High fg

[chopdog]

Hoping someone can help me. I brewed a oatmeal stout double batch 3 weeks ago, both fermenters sat at 19 deg for the past 3 weeks but when I went to keg them last night they were still at 1.028. I was thinking how could this be possible, I gave the wort a stir and turned the fermenting fridge up to 22 thinking maybe the wort got too cold and the yeast went to sleep. I was thinking about this all day and came to the conclusion that it is probably the lactose I added at the and of the boil, being that this is unfermentable. Is this right? Has anyone else had this happen? I will post the recipe below, I hit all my numbers according to brewmate, but there is no lactose in the program.

45l batch
8.8 kg pale
1kg choc
400g flaked barley
400g flaked oats (toasted)
390g special b
285g caradark
245g black

800g lactose added 10 min from end of boil

60g simcoe 40 min (no chill)

Sg before boil 1.050
Sg after boil 1.055

Fg sould be 1.014 with out the lactose

 

[Ross]

FG looks about right to me for that grain bill. Though without mashing temps it's a little bit of a guess.
More of a sweet stout than an oatmeal, but the most important factor is taste, if it's tasting as you hoped, all is good.

Cheers Ross

 

[chopdog]

Mash temp was 68 for 60mins

 

[slash22000]

Which yeast? How much yeast? Starter?

 

[GalBrew]

How does it taste?

 

[manticle]

68 + loads of roast, crystal and lactose - I'd be surprised if you got much lower.
Do a fast ferment test to be sure if you are concerned.

 

[chopdog]

Which yeast? How much yeast? Starter?

Yeast was us05, no starter

 

[chopdog]

Does this mean the beer will only be around 3% alc?

 

[MastersBrewery]

yeah at 1028 I'd probably wait another week, it certainly wont harm it.... especially if your bottling

 

[manticle]

The beer will be whatever abv you get from your starting and finishing gravity difference.

 

[chopdog]

Can I assume that the beer would have finished at the planned fg of 1.014 if not for the lactose. I only have a sg reading from before I added the lactose

 

[manticle]

I wouldn't have thought so - drop the mash temp and some of the crystal out and you'd have a better chance although oatmeal stout being nice thick and a touch sweet isn't a bad thing.

 

[chopdog]

I wouldn't have thought so - drop the mash temp and some of the crystal out and you'd have a better chance although oatmeal stout being nice thick and a touch sweet isn't a bad thing.

Ok no probs, that's just what brewmate had.
Just kegged it then and it tasted nice on the way in. Gravity dropped to 1.024 after giving it a stir and warming it up to 24 deg.

 

[manticle]

Be patient with it and try the fast ferment test.

Drinking a stout at the moment with no lactose and crystal and roast a bit less than yours. Mash temp 68 as well - 1020 is all I got from it but she is delicious.

 

[chopdog]

Be patient with it and try the fast ferment test.

Drinking a stout at the moment with no lactose and crystal and roast a bit less than yours. Mash temp 68 as well - 1020 is all I got from it but she is delicious.

Thanks for your help mate, and everyone else who commented. Really appreciate it