Question On Little Creatures Clone

[DougB]

Hi Everyone

This is my first post to the list and I'm a relatively new brewer.

After having done 3 brews from kits and not getting any of them down below 1015 I decided to take some of the advice on this site and throw away the kit yeast. I bought a packet of Safale 04 and decided to try the Little Creatures Clone. I used the following recipe:

1 x Coopers Australian Pale Ale
1 x 1kg Light Malt Extract Powder
12g Cascade Hop Bag (steeped 10mins) at the start
12g Cascade Hop Bag (dry at 72 hours)
Safale 04 Yeast (I made a starter approx 24hrs before pitching)

Fermentation temperature was 23degC on average (it fluctuated between 22 & 24. I use a dead fridge for fermenting).

OG 1040 SG 1014 after 9 days.

My question is, is this low enough for this brew or should I be aiming lower. If so whats the next step because it has stopped fermenting (2 identical readings over 2 days).

Thanks Guys

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Aim way lower for ferment temp. You'll get a metho-like taste (or spirit like spiciness). They are "higher" alcohols produced by fermenting at a higher temp.

Your yeast should say it's ideal range on the packet. Stick to that, and as close to the lower end as you can manage. It'll take longer, but it will taste better.

What could have happened (and others will either confirm or deny it) is that by fermenting too high, your yeast got lazy, fat and stopped. Fermenting that high makes the yeast eat and fart quicker, but then go to sleep before finishing the job. Ferment lower, and you will likely go most of the way to fixing it up.

Goomba

 

[pimpsqueak]

No need to be making a starter with dry yeast. There is sufficient yeast to fully ferment 1 standard batch in an 11g pack.
Rehydrate - yes, starter - no.

As for what's next, well you could swirl the fermenter a bit to rouse the yeast and see if the will chew down another point or two, but I don't think it's going to go much lower to be honest. After all, you did use 1kg of DME rather than 1kg of sugar, so that will be attributing to your FG.

If I were you, I'd chill it down as cold as you can for a few days in order to clear it up a bit, then bottle/keg it.

 

[manticle]

Also use US05 for anything resembling little creatures.

S04 can have a tendency to stall from what I've heard (only used it a couple of times myself) so I wouldn't hurry to bottle it. Some extra time will help it mature anyway.

That said, a beer with 1kg malt extract finishing at 1014 seems reasonable.

 

[Pennywise]

Your FG looks fine to me, extract beer made with all malt tends to finish higher due to a small portion of unfermentable sugars. I'd still leave the brew for a few more days which will help clean it up a little. If you want your beers to have a slightly lower FG, I'd suggest adding 1-200g of dextrose or plain white sugar in place of 1-200g of the DME, adding this small amount wont be a problem as some people might think. Also S-04 attentuate's in the mid range, so using a different English type yeast (if that's the type of yeast you want to use) with better attentuation should help knock a point or two off.

Edit: slow typer...

 

[kelbygreen]

if you want a low FG you cant beat nottingham. But you will need to ferment lower then that around 16-18 deg would be fine and it is fast so even at them temps it should be done in 9 days.

As said put little dex in there 200g will be good I wouldnt go over 50% dex I found around 30% was good

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

if you want a low FG you cant beat nottingham.

+1, had it at 1.002 once (All-Grain low mash temp) and generally always 1.008-1.009.

Goomba

 

[DougB]

Thanks Guys, great advice. I'll have a think about it.