Opinions/thoughts On Brew Issue

[Lillywhite]

Hi,

I haven't had this issue previously and by all counts nothing seems wrong with the beer, I do have one thought on the issue but thought I would ask the gallery for their/your opinion.

I brewed a Pilsner on the 4th of September, pitched with 23gms of S23 rehydrated.

Target OG 1.050, actual 1.046. Normally no prob getting up to .049/.050 but was distracted and boil went 10 minutes longer than scheduled, mash temp 66 degrees. Grain bill - 3800 Pils, 250 Munich, 200 Carahell and 200 Wheat. 20 litre batch.

Now I should mention I am an interstate truck driver so don't get to monitor temps etc during week.

I set my thermastat for 12 degrees, checked Monday prior to going to work and temp was sitting around 10 - 12 degrees, happy with that. Checked last weekend when I was home temp seemed to be closer to 10 but that should be fine.

Home today, 12 days in primary should be transfering wort to secondary. Take fermenter out of fridge and note that the thermometer on the fermenter has no reading (ie below 10 degrees), check dial thermometer in fridge and is reading 5-6 degrees.

Airlock (yes I still use one) still bubbling once every 15 - 30 seconds, krausen ring around fermenter and krausen still on wort. So yes wort is still fermenting, no off smells or flavour from wort.

Current SG reading is 1.030, after 12 days in primary.

My opinion is due to the lower temp fermentation is taking longer, unsure if even at 7 or 8 degrees SG should be that low after 12 days?

Action plan - raise temp back to 10 - 12 degree range, monitor over weekend and if still fermenting come Sunday (most likely) chew finger nails for week and re-evaluate next weekend when I get home and then transfer to secondary.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers,

Sean

 

[Lillywhite]

Was thinking my thermastat was busted, just checked fridge again to see how temp was going, the fridge was still running, WTF, it shouldn't be running, by this stage I had turned the thermastat to 20 degrees as I closed the fridge I heard something metal bounce of the other side............friggin temp probe was outside the fridge. AARRRGGGHHH, last time I let my son use the fridge to store some drinks must have come out during the week.

 

[adryargument]

Hi,

I haven't had this issue previously and by all counts nothing seems wrong with the beer, I do have one thought on the issue but thought I would ask the gallery for their/your opinion.

Sean

S23 goes into sleep mode at less then 9C.
I would say its probably near dormant and the bubbles are just gas escaping..

 

[adz1179]

i had a similar issue... just gave it a gentle swirl and warmed the temp a little and it finished perfectly....

 

[Bribie G]

Shouldn't have done any harm. I'd warm it up to about 12 and give it another week, check gravity, warm to 14 for a d-rest for 2 days then whack it into lagering.

 

[mckenry]

Raise it back up to 12 - 13C, itll be alright.

As a side note - boiling for longer will UP the OG, not make it lower. You basically have boiled off more water and still have the same sugars. Therefore your Sugar : Liquid ratio is higher (more sugar in less liquid than expected) This is what a specific gravity is.

 

[Lillywhite]

Raise it back up to 12 - 13C, itll be alright.

As a side note - boiling for longer will UP the OG, not make it lower. You basically have boiled off more water and still have the same sugars. Therefore your Sugar : Liquid ratio is higher (more sugar in less liquid than expected) This is what a specific gravity is.

Noted, but due to the excess boil off my top up addition of water was approx 1.5 litres thus lowering the ratio. Sorry I didn't mention in the original post.

 

[yandy5000]

I found low temperature lagers could take weeks to finish at 10-12, at least 14-20 days in the primary. Should be a really good beer!! if you're lagering it then you must be a patient man already. Damn it could have gone down as low as 3 degrees, warm it back up and it will be great.

best regards,
Yandy

 

[Batz]

I found low temperature lagers could take weeks to finish at 10-12, at least 14-20 days in the primary. Should be a really good beer!! if you're lagering it then you must be a patient man already. Damn it could have gone down as low as 3 degrees, warm it back up and it will be great.

best regards,
Yandy

be patient grasshopper

 

[Lillywhite]

View attachment 48373



be patient grasshopper



Thankyou Sensei