Home brew gravity hasn't moved in 2 weeks but FG is not reached

[Notlaw]

Cheers everyone for your responses. I used a hydrometer not a refractor. I will check the gravity of my water too. I think it was the mash that went or boil that went wrong, I used an ice bath with running cold water to cool the wart in the large pot I used for the mash and boil. It took about 15 minutes, is that too long? Would it have an impact? Yes the recipe is abit scatty maybe I should try a different one with similar ingedients. I think it is a basic variant on this one http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/28546/sierra-nevada-pale-ale-clone

When you boiled it, did you measure 1 hour from when it reached the boil, or 1 hour from when you put it on the heat?

 

[austin.byrne]

When you boiled it, did you measure 1 hour from when it reached the boil, or 1 hour from when you put it on the heat?

Before I put it on the heat for the boil, I siphoned off some and let it cool before measuring whilst the rest boiled.

 

[austin.byrne]

PS I am using a mash bag for the grains.

 

[Sandimas]

Personally, the only thing I can think that went wrong was your mash: the recipe looks OK, your boiling and cooling method was OK, as was use of the grain bag.

How long did you mash for and at what temperature? How did you keep the temperature stable during the mash? Was your 1020 reading the one you made from the sample before the boil?

If you can answer these questions, we may be able to help :thumb:

 

[austin.byrne]

Personally, the only thing I can think that went wrong was your mash: the recipe looks OK, your boiling and cooling method was OK, as was use of the grain bag.

How long did you mash for and at what temperature? How did you keep the temperature stable during the mash? Was your 1020 reading the one you made from the sample before the boil?

If you can answer these questions, we may be able to help :thumb:

67oC, I used an analogue thermometer with a 5 inch spike that was constantly in the mash. My stove ring set low was able to keep the 67oC temp constant. I did calibrate the thermometer in boiling water before starting the brew.

 

[austin.byrne]

Personally, the only thing I can think that went wrong was your mash: the recipe looks OK, your boiling and cooling method was OK, as was use of the grain bag.

How long did you mash for and at what temperature? How did you keep the temperature stable during the mash? Was your 1020 reading the one you made from the sample before the boil?

If you can answer these questions, we may be able to help :thumb:

Yes, the 1.020 was taken from a sample after mash but before boil. I didn't take a reading after boil

 

[Notlaw]

Yes, the 1.020 was taken from a sample after mash but before boil. I didn't take a reading after boil

Aha, OG is taken after the boil. So it will have ended up higher than 1.020 when it went into the FV. Someone can maybe look at your recipe and work out what your OG actually was. I've not looked into that calculation yet, so I'm not sure how to do it.

 

[austin.byrne]

Aha, OG is taken after the boil. So it will have ended up higher than 1.020 when it went into the FV. Someone can maybe look at your recipe and work out what your OG actually was. I've not looked into that calculation yet, so I'm not sure how to do it.

Good man! Someone did advise doing a brew calc in another response. I will give it a go.

 

[Sandimas]

Someone can maybe look at your recipe and work out what your OG actually was.

I did, several lines above in the thread - I reckon 1047.

Sounds like you've done nothing wrong - let it brew out and sample it.

 

[austin.byrne]

I did, several lines above in the thread - I reckon 1047.

Sounds like you've done nothing wrong - let it brew out and sample it.

Excellent, goodman cheers. I have ordered a brew siphon wand so just waiting for it to arrive and I will get it bottled this week. Thanks all for your help and advise.

 

[Notlaw]

I did, several lines above in the thread - I reckon 1047.

Sounds like you've done nothing wrong - let it brew out and sample it.

Sorry Darrell, I missed that. Top man :thumb:

 

[cheapbrew]

So OG was 1.020 pre boil, what was your pre boil volume and what was your post boil volume? and we can work out the post boil OG

pre boil volume x gravity = post boil volume x gravity

 

[Simonh82]

Generally it is better to insulate your pot, rather than keep the flame on low. Heat doesn't transfer well through the mash so the bottom of the mash will get too hot and the top too cold.

Wrap it up in a blanket, towel or sleeping bag to stabilise the temperature.

If the mash gets too hot it will first lead to the creation of more un-fermentable sugars and then denatured the enzymes leading to low efficiency.

 

[austin.byrne]

Cheers for the advice.