Why would my FG be so high?

[Cregar]

ok... can't figure it out, for some reason my 3 batches of beer I have done come out with the final gravity 2 to 5 points over what they should be.

My current batch (hefeweizen) finished at 1.017... thats 5 points over what my brewing software says it should finish at.

I made a MEGA starter and fermentation started within 4 hours and went for around 3 days. I shook the hell out of it before pitching yeast (plus bottled water) to give it enough oxygen. Tried to keep it at 68 to 70 degrees.

So why am I not hitting my FG???

 

[Buford]

FG is going to be dependant on your yeast and the temp the grain was mashed. Some batches I have made finished lower (and drier), and others have finished higher. It's an estimate.

I got a double whammy on my last batch of porter - I mashed higher AND I used Windsor yeast (and didn't use enough bittering hops to boot). My FG was like 1.017 (estimated 1.014). It still needs to age a couple more weeks before it's drinkable, but right now there is definitely a sweet taste to it.

 

[Cregar]

I did a partial mash... if I remember right (notes at home) I mashed at 156.

 

[clayof2day]

156 is on the high side. Did you do a partial boil or a full boil? Just curious, I don't know if that will make much difference, but I finished high on all of my partial boil batches.

 

[Yeast Infection]

Considering it is a wheat beer, and you did a partial mash at a "higher" temp which is more condusive to alpha amylase....you may have a decent amount of unfermentable sugars in your beer, which is fine, they give a nice "mouthy" feel. Mashes are also dependent on pH. If you pH was high, that is also condusive to alpha amylase=high final gravity.

Like Buford said....it's an estimate

 

[Cregar]

awww I see... it was my first PM with a partial boil