Danstar Windsor Yeast Low Attenuation - Is this a bad thing?

[andyg]

So my second ever all grain biab brew done a week ago now. Firstly I've been amazed at how quick both my all grain beers have fermented. Huge airlock activity, small krausen for 3 days then airlock stops dead. I know that doesn't necessarily mean that fermentation is over. But still it's quick.

This second all grain batch I pitched WINDSOR YEAST :hmm: After reading about the yeast I have discovered that it is a low attenuator. I didn't want to waste my smack pack on only my second all grain batch, so pitched (rehydrated) Windsor yeast that I had lying around.

Wort wasn't overly airated and ferment temp was probably 20-22 (so maybe a little too high).

Hydro reading after 3 days was 1.022 and after 5 days 1.022 - Taste pretty good.

So apart from a weaker beer (this one being 3.3% abv before bottling) and a bit more body - is a final grav of 1.022 a bad thing? From reading forums about windsor people don't seem to like it or like low attenuators.

 

[NickW]

I use it in things like stouts.

Although mine did finish at 1.013... that certainly doesn't sound right. Give it a gentle stir to rouse the yeast :thumb:

 

[Pjam]

Give it a gentle stir to rouse the yeast :thumb:

You know, I've started doing this with every ale brew I do, no matter what yeast. It may not always be needed but I do get new activity.

 

[andyg]

I may give it a stir, but do I need to? The question is - whats wrong with 1.022?

 

[NickW]

I may give it a stir, but do I need to? The question is - whats wrong with 1.022?

Seems way too high... was was the OG?

 

[LeithR]

There might be nothing wrong with 1022, it to some extent is beer type dependant and the amount of grains used which dictates how much non-fermentables you have in your brew. At 1022 that's what you are seeing, the amount of solids in the brew ie non-fermentables.

In other cases it might indicate a stuck fermentation and this might apply to your brew hence the advice to gently stir the brew to rouse the yeast. Most brews should go down to around 1010 - 1006 or there abouts.

There is nothing wrong with leaving your brew in the FV for some weeks, I have what I know is a strong brew thats been sitting in an FV for some months, I occasionally stir it but I'm in no hurry to bottle (partly because I don't like bottling). It'll be fine like this for a fairly long time.

 

[Pinchy]

I made my AG#4 Christmas Ale with windsor and that only got down to 1.022

 

[andyg]

Thanks for the replies.

OG was 1.046. Grain bill was (from memory) 3.3kg light malt, 660g crystal, 45g black malt and 660g white sugar. 45g challenger start of boil. boil time 90mins

I made my AG#4 Christmas Ale with windsor and that only got down to 1.022

And how was that for a drink? Overly full bodied? Low abv? Tasty?

If mines not a stuck fermentation (which I don't think it is, never had one before, and windsor is a low attenuator) and your christmas ale was good, then 1.022 is nothing to fear? I should just bottle and drink :

 

[Pjam]

Andy, do you know the attenuation figure for the Windsor yeast? There's a calculator (top left) for just this situation.
You fill in the attenuation figure and the OG, it'll give you the kinda final gravity you should expect :geek:

 

[Pinchy]

Well..... After I pressure barrelled it it didn't carbonate properly not sure why as it should have been the correct temp. But I panicked and pitched a bit of wilkos yeast in it and gave it some more time in the warm. But thinking about it now I think it may have just needed longer in the warm.

But the beer is great! So smooth and lovely body, malty flavour and character to it despite all the problems (my boiler was cutting out during the boil too!). I just had a bad experience due to inexperience I think. But during the initial fermentation I tried warming it up and rousing but it wouldnt go any lower than 1.020.

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=45810

 

[Pjam]

Just had a check, Danstar Windsor Yeast attenuation is 61%, which gives you a final gravity of 1018 and 3.7% abv.
So your not far out :) It might do it bit more though .......... with a stir.

 

[andyg]

Thx Pjam for checking that out.

It's only been a week in the warm. I'll give it a rouse tonight and see what happens over the next week or so. It would be nice to squeeze another 0.002 out I suppose, but won't be losing any sleep.

The other solution is to pitch a different yeast on top. But I'm not keen on making things complicated. So far I haven't heard anything to say 1.022 is anything to worry about.

 

[Pjam]

So far I haven't heard anything to say 1.022 is anything to worry about.

No no, nothing at all to worry about. And nothing wrong with a beer at 3.5 abv, TBH I don't normally like strong beer. If I want something strong I drink whiskey.

 

[Dr Mike]

The danger of bottling at 1022 is that fermentation will restart or continue slowly over weeks and you get bottle bombs.

Always best to be sure fermentation really is over before bottling. You can get away with it if kegging as the keg will release excess pressure but bottles can't!

 

[rpt]

I'd be worried about 1.022. It's only 51% attenuation which is low even for Windsor. Also, with that sugar you'd expect it to go lower. The only time I've used Windsor it stuck at 1.019. I bottled without priming. The beer is quite fizzy (fortunately no gushers or bottle bombs) and has gone down to something like 1.010. I'd rack to a second FV as that might restart fermentation.

 

[andyg]

Thought I'd give an update for anyone who may have been interested in this thread.

Well I gave it stir 7 days ago and left it sat at around 19-21 C. No airlock activity still, so I assumed nothing had happened. I kegged it last night (didn't want to risk bottle bombs) thinking it would still be at 1.022 but it has dropped to 1.020. So not brilliant but definitely better.

So thanks for the stirring advice.

 

[Aleman]

Windsor is one of those yeast that benefits from big pitching rates.

I use it in my imperial stout which Windsor took from 1.096 down to 1.018 which I make 81% attenuation.

It fell from 1.096 to 1.023 in 3 days!! . . .Ok it then took another 10 days to get to 1.018, but for a big beer that was not important. . . . I bottled without priming as I felt it might have had a bit further to go . . . Wrong! while not quite as flat as a pancake there is very little carbonation (Even after 6 years in the bottle)

The only thing I did was to pitch 3 sachets in 25L

 

[andyg]

I won't be using windsor again in the foreseeable future! Especially if you've got to dump 3 packets in!

 

[theboytony]

I made one of my best beers with windsor, a nice english pale that went from 1054 to 1012. Re-hydrated the yeast and fermented under temp control. Not sure what the attenuation is as the calc i found says apparent 77.8 and actual 63.3. I'll deffo be using it again :

 

[andyg]

I won't be using windsor again in the foreseeable future! Especially if you've got to dump 3 packets in!

Maybe I am being a bit hasty. It tasted pretty good when I kegged it. I'll retract that statement and wait and see what the beer tastes like after its conditioned and aged a bit. Still, my beef with it is the low ABV result and having to stir it.