FG for a strong stout?

[earthwormgaz]

Hi forum,

I've got a stout sitting in the bucket fermenting, it's down to about 1.019 maybe, but it started out at 1.060 after a long over night mash. I made it on the 18th, the yeast went in the day after.

I read that stronger beers may not ferment down as low? Usually I'd bottle around 1.011 I think ...?

 

[Ajhutch]

How long has it been fermenting? What was the grain bill and mash temperature? Did you run it through software and get an expected FG?

It’s plausible that it’s finished, but need more details.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I've bottled at

Hi forum,

I've got a stout sitting in the bucket fermenting, it's down to about 1.019 maybe, but it started out at 1.060 after a long over night mash. I made it on the 18th, the yeast went in the day after.

I read that stronger beers may not ferment down as low? Usually I'd bottle around 1.011 I think ...?

I've bottled at 1.018. depends on the yeast and the grain/extract bill and mash temps. I've seen 1.025 for some massive RIS's from the USA.

My last beer for xmas has been bottled at 1.022 but the yeast i used tops out at 10% so will not explode*

* I added lactose to ensure it stays sweet and doesn't dry out.

 

[earthwormgaz]

I used Nottingham yeast in the end. The grain was as follows ...

4kg pale malt
1kg crystal malt
300g black malt
100g chocolate malt
50g munich malt
250g racuhmalt
500g special B

The original recipe was like so ...

 

[earthwormgaz]

I think the mash was about 65-70 at the start, and was about 60 by the end the next day after a long over night mash. I sparged at high 60s to try and get the temperature up.

I also added the liquid caramel and malt extract the recipe called for.

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/overnight-mash-licorice-stout.76430/

 

[GerritT]

Notty and a nice bit of crystal: I myself wouldn't wait for it to land below 1010. Your 1018 might very well be FG. No refractometer yet? 10 bob at ali-express.

 

[Simonh82]

I think with that much crystal and roast malt I would be surprised if it went a lot lower. I made a porter with a not dissimilar grain bill and it finished at 1.022. That was with a fairly low attenuating yeast though.

 

[terrym]

Brewers Friend suggests about 77% average attenuation for Nottingham yeast so for OG 1.060 this should give FG about 1.014. However this is obviously dependant upon lots of things including mashing efficiency.
1.060/1.019 is only about 68%, so its either stuck, or its still some way to go, or summat's not quite right.

 

[Ajhutch]

I reckon there’s a strong chance it’s finished, there is a lot of speciality malt in there and even with the overnight mash, starting at 70C is quite high and may have denatured some of the lower temperature enzymes. Having said that, another week in the FV isn’t going to do it any harm so maybe swirl it up to rouse the yeast, raise the temperature a bit if you can, and check it again next week.

 

[LarryF]

I did a Simply Stout I got a bit carried away with back in April 2016 using Wilko Gervin and it went from 1074 to 1007 and that's a Nottingham yeast.

 

[GerritT]

I did a Simply Stout I got a bit carried away with back in April 2016 using Wilko Gervin and it went from 1074 to 1007 and that's a Nottingham yeast.

That's... quite amazing.

 

[Slid]

That's... quite amazing.

I have had down to 1.005 or so on 1.055 beers with US 05, quite regularly. interestingly, these have been the many brewed with re-used yeast from the trub of the original sachet. I leave a fair amount of beer in the primary FV and swirl it around. This then gets put into 4-6 small 250ml bottles sold first as lemonade. I am told that the lemonade could even be drunk in between pints. (LOL).

 

[earthwormgaz]

Hmm, thing is I'm going on holiday on Wednesday. Don't want to come home to bottle grenades though ... tough decision!

Thanks for the help so far everyone.

 

[Ajhutch]

I vote to leave it. If it’s done, it’ll get some bulk conditioning which is no bad thing. If it’s not done, it’ll finish out.

The worst that can happen is you need to add a bit of new yeast to carbonate, but even that’s not likely. I did an imperial stout earlier this year which had five weeks in the FV and still carbonated fine without additional yeast.

 

[earthwormgaz]

Just tested it again, it's not really changed, I tried what dripped off the hydrometer onto my hand, and it was delicious!

 

[earthwormgaz]

I'm going away tomorrow, and I'm thinking about racking to a secondary to see if it gets it going again, and to get it off the bed of dead yeast. Does that sound a good plan? I like to bottle condition with the natural sugars in the ale usually rather than priming, but this way it might have fermented too low if it does get going again. With this though, I could just use some more liquid caramel to prime it or something.

Does this sound a good plan, or should I just leave it?

 

[Gunge]

Me? I'd definitely leave it alone, then deal with it upon my return. It will be all the better for it. The worst thing that can happen is that the gravity won't fall any lower, but it sounds alright to me anyway. A recent brown ale stopped at 1016 from 1050 and it is just fine.

 

[earthwormgaz]

Back from holiday yesterday, and tested the gravity. It's not moved that I can tell. Is there any chance it's stuck? Or should I just bottle, and if so, I never usually use priming sugar, how much do you use?

Oh ... and can I prime with honey?

 

[Slid]

Answers are - Yes, Yes, Half a level teaspoon per 500ml bottle and Yes!