Fg Too High?

[Lobsta]

i know, another one of those threads...

after 2 weeks of fermenting, krausen subsided, yeast looks rather settled, its sitting on 1021. i checked that the hydrometer is calibrated correctly in a glass of water. OG was 1064. fermented at 18 degrees pretty consistantly, might have dropped to 16 some times.

i have taken it out of the water bath is was sitting in and it is just sitting in my cupboard. i gave is a little shake up...

any ideas? will that large amount of DME cause the FG to be this high? i tasted the stuff from the hydrometer tube and it didnt taste sweet, it tasted like every other hydrometer sample i have tried...

recipe:

Lobby's Bitsa

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

10-A American Ale, American Pale Ale

Min OG: 1.045 Max OG: 1.060
Min IBU: 30 Max IBU: 54
Min Clr: 5 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 23.00 Wort Size (L): 15.00
Total Extract (kg): 3.95
Anticipated OG: 1.063 Plato: 15.37
Anticipated SRM: 11.8
Anticipated IBU: 35.1
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 17.65 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.082 SG 19.72 Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
88.6 3.50 kg. Generic DME - Amber Generic 1.046 14
5.1 0.20 kg. CaraPilsner France 1.035 10
6.3 0.25 kg. Crystal 20L America 1.035 20

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.00 g. Perle Plug 6.30 2.7 15 min.
45.00 g. Perle Plug 6.30 30.5 60 min.
15.00 g. Cascade Plug 6.80 1.8 5 min.


Yeast
-----

Craftbrewer's 1056 sachets of dried yeast

 

[leeboy]

Things look ok recipe wise, if the yeast your using is like the wyeast 1056 liquid than it won't have a problem munching through that high a sg. I haven't used dme as a base for a beer so can't comment on that.

My only comment is that for anything over 1050 sg I always lift the temp a couple of degrees towards the end. This will help it to fully ferment out. I do this usually as soon as fermentation starts to slow. Big fan of just sitting it at 21c for 3 days at the end to give the yeast every chance you can.

Hope this helps
Lee

 

[Adamt]

It could well be finished. You do have a fair portion of crystal malt (10%) and Amber DME is less fermentable than the lighter coloured stuff.

I'd leave it for another week starting from when the krausen dropped in but I think you'll find it's done.

 

[mika]

My only comment is that for anything over 1050 sg I always lift the temp a couple of degrees towards the end. This will help it to fully ferment out. I do this usually as soon as fermentation starts to slow.

24degs is not a high temperature at the end of fermentation, for a couple of days anyway.
The ex-extract expert from Perth reckoned sitting on the yeast long after the ferment had finished was the only way to be sure that it had completely done it's job, though I think he was talking about a point or two towards the end.

 

[pmolou]

make sure there are no bubbles in the hydrometer when taking a rwading i once had this problem stuck at 1.016 only to find if i had waited 5 mins for the bubbles to dissappear i would realise it was 1.009

 

[Lobsta]

It could well be finished. You do have a fair portion of crystal malt (10%) and Amber DME is less fermentable than the lighter coloured stuff.

I'd leave it for another week starting from when the krausen dropped in but I think you'll find it's done.

whoopsies, that is meant to be light DME, must have picked the wrong line in promash