Super high attenuation?

[h-bar]

I used Belgian golden ale yeast (WLP570) in my trippel, and my final gravity was off the chart - literally, the liquid level was beyond the measurement marks on my hydrometer. The original gravity was 1.071 at room temp. Is more than 100% attenuation even possible? Is my hydrometer bad? In all of my brews, I have never encountered anything like this.

Otherwise, the beer tastes good, and I guess I'm okay with more alcohol! :cross:

 

[CBMbrewer]

There could have been air bubbles on the hydrometer making it float a little higher. Or you may not have collected as many gallons that the recipe called for, boiling off more water and increasing the gravity.
The latter has happened to me. Once I factored in the smaller yield my efficiency made more sense.

 

[h-bar]

Hmmm. Maybe there were bubbles around the hydrometer. I got 5 gallons, so I don't think that could be the cause.

 

[smokinghole]

It is entirely possible to have greater than 100% apparent attenuation. Real attenuation is likely closer to 80% or so. I've only ever had one beer ever go beyond 100% apparent attenuation. It was a contaminated wit that I brewed a year and a half ago, maybe more, and it got real sour but I kept it. When I bottled the gravity rang in at .997. This happens a lot with wine and considering the gravity of your beer and possibly use of sucrose it's entirely possible.

 

[h-bar]

I did use home made candi sugar, which I have never done before. I don't believe it's contaminated though, it doesn't taste sour or have any funk. It is very fruity, but this is fine by me since I'm adding pineapple.

 

[smokinghole]

Sorry I'm not suggesting your beer is contaminated. I'm just saying the only time I ever had it happen was when I ended up with a contaminated batch.

 

[SpeedYellow]

Like Smokinghole said above, there's nothing magic or meaningful about a FG of 1.000 (I.e. 100% apparent attenuation). Remember alcohol is less dense than water so 1.000 merely means a blend of something less dense than 1.000 plus some water with unfermentables in it. Real attenuation is different. And yes, not too unusual for Belgians to drop to around 1.000.

 

[Beernik]

I used WLP566 and Orval dregs in a Saison. It went from 1.083 to 0.994. It's the only beer I've had drop below 1.000.

 

[h-bar]

Glad to know this is not completely abnormal, thanks guys!