Janet's brown recipe issues?

[louistoo]

Ok so I just fermented the JBA recipe from brewing classic styles and it finished at 1.021, anticipated fg was 1.016 according to Jamil who suggested mashing at 68.
5.5kg base
.45 wheat malt
.56 crystal 40
.56 carapils
.227 light choc
.1 sour grapes
I mashed at 66 coz I didn't think Jamils sugg' mash temp of 68 would get down to 1.016 using 13g of us05 (what he suggests) with all that crystal. Has anyone else had this issue and if so (or not) what to do next time? mash lower, reduce crystal or don't worry have another home brew! I'd like to brew this recipe right as people seem to think it's great so any help appreciated

 

[Mardoo]

Yeast used? OG? Ferment temp? More details will help. It sounds like you shouldn't have had any problem.

 

[louistoo]

Used the 13g of uso5 rehydrated
Og was 1.065
Fermented at 20c

 

[Mardoo]

How long from 1.065 to 1.021? Have you roused the yeast and bumped the temperature up a bit?

 

[louistoo]

Been 8 days and a healthy ferment (yes I bumped it a little to 21.5) I mashed for an hour and then on the way up to mashout a short 10min rest at 70 coz I was worried about not enough body lol, over a kg of crystal type malt there in 7kg total seems excessive

 

[Mardoo]

I don't see any problem offhand with what you've said, someone else may have the secret question. I've never had an issue with Janet's Brown getting to 1.016-1.018, so I don't think it's the crystal. I've even done Imperial versions and still no issue. Was your base malt 100 years old?

 

[louistoo]

The base malt was the last of my lhbs ale malt before they restock post fin' year. It was Joe White and seemed ok to me although I was chasing Gladfield american ale at the time

 

[Mardoo]

If it was of a certain recent but older vintage Joe White got caught selling under modified malt that didn't meet the specs they were listing. Might be it.

Anyone else got anything?

 

[mxd]

leave it alone till next weekend. then have a look

 

[louistoo]

Yeah thanks guys I'll give it a swirl and dry hop in a few days with a view to bottle next weekend. If nothing else this has led to some interesting reading of varied texts to do with wort fermentability, undermodified malts and crystal

 

[rude]

Mine got to 1016 2.5 L starter but only got 1058 OG used wyeast 1056 no grapes in mine

 

[louistoo]

Can I ask what temp you mashed at rude?

 

[huez]

I've always manage to get a FG of between 1.015 and 1.018 for janets brown, depending on what starting gravity i get, always mashed at 68c. Considering you mashed at 66c you'd think you would have gotten lower than 1.016. Give it another week, it might still get there. What was your batch size? 13g of yeast doesn't sound like enough to me for a 1.068 beer

 

[rude]

Also I started at 18 c 3 days then to 20 c 14 days all up even bumped to 22 at the end
Tasted nice going into keg
Mashed at 66

 

[louistoo]

I've always manage to get a FG of between 1.015 and 1.018 for janets brown, depending on what starting gravity i get, always mashed at 68c. Considering you mashed at 66c you'd think you would have gotten lower than 1.016. Give it another week, it might still get there. What was your batch size? 13g of yeast doesn't sound like enough to me for a 1.068 beer

Batch size ended up 23l of 1.065 into fermenter but at least 1l trub.. usually I'd have used 2 packs us05 hydrated but was keen to try Jamils suggested 13g

 

[IsonAd]

Checked your hydrometer?

 

[Mr B]

I mashed one at 66 and crashed at 1.011 hydrometer. Kegging tomoz

 

[Danwood]

I probably wouldn't be too bothered with that short-coming of FG.

You could give it a feed of ~200g sugar (boiled) in water, then cooled, added and swirled around in the FV.

That might tempt it to ferment a couple of extra points. I wouldn't sweat it too much though.

 

[louistoo]

Thanks Danwood, I guess I could do that.

 

[louistoo]

Ok so checked hydrometer and seems .002 maybe .003 high in water @ 20
Sample out of fermenter tastes pretty fine an' all