Windsor stopped at 1.022

[Toxophilly]

Hi all,

I brewed a pale ale on Easter Sunday, OG 1.055, pitched one sachet of Windsor dried yeast. Wort was well oxygenated, started at 16C for 24 hours, then raising up gradually - now at 20C. Recipe was about 5% each Munich and Crystal - the rest pale base malt.

To my surprise it seems to have stopped at 1.022, with no change over 4 or more days. In terms of flavour, I'm quite happy with the residual sweetness and would drink it as it is. However I'm planning to bottle it, and something seems distinctly wrong about the idea of adding priming sugar and then bottling it up when it already has such a lot of sugar remaining. If the yeast can't eat the remaining sugar in the wort - why would it eat the priming sugar for carbonation?

Do I need to try rousing the yeast or pitching more to finish it off before bottling?

Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Saisonator]

Unless you want bottle bombs, you will need to get it down a bit more.
I would give it a stir.

 

[Toxophilly]

bottle bombs

Yes that was my fear.

Why is it that the yeast has stopped consuming sugar in the fermenter - but once bottled will resume?
Just from it being naturally roused in the racking and bottling process?

 

[Gunge]

Windsor is a great tasting yeast but I stopped using it a few years ago cos of its er, idiosyncracies! But... I'm using it again this weekend and knowing what I know, I'll mash low and whack in a full tin of golden syrup to get the FG down. Don't worry about yours being high with regard to bottle bombs.... it's due to Windsors inability to process maltotriose so won't be a problem. However, I strongly recommend giving it a full 14 days in the FV to make absolutely certain that it's done all it can in there. Besides, it needs all the help it can get to clear fully, and every day in the FV helps much.

 

[MickDundee]

Windsor isn’t a massive attenuator, but even still at 59% I think it’s stalled. Brewers Friend reckons 72% attenuation for Windsor

 

[Toxophilly]

Windsors inability to process maltotriose

I did wonder if that was part of the answer. My mash temperature was on the higher side (can't remember exactly - log book is at home), and having looked at BeerSmith it was actually 10% each of Crystal and Munich.

My OG was a little higher than planned so this higher FG gives me the ABV I wanted and it tastes good. If I can get away with bottle carbing it as-is, that's perfect

However, I strongly recommend giving it a full 14 days in the FV to make absolutely certain that it's done all it can in there. Besides, it needs all the help it can get to clear fully, and every day in the FV helps much.

Is it worth stirring up the slurry to make sure it's done fermenting, do you think? Naturally that will undo the settling that has happened thus far

 

[Gunge]

I really wouldn't stir any more, just leave it be. Windsor can be slow to clear if you keep annoying it!

 

[Sandimas]

I don't know Windsor yeast specifically so I may be wrong, but starting it at 16C seems too low to me and may have stressed it, causing it to stick later. I wouldn't consider pitching an ale yeast under 18C, I've had too many stuck brews in the past and nearly all of them have been related to low temps.

Suggest making up a sugar solution 300g in boiled water and chucking that in to help get it going, it'll need all the help it can get at this stage as most of the fermentables have already been used up. Also get the temp up even higher, 23C or so won 't hurt it at this stage.

 

[LarryF]

I did 3 brews with Danstar Windsor Sept - Nov last year and got 75%, 87% and 80% attenuation.

 

[Gunge]

I've just finished bottling an ESB made with Windsor. 2 weeks at 19C and a further week at 1C. Having used Windsor before and knowing what to expect re attenuation, I mashed low and chucked in a full tin of golden syrup. The FG.... 1010. I'm impressed by that but now thinking it might not necessarily be a Good Thing. Tasted great though, see how it goes when clear. It may be a while....

 

[NIGHTSKY BREWING]

Many problems of off flavours and high FG are all symptoms of under pitching with dried yeast.....
Always make a starter and big starters for lagers , and big beers etc . Also some yeasts need rousing.....more yeast next time

Matt NIGHTSKY....now on instagram.