FG too high question
- Thread starter Lucaso
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something went wrong for sure. maybe not enough oxygen. did you shake it?
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How much yeast did you pitch ? Consistent temps ?
What was the recipe ?
What was the recipe ?
Yeah I shook the heck out of it. I just used a snack pack but I’ll do a starter next time.
Temps were consistent (65-70) with a liquid ale yeast smack pack. Thinking the yeast count was too low...
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I've done more than one batch around that OG with a smack pack and no problems. I do starters now but that is more to save yeast for next time than to build up a huge amount. You could throw a pack of US-05 in and see how it turns out if you wanted too.
Yeah, I wondered if you can add yeast in mid fermentation Without messing with the outcome...
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you can add yeast any time, some breweries use a yeast bath just to clean up off flavors after fermentation is done, you just have to be careful about time its the same time from start to finish for all yeast pitches so if you pitch new yeast on day 7 , you start over
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Are you sure it's done? Sometimes I mash pretty low and long, and while I may have a highly fermentable wort that goes like gang busters at first, it can take a long time to finish eating everything up. Mash temps high or low? Add anything that could effect fg (lactose)?
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Ditto. That OG isnt unusual for one packet...unless you were brewing more than 10 gallons. Im assuming you were doing a 5 gal-ish batch.
For being off that much, something significant happened. Ive grossly underpitched (1 packet for 1.10 og) and got to 1.023. It could be any number of things. Bad yeast (old, damaged by heat, or random bad packaging), hydrometer sitting on the bottom of your calib cylinder (sorry, it happens), wrong sanitizing method, something with the wort post boil, etc etc.
Like others suggested, pitch another packet (be very careful with your sanitizing) and give it another week or so.
You’re not using a refractometer to try to measure the FG? If you are, then that explains the high Fg. Grab a hydrometer reading first thing, before aerating/shaking or anything that can cause harm to a fermented beer.
If you’re using a hydrometer, make sure it reads 1.000 in plain water first to ensure it’s accurate and then take steps on repitching.
If you’re using a hydrometer, make sure it reads 1.000 in plain water first to ensure it’s accurate and then take steps on repitching.
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I had wondered the same Yooper
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I assume you are brewing all grain? Back when I brewed extract I had a few batches that wouldn't go below about 1.030. If your recipe was mad with LME that could be part of the problem.
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Or the old "not enough liquid to float the hydrometer" trick
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if he's using a hydrometer i'd wonder then also if there were issues during mash... if he went to high (168) with strike water and denatured enzymes it's possible he didn't get a full conversion.
I'd start with making sure you used a hydrometer to get a reading as refractometer is harder to get FG readings (you have to use adjustments).
If the hydrometer says 1.030+ then i'd grab another pack of yeast or a couple dry yeast packs and pitch them. You may have had a bad yeast (improperly stored yeast, maybe shipping experienced high temps, maybe they got "shocked" when thrown into cold wort, just some ideas)
if you pitch some more yeast and you still have high FG after 2 days i'd grab a sample and take it inside... warm it up to 80deg somehow with a bath of water or keep it in a hot part of the house. Pitch some dry yeast on it and it should ferment 100% out (with some horible off flavors most likely). This is a 'forced fermentation' and the FG you get from this is the best case scenario you can hope for. If it reads 1.030 then something went wrong with the Mash and those sugars you have are not ferentable.
I'd start with making sure you used a hydrometer to get a reading as refractometer is harder to get FG readings (you have to use adjustments).
If the hydrometer says 1.030+ then i'd grab another pack of yeast or a couple dry yeast packs and pitch them. You may have had a bad yeast (improperly stored yeast, maybe shipping experienced high temps, maybe they got "shocked" when thrown into cold wort, just some ideas)
if you pitch some more yeast and you still have high FG after 2 days i'd grab a sample and take it inside... warm it up to 80deg somehow with a bath of water or keep it in a hot part of the house. Pitch some dry yeast on it and it should ferment 100% out (with some horible off flavors most likely). This is a 'forced fermentation' and the FG you get from this is the best case scenario you can hope for. If it reads 1.030 then something went wrong with the Mash and those sugars you have are not ferentable.
