Fermetables Advice

[mikeBt]

Decided to clear out all the dregs of my brew cupboard in preparation for a big restock and put together a Tooheys Real Ale with a KG of BE1, 100 grams Munich and some hops. Used the kit yeast after rehydrating and it started well and brewed happily for three days but since then it has stuck on 1020. I have tried re-animating the yeast with a swirl and used a oil heater to keep it above 18 degrees C, but it refuses to budge. My question is two fold: do I need to chuck some more yeast in, or is this an acceptable FG given the fermentables. I have never used BE1 before and I am not sure if there are alot of un-fermentables in the brew thus accounting for the higher than normal (at least for me) FG. The SG was 1055 by the way. It doesn't taste too bad, but I hesitate to bottle if I'm going to end up with a magazine full of explosives.

Cheers Mike

Sorry about the spelling in the heading!!

 

[pint of lager]

For a standard kit and kilo made up to 23 litres, you would expect the og to be about 1.045. An extra 100gms is not going to make a huge difference, certainly not an extra 10 gravity points.

With the unexpected high og and fg, you may have a faulty hydrometer. Try floating it in plain tap water at aboout 20 deg C. It should read 1.000.

Otherwise 1.020 is too high. How long has it been in the fermenter?

Your strategy of keeping it at 18 and swirling are good. Try swirling at least twice a day.

 

[mikeBt]

For a standard kit and kilo made up to 23 litres, you would expect the og to be about 1.045. An extra 100gms is not going to make a huge difference, certainly not an extra 10 gravity points.

With the unexpected high og and fg, you may have a faulty hydrometer. Try floating it in plain tap water at aboout 20 deg C. It should read 1.000.

Otherwise 1.020 is too high. How long has it been in the fermenter?

Your strategy of keeping it at 18 and swirling are good. Try swirling at least twice a day.

9 days in the fermenter and I have already checked the hydrometer which is 1000 or near as damn it at 20 degrees. I suspect that the yeast was too old or not strong enough. Might try another yeast.. Only filler er up to 21litres which may account for the og.

Thanks

 

[mikeBt]

Pint and Butter, you were both right, the hydrometer was out. Bought a new one today and it gave me a reading 1012 which is more believable.

Thanks for your help

Now for the warmer weather...