Oatmeal Stout with melanoidin, candied orange peel and no roasted barley

Hello again, back with an update on this stout. So, after about 5 days it is now reading 1.016, 2 points lower. It is now at 67% attenuation and The target for 75% attenuation is 1.012. At this rate it will take another two weeks...
What do the brewers advise? Leaving it another two weeks, or give it another 5 days and bottle with less priming sugar than planned?
Any and all ideas welcome, within reason...
5 Days is nowt. Leave it alone for at least 14 days:)
 
What do the brewers advise? Leaving it another two weeks, or give it another 5 days and bottle with less priming sugar than planned?
Whatever you do, you should definitely not bottle until it's absolutely done. You won't be able to control the carb level and you'll either have flat beer or bottle bombs. As long as everything is sanitary, it can sit in the fermenter for 3 weeks or longer without any detriment.
It's in the range that will work for style, so if it doesn't go lower, it'll be good beer. If you manage to get to 1.014, that'd be better...your 1.012 may not happen with this batch.
Be patient.
 
Hello again, back with an update on this stout. So, after about 5 days it is now reading 1.016, 2 points lower. It is now at 67% attenuation and The target for 75% attenuation is 1.012. At this rate it will take another two weeks...
What do the brewers advise? Leaving it another two weeks, or give it another 5 days and bottle with less priming sugar than planned?
Any and all ideas welcome, within reason...
Keep measuring it over a couple days. If the gravity doesn't move any more, it may be done. Four points off FG is not that far. For the sake of control over the finished product, be sure it's done before priming. Also for the sake of not having to avoid shards of glass.
 
Cheers fellas. Will hold the horses until gravity readings are stable.
May get another brew on in
the meantime....
 
Can you believe it? This stout is now reading 1.012! Bang on the expected 75% attenuation. Only two days ago it was 1.045...craziness. I am tempted to bottle, but I got over 80% attenuation with S04 last time so will hold the horses for another few days at least.
 
So, after about 5 days it is now reading 1.016, 2 points lower. It is now at 67% attenuation
Only two days ago it was 1.045...craziness.

I'm confused...Is this the same beer? You mentioned last week that it was down within a few points of expected gravity, but that it was still 1.045 just the other day.
Whatever it is, it's been less than 2 weeks and you're not certain about your attenuation level. As long as everything is clean and stable, just let it go for several more days before you even check it again. I expect it's finished, though it could go another point or so.
There's no reason that you have to bottle it the second it reaches final gravity. Let it clean up and mellow a little. Yes, it can age in the bottle but the longer you wait, within reason, the better the beer will be. I'd schedule bottling for 3 weeks from brew date and forget about until then if I were you. Be patient.
 
Yes, this has been a real rollercoaster ride. I was concerned at temperature changes and the yeast flocculating out too early, but wondered what would happen if I cold crashed it, would it just knock the yeast out? Not so, so I warmed it up a little and took a reading about a week ago (1.016), then at two weeks since Brew day took another reading (1.045). Last night to see if it had moved and was ready for bottling took another and to my astonishment it had moved to 1.012. Not expected with the temp changes. I am not going to bottle it yet and will wait until Sunday (three weeks from Brew day) to test again. Hopefully, it won't have dropped further... It has been at about 19c 66f. Should I leave it there? I thought I could taste some fusels in the sample last night, so a bit worried about that.
 
took a reading about a week ago (1.016), then at two weeks since Brew day took another reading (1.045).
The gravity did not move from 1.016 to 1.045...that's scientifically impossible unless you added a bunch of sugar to the fermenter...you didn't do that. You have a bad reading and It's pretty easy to predict that it's the 1.045. Something as simple as not having a deep enough sample to float the hydrometer will give you that false reading. Temperature can be a factor but not more than a few points when measuring within the range of fermentation temps.
Your beer went to 1.016 in a timely manner, then it went to 1.012, your predicted gravity, over a few more days. All is well with the world. Unless you had 80 degree temps, you're not tasting fusels. I'm not even absolutely certain what fusels taste like, but you didn't taste that. Your beer is fine, it may have some odd flavors from any number of organisms that could have entered the system, but the worst any of them will do is cause your beer to bottle bomb if they really get going.
Just chill out, see if it's still at 1.012 a few days from now and if it is (it will be) go ahead and set up a time to bottle. When you bottle, be careful about sanitation and oxygenation and use the proper amount of sugar. Let it sit in bottles at 70 degrees F or slightly higher for at least 2 weeks before you even think about checking to see if it's carbed. Then chill a bottle overnight, open it and drink it. It'll be fine.
:)
 
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The gravity did not move from 1.016 to 1.045...that's scientifically impossible
:)
Doh! 1.0145...hard to tell precisely but it was imbetween 1.015 and 1.014...
1.045 was almost my OG! S04 would very special with that ability. But, actually just a typo:p
Will leave it until Sunday though. Got s similar porter planned next, use lefy over Carafa II / choc malt.
Thought fusel were like 'alcohol tasting' making beer taste stronger than it is.
Anyway, thanks for advice.
Trialben, if I force carbed I'd be out of beer even sooner:confused:
 
Doh! 1.0145...hard to tell precisely but it was imbetween 1.015 and 1.014...
1.045 was almost my OG! S04 would very special with that ability. But, actually just a typo:p
Will leave it until Sunday though. Got s similar porter planned next, use lefy over Carafa II / choc malt.
Thought fusel were like 'alcohol tasting' making beer taste stronger than it is.
Anyway, thanks for advice.
Trialben, if I force carbed I'd be out of beer even sooner:confused:
You small batch brew dont you green man? Easy fix increase production volume to 20lt ?
 
You small batch brew dont you green man? Easy fix increase production volume to 20lt ?
Would love to brew more my friend, but I have space and facilities issues at the moment. I will continue to tinker with what I have and see how much I can do though. 9 litres doesn't last long...:(
 
Would love to brew more my friend, but I have space and facilities issues at the moment. I will continue to tinker with what I have and see how much I can do though. 9 litres doesn't last long...:(
Brew within your limits I say Green man!
Time limits
Space limits
Work limits
Budget limits
Wife limits:p.
 
Thought fusel were like 'alcohol tasting' making beer taste stronger than it is.
Alcohol is going to be present in some beers and if it's strong or not balanced it can give a very slightly "solvent" note. Fusels are a special circumstance and my point in saying that I'm not certain what they taste like is that it's really rare to have that as a problem. I've had stuff go wild and sit in warm temps and give off very strong nail polish/acetone aroma and flavor...that's obviously not the same as some sharp alcohol notes in the flavor.
I've had S-04 throw some sharp bitter yeast flavor and that can play up the alcohol notes until it mellows. Part of what you're experiencing is just unfinished, uncarbed beer. All will come right when you bottle it. And isn't this the beer with orange in it? Of course it's going to have some sharp flavor notes, especially until those flavors blend in. You don't have fusels.
Re the gravity reading...1.0145 makes perfect sense. Since you mentioned 1.045 twice I thought you must have gotten off in your readings.
You're nearly there. I
 
Well, folks the stout has been tasted. It is a thing of beauty. Chocolate notes, but not overpowering. Not dry, but not too sweet either. The fuggles work well too. No satsuma flavour at all, so perhaps can up the zest. All in all, very, very pleased. Well worth the extra week on the yeast. Thanks for the help with this one brewers.
 
No satsuma flavour at all, so perhaps can up the zest.
Orange flavor is pretty easy to add at kegging or bottling. You can get a high quality orange baking extract or pretty easily make your own with vodka and orange zest, though that would take a little time. Another thing is to get some really high-quality orange liqueur or orange vodka and add a few ounces to the beer at packaging. I've used flavored vodka now and then and it really can add a nice layer of flavor, but you have to be careful not to up the alcohol too much - one pint of 80 proof in 5 gallons of beer raises the ABV by 1 percent.
 
Orange flavor is pretty easy to add at kegging or bottling. You can get a high quality orange baking extract or pretty easily make your own with vodka and orange zest, though that would take a little time. Another thing is to get some really high-quality orange liqueur or orange vodka and add a few ounces to the beer at packaging. I've used flavored vodka now and then and it really can add a nice layer of flavor, but you have to be careful not to up the alcohol too much - one pint of 80 proof in 5 gallons of beer raises the ABV by 1 percent.
Thanks for the reply. I just bottled my Ruby Ale, which is really a Porter...but nevermind. Just like this the temp dropped on me, so I put it on a heat mat. Eventually had 3 and a half weeks on the yeast cake. Target FG was 1.013 but it stopped at 1.012.
Think part of the reason for this stout being very nice might be the longer time on the cake. Hope to see a similar with this ruby ale...erm...porter. The gravity samples have been very nice, considering its not finished.
 

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