unfinished fermentation?

[hector]

That's my point- you may not really have wanted that particular FG, but if the SG doesn't move for at least three days, it IS at FG.

"Fermentis" says that Safale S-04 gives a MEDIUM final Gravity .

According to John Palmer's "How To Brew" , Medium final Gravity means 70-75% apparent attenuation .

Therefore , starting at 1.050 then you should end up at 1.014-1.012 .

1.050 --> 1.020 then you have 59% apparent attenuation and that does not match to what "Fermentis" says .

Hector

 

[Boek]

I'm still trying to help the op out. Need to know what his recipe was?

9 # 2 row
1# each of 60L and 90L
.5 # flaked wheat

This was a brew in a bag mash. Mashed for 60 min. Tried to keep it at 155 but it did fluctuate a bit, not more than 5 degrees either way I'd say. Could something have gone wrong with the mash? I just mixed the flaked wheat into the rest of the grains. Also, I squeezed the heck out of the bag with a wine press. Too many unfermentables?

Maybe the cooled wort wasn't aerated enough. I stirred it vigerously for few minutes but usually I would pour it back and forth.

 

[onthekeg]

But, it's still at FG- which is 1.020. It didn't take weeks to get there.

That's my point- you may not really have wanted that particular FG, but if the SG doesn't move for at least three days, it IS at FG. It doesn't take more than a few days to ferment, if the proper amount of yeast is pitched and the beer is made properly.

I wouldn't necessarily say its finished. I once had a fermentation stall, put it in the keg and the keg pressured up to about 50lb the following summer in the basement.
It was all foam for a long time!

 

[RJS]

Oh forgot to ask what temp was the wort when you pitched the yeast?

Best question yet. This is most likely the issue from what i am reading

 

[Boek]

I pitched the yeast at 70 degrees.

 

[Boek]

I have a theory on what happened to my beer.

I was doing a biab so the mash took place in the kettle. We were in a barn and it was freezing and I didn't think that the temp would hold well...we had no blankets to put around the kettle. So I put some bricks on the woodstove to moderate the temp and put the kettle with the mash on the bricks. I kept taking the temp of the mash throughout and it held at about 155. I think the key may be that I didn't stir the mash much. Perhaps it got really hot on the bottom closer to the stove and stayed cooler toward the top where I was taking the temp.

Could too hot of a mash lead to excessive unfermentables and a fg of 1.031?

Thoughts?

 

[onthekeg]

I have a theory on what happened to my beer.

I was doing a biab so the mash took place in the kettle. We were in a barn and it was freezing and I didn't think that the temp would hold well...we had no blankets to put around the kettle. So I put some bricks on the woodstove to moderate the temp and put the kettle with the mash on the bricks. I kept taking the temp of the mash throughout and it held at about 155. I think the key may be that I didn't stir the mash much. Perhaps it got really hot on the bottom closer to the stove and stayed cooler toward the top where I was taking the temp.

Could too hot of a mash lead to excessive unfermentables and a fg of 1.031?

Thoughts?

I was worried when you had an FG of 1.020, 1.031 is allot higher! When those bottles feel like fermenting, they are going to blow sky high!

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I was worried when you had an FG of 1.020, 1.031 is allot higher! When those bottles feel like fermenting, they are going to blow sky high!

That's why I said to get them in the fridge. Chill 'em down, and drink 'em quick.

 

[beerman0001]

If your mash temp got up to the 160 range then that is whay you had a high fg.

 

[Boek]

If your mash temp got up to the 160 range then that is whay you had a high fg.

If the remaining sugars are not fermentable then i shouldn't have to worry about bottle bombs right?

 

[beerman0001]

If the remaining sugars are not fermentable then i shouldn't have to worry about bottle bombs right?

Right. But always when in doubt be safe put them somewhere will nobody can get hurt. After 3 weeks chill one down for a few day then see how it is.