Stuck fermentation? or what?

[autonomist3k]

I made a porter with US-05, the OG was 1.057 and beersmith was estimating a GF of 1.015, but it's been 2 weeks and there's still a little bit of foam at the top and I just took a gravity reading and it's 1.020.
I mashed at 156 for an hour.
I also use a fermentation chamber with a fermwrap on the carboy, the temp indicated 69 to 71 degrees the whole time.
I'm not sure if it's a stuck fermentation or if I somehow got more unfermentables out of the mash.

It doesn't taste too bad at all so no problem there, but I'm just wondering if anyone can help me make sense of this?

Thanks.

 

[BobBailey]

Without knowing anything about the grain bill I would guess that fermentation is done. The best way to tell it to take another gravity reading in 3 days. If it's the same as the last, it's time to package the beer.

I love US-05, but it does have a habit of leaving a layer of krausen and not floculating very. I often transfer to secondary just to induce floculation. I wouldn't expect much more attenuation at that mash temperature. If the gravity reading in 3 days doesn't drop, it's time to bottle or keg.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

You would have had to include a lot of dextrine or crystal malt to your grain bill to have enough unfermentables to keep the FG 5-7 points higher than expected.

 

[autonomist3k]

Here's the grain bill
9 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1 lbs Crystal, Dark (Simpsons)
12.0 oz Barley, Flaked
12.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann)
8.0 oz Special B Malt
1.00 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
5.00 Items Vanilla bean

I was planning on racking to secondary on top of my vanilla beans, so maybe that'll get the next couple gravity points that I'm looking for?

 

[autonomist3k]

Here's the grain bill
9 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
1 lbs Crystal, Dark (Simpsons)
12.0 oz Barley, Flaked
12.0 oz Carafa Special III (Weyermann)
8.0 oz Special B Malt
1.00 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz East Kent Goldings (EKG) [5.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)
5.00 Items Vanilla bean

I was planning on racking to secondary on top of my vanilla beans, so maybe that'll get the next couple gravity points that I'm looking for?

Weird.... my reply was posted at the top.

 

[BobBailey]

Sorry, I missed the grain bill post. I get an expected FG of 1.017 with my system and that grain bill.
I don't see a problem with racking at this point. I'm sure there's plenty of yeast suspended to eat up any other fermentables there might be. Just a bit of thermometer and/or hydrometer error, or less than ideal mash or fermentation conditions could very well account for a few points in FG. As I said before, US-05 often leaves a layer of krausen after fermentation, which could make it hard to get an accurate gravity reading as well. I often rack to secondary just to help clear brews with US-05.

 

[fantomlord]

you could just toss your beans into the primary. that way you can let the yeast finish up any fermentation they haven't gotten around to.

 

[autonomist3k]

Thanks man, I'm just going to rack to secondary and see what happens.
It might always be like this and I'd never know because I never take gravity readings before secondary, I just wait 2 weeks and transfer it. I've just never had US-05 stay at the top that long, that's what confused me.

When I tasted it I couldn't pick up anything I didn't like about it, so I have high hopes for this one.