Trouble hitting FG............again

[fightguy]

OK, so I am making a Belgian Tripel out of the new Jamil/Palmer book.

OG 1.081
FG 1.012

Extract:
10.4 lb Pilsener LME
2.5 lb Cane Sugar

Steeping Grains:
Aromatic (20L) .25 lb

Hops:
Tetnang 2.3oz 60 min
Saaz .5 oz 10 min

Just because I felt like it, I also added .75 oz of Bitter Orange Peel

Yeast:
22 grams of rehydrated Fermentis Safbrew T-58 (recipe called for only 15 grams of properly rehydrated yeast)

In addition, I added one White Labs Servomyces capsule for yeast health.

The recipe states that you should pitch the yeast at 64 F and let the temp rise slowly to 70 F over the course of one week. I did that, and it has currently been fermenting for 16 days and the gravity is still at 1.028!

What am I doing wrong or what should I do to remedy this situation? Pitch another packet of yeast? Let it ferment another week?

 

[Kaiser]

Do this:

- sanitize a bottle
- add about 8oz of beer
- add 1/2 to a full pack of dry brewers yeast (any will do)
- let this ferment out at a warm place
- measure the SG

If this SG is significanty lower than the current beer SG I would pitch more yeast since the beer is not done yet.

I will expect that the beer is not done since you used malt extract which keeps you from making mashing errors.

Kai

 

[BlindLemonLars]

OG 1.081
FG 1.012

Extract:
10.4 lb Pilsener LME
2.5 lb Cane Sugar

Steeping Grains:
Aromatic (20L) .25 lb

Hmmnn....with those ingredients, Beersmith estimates an OG of 1.098 and a target FG of 1.028. Which suggests your FG is not terribly far off.

Did you measure your OG at 1.081, or is that what the recipe states?

 

[fightguy]

That's what the recipe states. I assumed Jamil had it right

Also, I tasted my sample today and it was WAY too sweet

 

[Kaiser]

That's what I don't like about the FG estimation of Beersmith, it only bases it on the listed attenuation of the yeast.

I assume that the pilsner ME has a fermentability of 65% (this gets you 1.010 on a 1.048 beer) and the sugar has a fermentability of 100%. So the fermentability of your beer should be:

(10.4 * 65% + 2.5 * 100%) / (10.4 + 2.5) = 72 %

For a 1.081 beer the FG should be around 1.010 which is what the recipe lists.

Add more fresh yeast. If you use dry yeast you only need to rehydate it and don't have to add it with a starter.

Kai

 

[Iordz]

Hey, FightGuy, did you brew a 6gal batch? Jamil's recipes are calculated for 6gal.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Hey, FightGuy, did you brew a 6gal batch? Jamil's recipes are calculated for 6gal.

Good point. With six gallons, the OG from Beersmith now jives with the recipe, although the FG is still higher. (1.082/1.020)

I thought maybe the yeast couldn't handle the alcohol content, but T-58 is supposed be work up to and even past 11%.

 

[fightguy]

Hey, FightGuy, did you brew a 6gal batch? Jamil's recipes are calculated for 6gal.

I thought it was supposed to be 5.5 gallons in the fermenter yielding a full 5 gallons when you account for loss with trub?

But yeah, there is about 5.5 gallons in my 6 gallon carboy. So you guys think I should pitch another 11 grams of rehydrated yeast? What about the temp? Should I pitch at 64 and gradually increase to 70 again?

 

[Iordz]

His recipes are for 6gal left in the kettle after the boil, 5.5gal go into the carboy and 5gal into the keg/bottles. It’s a buffer; you can leave half a gallon after each transfer, the goal is to leave as much hot&cold break/trub/yeast as possible. I brew 5.5gal batches because it works on my system. Next time you brew his recipe try 6gal or adjust the recipe for a 5.5gal.
If you brewed 5.5gal your beer will have more alcohol and a higher finishing gravity, although no Belgian style should have 1.028 as the finishing gravity. Try pitching another packet, straight at 70F, and see if that helps.