Fg Never Below 1018

[pikerinoz]

Sorry all - just getting a heap of Qs out there for advice...

brews so far since my debut:
Kits - Bavarian Lager, Czech Pils, English Bitter (all with added hops...of course!!!)
EXtracts - Centenaramillo Ale, Honey Wheat, LC Pale Ale clone

a range of OGs (1050 ish except for the LC Pale Ale 1060)
the FGs are stopping at 1018

with bottle conditioning their abv is fine but I'm just curious cos the recipes/books talk of FGs of 1010 ish

They get plenty of time in the fermenter (not bothering with racking to 2nd) and have clearly settled (2-3 weeks on avge)

I allow for the temp variation but still end up with about 1018

This isn't keeping me up at night but am just a bit curious.......cheers

 

[seemax]

Have you been using dry or liquid malt extract? I've heard dry doesn't attenuate as much..

What yeast have you been using and in what quantity?

 

[manticle]

I found all of my extract brews finished high (using both liquid and dried). Basic KK should hit at least 1010 - as soon as you start throwing things like malt extract or maltodextrin at them it will make a difference. What are you adding (besides hops) that could give them lower attenuation? What yeasts are you using?

Are you happy with the taste of the beers and certain it's finished and not a stuck ferment?

 

[mika]

Have you checked you're hydro ?
My Bro's recently got into brewing and his Hydro is 2pts out on water, but in a beer he's fermenting, it's 6pts out to mine. Does the beer taste sweet, or finish sweet ?

 

[Screwtop]

Malt extract can be as low as 65% fermentable, thats why the kits were made with the addition of sugar to increase fermentability and reach the magical 1010. The use of improvers etc does little to nothing to improve fermentability. Pay attention to the use of good yeast, proper pitching rate, aeration and fermentation temps will maximise the fermentability, but pretty much thats what you get using Kit/Extract.

Screwy

 

[pikerinoz]

Thanks everyone
I've been using LME in the extract brews. The kits were ESB.
No problems with the brews - not sweet tasting or anything.
I've used Nottingham (Centenarillo), Munich (Honey Wheat), Wyeast American Ale (LC pale ale clone), S-04 (English Bitter). The s-04 stalled and I successfully revived. Otherwise I've had no probs with them.
I've wondered about the hydrometer but it's 1000 in water. I haven't compared it to anyone elses.

It's no big deal - I'm happy with what I'm drinking and others have enjoyed my brews.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Brewman_]

Some very dubious advice above here, I would take little notice. Your right to question your results, don't accept - the "that;s what you get with K&K".

I have not brewed an ESB for many years, so not sure what final gravity to expect with them. Your results may be a function of this kit - so try another kit and see how you go.

I do recall that the ESB kits did not need an addition of any fermentable sugars, they were a 3Kg can of goo with it all included - but hey I am talking about using these more than 10 years ago so I may be incorrect here. If this is correct and you are adding 1Kg of LDME, then I would expect a final gravity of 1018?

It seems you have tried a few yeasts, so I tend to rule that out.

It can happen that the yeast will not perform correctly if the temperature is not within the right range and not stable, so consider this.

Fear_n_Loath

 

[Pete2501]

Malt extract can be as low as 65% fermentable, thats why the kits were made with the addition of sugar to increase fermentability and reach the magical 1010. The use of improvers etc does little to nothing to improve fermentability. Pay attention to the use of good yeast, proper pitching rate, aeration and fermentation temps will maximise the fermentability, but pretty much thats what you get using Kit/Extract.

Screwy

Ahh that's a bit bullshit. How am I meant to a wide variety of beers with that kind of limitation.

I need to get on this AG bandwagon and soon :angry:

 

[Swinging Beef]

I can more than relate! Ive rarely had an extract brew drop under 1015, and 1018 is more likely where they ended at.

I still maintain for using extract, a mix of 2:1, malt extractowdered dextrose, to get a beer to finish dry enough to be palatable to Australians raised on classic Aussie lager.
Remember, that classic (megaswil) Australian beers are all super dry finish, and even when you compare lager to lager, VB and Carlton have the body of Vodka compared to DAB or Urquell.
1018 is not too high for many beers of the style you have mentioned, and you said they taste good, so all is fine.
Remember, the BJCP are guidelines, not finite absolutes.

I reckon if your beers are tasting good, then you are doing just fine mate.

 

[A3k]

I hadn't made a Kit's and bits for about a year, so though i would the other day.
it was a can of Coopers Pale Ale and a 1.5kg malt extract (and hops) and that got down to 1010 from 1046, I added some yeast nutrient, so maybe that's the key. I've read that kits can be missing things you need for yeast such as nitrogen or whatever.
However, maybe Coopers Pale Ale is more fermentable than other kits as the commercial beer finishes so low.

Having said that, i'm not really that impressed by my beer, too one dimensional towards hop flavour, not enough body or bitterness. It's only been in the keg since Sat night though.

Cheers,
Al

 

[svyturys]

Just checked my brewing records...

ESB APA x2 One finished at 1010 and the other at 1008.

Coopers sparkling kit with 1.5 k of LDME finished at 1013

All other Kits and bits finish at around 1010 /1012

Extract brews finish a little higher at about 1014/1016

Majority of the yeasts used are from fermentis.

Cheers

 

[Pete2501]

Like others have said I've moved away from the two can option.

Instead I'll float between a mix of 500g Malt, 250g Dex 250g Corn or 500g Dex 250g Malt 250g Corn depending on what the brew is.

 

[manticle]

Some very dubious advice above here, I would take little notice. Your right to question your results, don't accept - the "that;s what you get with K&K".

I think you may be misinterpreting what's been written. I believe what Screwtop is saying is that kit + extract (not kit and kilo OR extract) will tend to finish high. Certainly that's what I was saying also.

I don't think that's dubious at all.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I did a couple of brews using all LDME and no sugar... They all finished high like 1.016 or something

Now I use a combination of LDME and sugaz to get the FG down

Also good aeration before pitching is essential

 

[Bizier]

I made a pale ale, I think about my 5th beer, and a mate who had never had HB or craft beer said it tasted like soft drink (cascade + high FG + high carbonation).

I agree with others here that you should remove some extract and replace with sugars. I think that if you were keen, you could do a few other things, please don't be discouraged if they sound technical:

Yeast nutrient, shouldn't be necessary, but should help

As mentioned, oxygen

Rehydrate your yeast properly to get it in fighting form for fermentation (alliteration!)

Boil the sugar with a little water to form a sanitised syrup and add around two days after you pitch yeast. The low starting gravity should be easier on the yeast.

You could also do a partial mash: add some galaxy malt, high in enzymes, to your extract and hold it at a stable temperature to chew through the non-fermentable stuff.

I am not really sure on the details, but I am certain that someone could calculate the ratio of simple sugar needed to get to a 1.012 FG based on the OG and the attenuation of the yeast