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Slow fermentation and when to stop

 
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tkdjim




Joined: 22 Nov 2016
Posts: 55
Location: Derby, Kansas

Drinking: Scotch Ale

Working on: Moose Druel


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 4:14 pm    Post subject: Slow fermentation and when to stop Reply with quote


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Hello,

I have a batch of the Souless Hop Pale Ale partial extract kit with specialty grains, that started with an OG of 1.064 and I am wondering where it should finish at...

I made a starter with some WLP001 that was a few months old and pitched it on February 8th and put SS Brew Bucket in the Danby at 64 degrees.

But it seemed to be fermenting very slow the SG wasn't coming down much.

after 2 weeks I decided the trouble was a slow fermentation from the old yeast so on February 23rd I pitched a second starter using some Wyeast 1332 I had that was also old to but it seemed to get fairly active in the flask on the stir plate.

It had a pretty good Krausen on it and once it went down I put in the 3 oz of Citra to dry hop on March 5th. the Sg was 1.030

On March 11th I racked it into a Corney the SG was at 1.022 I put it back in the Danby still at 64 deg.

Checking it on March 15th I was actually able to pull my sample without hooking up the CO2 bottle to it, it was self carbinating
But the SG is only at 1.020

I am not 100% sure the gravity drop was actual or just how I read it both times.

Argh.... am I over thinking things?
It has a great smell and tastes pretty good but it is still not clear, should I expect to get the SG down closer to the 1.010 area somehow or should I cold crash it and drink on?

tkdjim
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This kit here I presume?:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/soulless-hop-pale-ale-extract-beer-brewing-kit-5-gallons.html?a_aid=theelectricbrewery

They mention:

Estimated OG: 1.060-1.065
Estimated alcohol ABV%: 6.3%-6.5%

So doing the math backwards, it gives you a FG anywhere between 1.010 to 1.017. Somewhere in the middle is more likely, like 1.012 to around 1.015.

tkdjim wrote:
I made a starter with some WLP001 that was a few months old ... after 2 weeks I decided the trouble was a slow fermentation from the old yeast...

But if you made a starter, it wasn't old yeast.

Quote:
... so on February 23rd I pitched a second starter ...

That unfortunately rarely works well with most yeasts as the yeast needs oxygen to get going, and it's all been depleted by the previous yeast.
What was the gravity at at this point 2 weeks into pitching?

Quote:
I am not 100% sure the gravity drop was actual or just how I read it both times.

Remember that if using a hydrometer the reading will also be temperature dependent. You need to compensate for that too.

Quote:
It had a pretty good Krausen on it and once it went down I put in the 3 oz of Citra to dry hop on March 5th. the Sg was 1.030
On March 11th I racked it into a Corney the SG was at 1.022 I put it back in the Danby still at 64 deg.

While it's taking much longer than it should, it was still fermenting. I don't recommending pulling beer off active yeast as it only makes things worse as you're leaving behind most of the yeast doing the work. If a beer's still fermenting, I don't recommend racking.

WLP001 working at 64F should only take a week or so to bring a 1.064 beer down to the final target gravity. You pitched 5.5 weeks ago so something definitely went wrong.

Quote:
should I expect to get the SG down closer to the 1.010 area somehow or should I cold crash it and drink on?

If 1 week apart the gravity is still the same, it's probably done. If it's still dropping then it's still fermenting and I would leave it alone until it's done.

Kal

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tkdjim




Joined: 22 Nov 2016
Posts: 55
Location: Derby, Kansas

Drinking: Scotch Ale

Working on: Moose Druel


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

2 weeks in it was at 1.044
then I pitched the 2nd round on the next day
If it won't hurt I can leave it a few more days and see what the gravity reads.
Yes that is the kit from more beer.
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kal
Forum Administrator



Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would leave it until it's done fermenting.

Kal

_________________
Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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