Beer Forum

Hey guys have no clue whats going going here because I'm 5 points over what the recipe is supposed to be at 1.017. I pitched a 1.7 L starter of Wyeast 1056 American Yeast on a stir plate. Aerated the wort as usual and have never had a problem with a beer under attenuating. The beer started out fermenting like crazy but now is a air bubble every minute or so which I'm super confused about because that signs of fermentation still but I have taking a hydrometer reading 3 days in a row and has been a steady 1.022. Let me remind you that the hydrometer is calibrated to distilled water and is not off. I pitched the yeast at 64 F, and every day raised the temperature 2 F. So for the final 2/3 of fermentation raised the temperature up to 71 F to ferment completely. This has been on a temperature controller the entire time. The only reason I can think that there is such a high FG, I swaped to Wheat malt with Torrified Wheat. Let me know, any help would be greatly appreciated and here was the recipe if you want to look it over.

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Vandalized Brown
Brewer: Adam Korby
Asst Brewer:
Style: American Brown Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.87 gal
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 19.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 61.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 71.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 73.33 %
1.25 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 8.33 %
1.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 8.33 %
1.00 lb Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 6.67 %
0.50 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 3.33 %
1.25 oz Northern Brewer [10.30 %] (60 min) Hops 34.7 IBU
2.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [10.30 %] (60 min) (Mash Hops 5.5 IBU
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [10.30 %] (15 min) Hops 13.8 IBU
1.50 oz Cascade [5.30 %] (10 min) Hops 7.8 IBU
1.50 oz Cascade [5.30 %] (0 min) Hops -
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [Starter Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Adam Korby Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 15.00 lb
----------------------------
Adam Korby Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 16.00 qt of water at 172.4 F 154.0 F
10 min Step Add 18.00 qt of water at 190.7 F 172.0 F


Notes:
------
Water Profile
Starting Water (ppm):
Ca: 8.9
Mg: 1
Na: 6.8
Cl: 4
SO4: 2
CaCO3: 17.5

Mash / Sparge Vol (gal): 4 / 4
RO or distilled %: 0% / 0%

Total Grain (lb): 15
Non-Roasted Spec. Grain: 1.25
Roasted Grain: 0.5
Beer Color (SRM): 19.9

Adjustments (grams) Mash / Boil Kettle:
CaSO4: 6 / 6
CaCl2: 2 / 2
MgSO4: 2 / 2
NaHCO3: 0 / 0
NaCl: 0 / 0
CaCO3: 0 / 0
Lactic Acid (ml): 0
Sauermalz (oz): 0

Mash Water / Total water (ppm):
Ca: 135 / 135
Mg: 13 / 13
Na: 7 / 7
Cl: 68 / 68
SO4: 275 / 275
Cl to SO4 Ratio: 0.25 / 0.25

Alkalinity (CaCO3): 18
RA: -87
Estimated pH: 5.07

Mash
A.) Added 16 qts water to mash tun at 178 F. Water stabilized at 154 F for 60 mins.
B.) Added all the salts and then took the pH and it read 5.3.
C.) First runnings read 1.102
D.) Collected total of 2.5 gallons.
E.) Added 18 qts of water at 189 F, stabilized at 170 F for 10 mins.
F.) Collected total of 6.25 gallons of water.
G.) Final gravity of all runnings read 1.091.

Boil
A.) Added the rest of the salt.
B.) Added .75 gallons of water to dillute boil, gravity read 1.079.
C.) Added 60 mins hop addition of NB
D.) Added 15 mins hop addition NB.
E.) Added 10 mins additon Cascade with worth chiller and irish moss
F.) Added 0 mins hop addition Cascade.
G.) Final gravity 1.061 with 6 gallons of water.

Yeast
A.) Pitched American yeast at 62 F to a 65 F fermentor.

Fermentation
3/12/11- Fermenting temperture is 64 F and started to bubble at 10:30 PM.
3/13/11 -Raised fermentation temperture to 67 F, still bubbling.
3/14/11- Raised Fermentation temperture to 68 F, still bubbling.
3/14/11- 6:20 PM, gravity ready 1.022, raised temperture to 70 F.
3/15/11 - 7:00 PM Raised temperture to 71 F.
3/16/11 - Temperture at 71 F, graivty read 1.022.

What type of thermometer do you use for mashing and when was the last time you calibrated it?

Nice job of providing all the relevant information. I've had this beer finish at 1.022 before myself. You wouldn't have any idea it was so high when you tasted it. Specific gravity is the total sugar, including all the unfermentables created by mashing at 154F. I'd say get the dryhop in there and get this bad boy finished.

Tasty

Thermometer is calibrated and also my hydrometer is calculated right with distilled. I feel the same way as you Tasty, the beer taste fine and I had no clue it was at 1.022 when I tasted it, but with the hydrometer reading proved me wrong. Any clue why Wyeast 1056 would do this to me? Thanks again/

One person's 154F mash temperature is not the same as another person's 154F mash temperature. It depends on many things including the vessel type, the place where the temperature is taken, the crush, the Ph, recirc rate, the recipe, the freshness of the grain, the way you dough-in, and so on.

What's been your experience with other beers mashed at 154F. You may have a setup where 152 or 153 gives you a better result.

I hesitate to think it's a yeast issue because you did everything right in that area.

Since the beer tastes fine, I'd relax, enjoy the mouthfeel, and just have an extra half pint if you need more alcohol. A 1.022 finish is a lot better than if it had finished at 1.014.

Tasty.

True, thanks Tasty,love the BN and I always listen to pod cast's of BrewStong and the Jamil Show. Makes the long bus ride much easier in a day and who doesn'
t like great knowledge? Cheers and happy brewing

TastyMcD wrote:One person's 154F mash temperature is not the same as another person's 154F mash temperature. It depends on many things including the vessel type, the place where the temperature is taken, the crush, the Ph, recirc rate, the recipe, the freshness of the grain, the way you dough-in, and so on.

What's been your experience with other beers mashed at 154F. You may have a setup where 152 or 153 gives you a better result.

I hesitate to think it's a yeast issue because you did everything right in that area.

Since the beer tastes fine, I'd relax, enjoy the mouthfeel, and just have an extra half pint if you need more alcohol. A 1.022 finish is a lot better than if it had finished at 1.014.

Tasty.

+1 - Have had 1056 finalize at 1.008 before on 1.050 beer. With my system, with focus on hardware, 154F still makes a well fermentable beer. I shoot for 156F is I want more body, 152F to get those lower FG's. All about system learning curve.

The 1st time I brewed this beer it came out at 1.021 , and it seemed like I did everything right.Like Tasty said it could just be the crush or the grain....or could be that the lhbs rounded up a little on the carapils. The second time I brewed this it came out at 1.017 and I used the same process / ingredients.