High FG IPA Plus 1.020. Update.

[John Sand]

Wild Spirit IPA Plus. Steeped 6oz Crystal 20, 2oz Pale Ale malt. Two cans BD Wild Spirit, added some hops. Three weeks in fermenter, settled, clearing. Reading 1.020. That's too high by a good measure. It tastes hoppy, not sweet. Is it possible I steeped too hot creating a less fermentable wort? Or is this stalled? It has been in the low 60's, maybe 61-64. Do I bottle or wait?

[jpsherman]

I had a similiar problem a while back. I wonder if it would help to add a bit of sugar to rouse the yeast. I've seen people suggest very gently rocking the fermenter a bit to rouse the yeast.

[RickBeer]

I don't think the steep would have affected anything. When I brew the Oatmeal Stout, I'm lucky to get to 1.019, often 1.022. Just the way that one is. You didn't mention your OG, are you anywhere near 25% of it?

[mtsoxfan]

I've heard of the rocking to rouse the yeast, but it never worked for me. What has worked for me was raising the temp 2 - 4*.

[John Sand]

Well, I did a quick search on HBT, then bottled. Unfortunately, I didn't take an OG reading, or didn't write it down. It can't be 1/4 though, I only added 2.4lbs LME and half pound of grains. Even with good extraction, OG wouldn't be above 1.050. I bottled this last night. As a precaution against bombs, I put as many in thick bottles as I had handy. Then I put them all in a wooden crate, and that into a big plastic storage box. I also kept some aside, put it in a Grolsch bottle to see if it attenuates any further.

[Gymrat]

Did you use S 05? I had this problem with a couple packets of S 05 so I switched to BRY-97 never had the problem again.

Also steep temperature won't make any difference on FG. However Mash temperatures absolutely will have an effect on FG. That is the purpose for choosing mash temeratures.

[John Sand]

Thanks Gym. I used the included yeast from BrewDemon. Here's my thinking about the steep: .5lbs doesn't add many points, but it adds some. My notes are "steeped on low, temp slowly rising through the 150s. While a standard mash is 60-90 minutes, many sources state that conversion happens in as little as 20. So, the recipe has an intended final gravity of 1.012. But missing by a little, say 1.015, is not unusual. If my steep acted as a mash in the high 150s, maybe there are 5 more points that won't attenuate. This may seem like brew lawyering, and maybe it is. My only alternatives were to keep waiting, or pitch more yeast. Hopefully, the bottles in the basement won't go any lower in the same setting that they reached 1.020. If the one on the hutch drops in the next couple of days, I may pour them back into a fermenter and repitch. Or I may wait and see. I hate to waste a batch, but I'll be doing everything twice if I pour it back, a lot of work for 2 gallons of HME beer.

[mashani]

S-33 (the yeast BrewDemon provides) can leave a higher FG then some others as it doesn't eat some of the more complex sugars in a less fermentable wort that other yeasts may. As a general rule of thumb I'd expect a few points less attenuation from it in an extract batch then say S-05 or S-04 or the like.

Your steep (C-20) did add some extra unfermentatables. Somewhere between 3 to 5 points worth is my guess in a 2 gallon batch. A steep of crystal adds points that will not attenuate. That's why it leaves that sweet candy or caramel like residual sweetness (not the same as maltyness). If those sugars fermented out, then it would not.

So, adding a few points here and there based on those things I don't come up with 1.020, but I can get close. Close enough to say it's likely done.

Adding some sugar - it will ferment out and bump up the abv - the alcohol might help counter any extra residual sweetness/maltyness you didn't intend. But it may not get your FG to go lower, it may simply stop at the same spot. If it does then yes - your yeast ate everything they could, and your done. Pitching some other kind of yeast might take it down a few points given enough time, adding some sugar will help get it to going. But I'd not expect more then a few more points unless you were to toss in some Saison yeast.

[John Sand]

Thanks Mash, that's what I think too. The uncarbed beer tasted pretty hoppy, with a caramel finish. In addition to the steep, I threw in some fractions of leftover hops: about .5 oz of mixed Centennial, Citra and Cascade. I don't think it will be too sweet. Anyway, if the bottles don't burst, and it tastes okay, I'll drink it. I have one HME left. After that, any extract brewing I do will be UME+hops and a yeast of my choosing. Meanwhile, all of my grain brews have been very good.

[John Sand]

Okay, it's been three days since I bottled it. The sample has dropped maybe another point or less. Maybe no change, since it is close enough to be a rounding error.

[John Sand]

Update: In my "Tiny Test Batch" thread, I reported that the last of this went into a Grolsch bottle with some Belle Saison yeast. I didn't see any activity, and didn't hope for much. Today I bottled it at 1.012, tasting somewhat saisonish. So, my test batch provided several answers: Belle Saison works in the 60s, probably with some esters. And the BD yeast was the culprit in my high FG. Tune in next week!