Not quite reached FG in 2 weeks

[_jon_]

Hey Guys,

I'm sure I already know the answer to this but I just wanted to clarify..

I was looking for 1.009 on my West Coast IPA. After 2 weeks (well very nearly), it's at 1.011. It's flat as a pancake regarding fermentation, crausen gone entirely and zero activity which is what I'd expect after this time.

But I've missed FG by a couple of points.

Is it worth me doing something to kick it off again? Or should I just be satisfied with a slightly higher FG?

 

[dan125]

You could leave it a few more days just to be sure, buts its probably at the FG.
A couple of points isn't much to worry about, but if you want to hit 1.009 next time then mash at a slightly lower temp or use a yeast with higher attenuation.
:

 

[Flatline9]

The FG you'll get from beersmith recipes or pre-made kits will just be an estimate, based whether the yeast is behaving as expected. But due to the inevitable slight differences that occur during brewing (such as mash temperature slightly being off, pitching rates being slightly off, the yeast not being completely healthy etc.) it's fairly standard for the FG to finish a wee bit higher or even lower.

If it's a big beer that's stopped well short, then fair enough rouse the yeast or pitch some fresh vials. But for a standard beer, as long as it's stable then don't worry about it :)

Just from my experiences anyways :

 

[Martybhoy]

I'm normally happy with being 2 points off target.

 

[GerritT]

Good enough, and if this doesn't differ over a couple of days, prime and bottle. Or carbonate&keg. Was your OG exactly as predicted by the way?

 

[Sandimas]

Was your OG exactly as predicted by the way?

+1...and what was your yeast?

You may already know this, but there's a formula to work out your yeast attentuation: (OG-FG / OG-1) x 100. Depending on how high your OG was, your yeast may have done it's job as per its spec. I've had brews finish higher than expected, then realised the yeast has reached it's target attenuation say 75%.

 

[_jon_]

The OG was spot on, 1.048. The yeast was Mangrove Jacks M44 US West Coast Yeast.

 

[MyQul]

Personally I wouldnt be worrying about a mere 2 points (as long as the Fg is stable over 3 days), but if you want to try to get it down to the target FG, give it a gentle rouse (stir) to get the yeast back into suspention. That might do the job

 

[MickDundee]

The OG was spot on, 1.048. The yeast was Mangrove Jacks M44 US West Coast Yeast.

That’s 76% attenuation according to Brewers Friend so it will definitely be done.

 

[Sandimas]

The Brewers Friend yeast attenuation figures do seem pretty accurate.

I hadn't paid much attention to this until recently and always expected my brews to get down to around 1010. Now I've looked back at the various yeasts I've used over the years, the higher FGs have been down to lower attenuating yeasts. I recently used MJ Empire Ale Yeast which only has an attenuation of 72.5% so an FG of 1014 wasn't amiss.