Underattenuated Beer

[eagle23]

So I broke a couple of rules with my IPA. I started it on 12/8. Fermented low @ 60 for the first few days, then once i started to hear the bubbling slow, i raised it up to 63, then again to 66. as of today it was fermenting for 9 days and I heard no activity. I ferment in Kegs with a blowoff tube into a pale of sanitized water, so I have relied normally on the sound of bubbles to gauge my fermentation.

Because I wanted this beer ready for xmas and I thought it was done, I prepared the dry hops, pulled a small sample and started the transfer to my second keg for dry-hopping. I checked the sample and read about 1.053 so way under attenuated.

Trying to salvage my deadline for carb on thursday, I'm placing the dryhopped beer back in my fermenter box at 70 hoping to wake any yeast in suspension to try and get a fermentation going again.

Anyone over tried this and have input? Thanks

 

[ong]

What was your OG? 1.053 is an extremely high FG. I would also say very few ale yeasts are efficient (although they’re probably at least somewhat active) at 60°.

And, just to check, did you measure FG with a refractometer?

 

[deadwolfbones]

Yeah, if you used a refractometer to get 1.053, you need to plug the Brix number into a calculator like this one to account for the presence of alcohol: http://brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/

 

[Abbas]

I know there was a somewhat related thread in this section. I just encountered a similar issue of an under-attenuated beer.

Can you provide some additional info so maybe others can help further?
-What yeast did you use?
-What was your OG?
-Was there still a layer of krausen?
-What was your mash temp? (I'm betting this is why mine under-attenuated)
-Was your yeast possibly expired or stored improperly?

I'm not an expert, but I can offer a potential suggestion. Please wait for others to chime in too.
If you didnt mash too high, maybe you can add some nutrients and repitch new yeast like a Kveik if you can get your hands on it. Kveik yeast can finish in 48 hours and you can ferment hot, up to 100 degrees F.

 

[eagle23]

unfortunately i don't have a lot of info for you guys. I never wrote down the OG, But I used Wyeast's American Ale yeast. The goal was to mash at 148 for 90 minutes, but i bet it was a little cooler and a little longer that. I started fermenting @ 60 for about 4 days, then up to 63 for 3 days then up to 66 until i stopped hearing bubbles.

I cant see any krausen, since i ferment in kegs.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Let's be clear here, 1.053 is not "under attenuated", that is closer to "did not ferment". What was your expected OG? Most IPA's start in the 1.060 to 1.070 range. Moving it to 70F might help, but you might need to pitch more yeast.

 

[cmybeer]

It's obviously worth a shot to try to rouse the yeast or potentially get new yeast in there. Worst case it does nothing else, best it works out and attenuates down for a great or at least serviceable beer.

Would be easier to know what's up with more info. You can get by without taking readings until something goes wrong and then it's hard to tell where to go because you don't know exactly where you started.

Best of luck though! We've all been there.

 

[Jag75]

Yup , I'd pitch more yeast @70*f.