Pitch Another Yeast?

[coloneldom]

G'day guys,

Just a quick question I have recently brewed a Cooper's Bitter tin (1.7kg) with 1 kg of Cooper's Brew Enhancer 2, 500g of LDM and 12g of Williamette hops. I pitched a safale yeast.

My original gravity was around 1.066 which I thought to be very high and was well put pf range of the "beer start" section on the hydrometer. After letting it ferment for around 2 weeks it has an FG close to 1.020. I feel like it should be lower than this so I am not sure whether I should be getting ready to bottle or if I should pitch another yeast.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[white.grant]

I wouldn't pitch another yeast just yet -- I would have a think about whether the FG been stable over the last 3 readings
and if the temperature has been stable or has it dropped?

I might be wrong but brew enhancer 2 has a fair bit of maltodextrin which won't ferment and could be resulting in the higher FG.

grant

 

[RedDwarf]

Both your gravity readings seem high. Maybe the hydrometer is wrong. Check it in water, should be 1.000.

Was a 23L batch?

 

[the_purple_dragon]

G'day guys,

Just a quick question I have recently brewed a Cooper's Bitter tin (1.7kg) with 1 kg of Cooper's Brew Enhancer 2, 500g of LDM and 12g of Williamette hops. I pitched a safale yeast.

My original gravity was around 1.066 which I thought to be very high and was well put pf range of the "beer start" section on the hydrometer. After letting it ferment for around 2 weeks it has an FG close to 1.020. I feel like it should be lower than this so I am not sure whether I should be getting ready to bottle or if I should pitch another yeast.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

As Grantw says, get 3 stable readings over 3 days. The 1066 OG sounds like a false reading from concentrated undissolved extract. Had the same problem myself on my last brew. Had an OG of 1065. Get the 3 sable readings and she'llbe sweet.

 

[coloneldom]

Yeah I did check the hydrometer in water an it was all sweet. I was very unsure about the 1.065, I've used similar recipes before and got much lower original gravities. Anyway fellas, thanks for the help. CHeers!

 

[boingk]

If I'm after a few more SG points off the brew [or 10, whatever hey?] I tend to rack to secondary or maybe increase temp to 18-20'C and see whats happening. Or both, why not? Anyway, you'll be right if you wait it out.

Cheers - boingk

EDIT: Plugging the batch stats into the good old Brewcraft approximator you get an OG of ~1.051 and an FG of ~1.015. I'd rack it if its been two weeks already and its fermenting at 18'C or above.

 

[coloneldom]

G'day guys, thanks for all the advice. Just one quick question to tack onto the end, the brew has gotten quite cold (12-15 degrees) as its sitting in a garage in Bathurst, it has been fermenting along quite nicely if slowly. My question is, will these low temps damage the beer in ways similar to high temps can?

 

[white.grant]

Typically lager yeasts are happy to ferment at much lower temperatures than ale yeasts and all yeasts have an optimum temperature range. You need to know what kind of yeast you are using to get the best out of it.

My understanding is that higher temperatures accelerate yeast activity and can create unwanted effects, odours and flavours. Really high temperatures will kill your yeast. Lower temperatures have less of a flavour impact, but if temps are too low, fermentation will slow or stop. This could then lead to infections from other yeasts, but so long as your seals are good , you can nomrally raise temps slowly to start things up again.

If I've learn't anything since joining this forum, its that temperature control is important to have.

 

[sinkas]

I would try and warm the ******* up to at least 20-24 to finish it off, open it up and give it a stir when you do it.
use some bottles full of hot water, with a bloody blanket over the top of the friggin things!