a period of time, holy guacamole it was buttered popcorn time.

Always add ALDC to my dry hopping. I suspect that yeast is done, but as @dmtaylor implied, you may get re-fermentation from the dry hops.

 

[Kenshyin]

Thanks for all the feedback. ALDC....Eeerr..what is that? Feeling like a young grasshopper now...

 

[Kenshyin]

Ok got it, uncle Google solved it...an enzyme that helps prevent diacetyl...well I live in Portugal, and theres only 4 homebrew shops and none of them has it...I'll just have to roll the dices...in the past I didnt got popcorn invasion, so let's hope for the best! Thanks for the info guys!

 

[dmtaylor]

ALDC is insurance and actually unnecessary in most cases. All you need is time and the diacetyl gets eaten by residual yeast, takes 1-3 weeks and it's gone, without adding any ALDC.