Why FG=1.025?

[yeastforbrains]

Is it because of the high percentage of Munich malt?
A water mineral thing?
Other?
Below is the recipe with notes, and attached a photo of the water profile
Thanks for input

Munich Session

Recipe specifics:

Style: Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

Est Batch size: 6.1 gal
Est Boil volume: 7.7 gal
Est OG: 1.049
Est FG: 1.012
Est Bitterness (IBU): 34.6
Est Color (SRM): 16.7
Est ABV: 4.8%

Grain/Sugars:

9.48 lb Munich (Castle Malting), 82.7%
0.88 lb Pilsener (Belgian), 7.7%
0.44 lb Melano (Castle Malting), 3.8%
0.33 lb Crystal 150 EBC (Castle Malting), 2.9%
0.33 lb Café Light (Castle Malting), 2.9%

Hops:

1.06 oz Cascade (AA 6.6%, Pellet) 60 min, 22.0 IBU
0.35 oz Cascade (AA 6.6%, Pellet) 20 min, 4.4 IBU
0.71 oz Kent Golding (AA 5.1%, Pellet) 20 min, 6.9 IBU
0.35 oz Cascade (AA 6.6%, Pellet) 1 min, 0.3 IBU
0.35 oz Kent Golding (AA 5.1%, Pellet) 1 min, 0.2 IBU
0.35 oz Nugget (AA 13.9%, Pellet) 1 min, 0.7 IBU

Yeast/Misc:

Oak Chips, American Heavy Toast, 1.0 unit(s), Flavor Steeped in 1 dl whiskey to desinfect
Safale S-04 English Ale, 1.0 unit(s), Yeast 11.5 gram
Whiskey, 1.0 unit(s), Other 1 dl, to desinfect the oak chips and give some flavour...

Batch Notes:

April 21, Brewday
Mashed in 15 liter / 3.96 us gallons, bottled water with low mineral contents, at 68°C, 154°F, 1 hour
Topped up mash tun, batch sparged...
Collected 29 liters, / 7.66 US gallons, to boil
Collected 22 liters / 5.81 US gallons to ferment at OG 1.052,
Rehydrated yeast in sterile water at 30°C/86°F, slowly adjusted temp over half hour, stirred and pitched at 20°C / 68°F, same temp as wort.

April 24,
Yeast seems done, but SG=1.025
Sprinkled half pack S04, on top of wort

April 25,
Still SG=1.025, the beer has a real malty backbone with some nice hoppy notes.
Added 60g. or 2.12 oz, Oak chips, steeped 30 minutes in 1 dl. or 3.4 fl oz Whiskey.

April 27
Still SG=1.025, I detect no oak yet

-----

 

[strambo]

I use s-04 a lot, it finishes higher than some others, but I'd think that recipe and mash temp should finish 1.012-1.014.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Zoidberg]

Calibrate thermometer (maybe you mashed higher than you thought) and you hydrometer.

 

[PAjwPhilly]

First, I would not suspect your yeast were done at day 3. Especially with a gravity that high.

What was your fermentation temps? That is probably the most important part. Did the temps drop after the first 3 days... What temp is it now?

 

[kombat]

S-04 ferments FAST, I would not be surprised if his krausen dropped by day 3 giving the appearance that it was finished. That said, given a few more days, it would likely creep down a little lower.

Your grainbill doesn't look too off-the-wall, my best guess would be that you mashed higher than you think you did.

 

[pdxal]

Check your thermometer you used on the mash.
Give it more time.
What temperature are you fermenting at? Has it varied?

 

[PAjwPhilly]

S-04 ferments FAST, I would not be surprised if his krausen dropped by day 3 giving the appearance that it was finished. That said, given a few more days, it would likely creep down a little lower.

The point is you cannot look at a beer and tell when it is done.

 

[strambo]

Yes, his first reading was too soon, but it was still 1.025 at day 6, something isn't right. Mashed higher than he thought, low ferm temp, mis-calibrated hydrometer or a stacking of errors.

That grain bill with that yeast should have finished 10pts lower.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[yeastforbrains]

Thaks everyone. I suspect a bad batch of yeast. I got 2 packs of this a while back, and kept in fridge. I used the other pack on a mild ale which also finished unusually high. But the thing is, in both these I used Munich as base malt, which I hadn't done before. Perhaps I should post that recipe and notes too. My mashing technique makes it difficult to miss temps as there are more than one thermometer involved. Also, my hydrometer reads 1.0 in water.

 

[yeastforbrains]

Here's my other recipe and notes with similar results, using the same batch of yeast and Munich base malts, same water profile too.

German Accent-9L

Recipe specifics:

Style: Mild
Est. Batch size: 2.4 gal
Est. Boil volume: 2.6 gal
Est. OG: 1.036
Est. FG: 1.009
Est. Bitterness (IBU): 15.7
Est. Color (SRM): 20.0
Est. ABV: 3.5%

Grain/Sugars:

1.54 lb Munich (Castle Malting), 49.6%
0.66 lb Pilsener (Belgian), 21.3%
0.44 lb Melano (Castle Malting), 14.2%
0.22 lb Crystal 150 EBC (Castle Malting), 7.1%
0.15 lb Café Light (Castle Malting), 5.0%
0.09 lb Chocolat (Castle Malting), 2.8%

Hops:

0.06 oz Nugget (AA 14.0%, Pellet) 60 min, 7.7 IBU
0.13 oz EKG (AA 5.0%, Pellet) 20 min, 3.3 IBU
0.06 oz Nugget (AA 14.0%, Pellet) 20 min, 4.7 IBU

Yeast/Misc:
Safale S-04 English Ale, 1.0 unit(s), Yeast, half a pack/ 6 grams


Recipe Notes:

Munich and melanoidin, to get maltiness.
Pilsner malt only to provide enzymes for conversion of the specialty grains.
Mash high to accommodate unfermentable dextrins for s04.

Batch Notes:

Apr 19 2014, Brewday
Mashed at 69C/156F for 1 hour.
Collected around 8 liter at 1.040. Into two 5L demijohns
Cooled to 15°C/59F. Rehydrated half pack yeast in 30°C/86F, brought the yeast temp slowly down to match batch temp, at a rate of 1°F per minute.
Pitched 1/4 pack in each demijohn.
Apr 28, Bottleday
FG=1.018, = 3% alc/vol
Bottled with 4.5dl. gyle (frozen since brewday). Boilt 10 mins to sanitize.
Because it's my first small brew, I thought it a good idea to use my small brewkettle as bottling bucket, so I did and siphoned into bottles. Boy what a mess. Never again.
Use standard bottling bucket with spigot, or get a bottling stick attachment...

-----

 

[pdxal]

I doubt it is the Munich. Many, including myself, have made 100% Munich beers without any issues. Your mild had a high mash temperature, so was more likely to finish high. I wouldn't think underpitching would have that large an effect.
What temperature are you fermenting at?
Again, I wonder about your temperature and gravity measurements. Not using a refractometer to measure gravity, are you?