Calm my nerves - bottled with high fg

[tmweber]

So I brewed my first batch, an amber ale extract kit (recipe below). I didn't have a hydrometer on brew day so I don't know the exact OG, but I'd expect it to be around the predicted 1.045.

I had it in primary for 26 days and decided to bottle on Sunday. I admit a rookie mistake expecting the 26 days was more than long enough, so I only checked the FG with the half a beer at the end of bottling, which turned out to be 1.02. If my math is right that's about 55% attenuation, well below the expected 75%.

I've got the bottles in a box to try and contain them were a bomb to happen. I've checked one bottle today and it just had a little bit of carb, but not even up to standard for an ale. Is there anything else I can do other than wait and see?

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On a sidenote, all I did to aerate the wort before fermentation is put it through a strainer. Is it possible that this just wasn't enough and caused the low attenuation?


Recipe
http://www.brewsupply.com/HowTo/Recipes/sunsetblvd.html
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Malt Extract:
Pale 6 lbs.

Grain Bill:
Chocolate Malt 2 oz
Crystal 40 4 oz
Crystal 80 12 oz
Hopping Schedule:
#1 Cascade (4.6%) 1.3 oz 60 min
#2 Willamette (4.5%) 0.4 oz 15 min
#3 Cascade 0.8 oz 0 min
Predicted Starting Gravity:
1.045

Priming Sugar:
3.5 oz corn sugar

 

[ajwillys]

Well, you probably raised the FG since you did it at the end of bottling after adding corn sugar although probably not by much. I can understand your concern considering the recipe. I think your best bet is to check the bottles every two days or so. Once you get them carbed, put them all in the fridge to stop any risk of bombing. I've only had two bombs out of a batch once but the other thing is that (if there's a problem), the rest will still be gushers unless you stop the carbing process.

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

From what I understand, it is not uncommon for extract batches to finish at 1.020. I will be bottling my first batch this weekend and it has been stuck at 1.020 for the past 2 weeks despite several efforts to get below that (aside from beano.)

 

[KFBass]

I had a similar problem, a batch that ended at 1.016. Freaked me out a bit. Just relax. I put my batch in a large storage container made of plastic, so if there are any bombs, the cleanup will at least be easier. It's 9 days in now, no bombs yet.

 

[LVBen]

"From what I understand, it is not uncommon for extract batches to finish at 1.020."

+1

 

[NorCalAngler]

I've now bottled two extract batches that finished at or slightly above 1.020 and they're fine. The fact is the yeast in your beer are going to finish wherever they're going to finish given all the factors (oxygen availability, yeast nutrients, sugars, unfermentable sugars, etc.) and unless you fermented at a temp < 60F they aren't magically going to activate and start feeding again. They did their job to their potential. They will wake up and eat the priming sugar and then go back to bed, that's it.

 

[tmweber]

Wow, thanks for the responses. It sounds like I probably won't have an issue and if I do, I've done what I can to minimize the damage.

Just out of curiosity, what is it about the extract that keeps it from fermenting further? Are there just a lot of unfermentable sugars in them?

 

[Gremlyn]

Adding the corn surgar and then measuring your gravity can raise your gravity by 0.001-0.002, and as everyone said extracts are notorious for getting stuck around 1.020. I had a few that did when I started and nothing turned into bottle bombs on me.

 

[mikeysab]

I brewed a winter warmmer extract kit that started at 1.060 and died at 1.030. Gravity was steady so I bottled it and had no problems with bombs. The problem was a sweet beer which never carbed right. I think I may have scorched some of the fermentable sugar which made it yucky for the yeast, so they left it alone. If your gravity is a bit high try swirling your fermenter to get some yeast back into suspension and give it aday or two. If your gravity doesn't change, it's over. And if it's over in the fermenter, it'll be over in the bottle. They'll eat the priming sugar and once it's all gone, they're don't. The only problem might be undercarbonation, or "wacky" carbonation. My winter warmer carbed like soda, lots of bubbles that went away quickly, and no head. You won't get bombs though

 

[mr_bell]

My 2 cents here: Can someone please explain to me why this "stuck fermentation at 1.020 with extract brews" has become a "common" thing? I've been brewing 2 years (extract with specialty grains only) and had 1 batch that under attenuated--from 1.044 to 1.018. My bourbon barrel old ale had an OG of 1.074 with an FG of 1.022, 70% attenuation with safale-04. Good enough for me.

There must be another reason why people are not getting adequate attenuation, and my guess it has to do with yeast pitching rates, wort temp when pitching, and / or temp control during fermentation, perhaps with unfermentable sugars also contributing but only slightly. I suggest anyone with this problem not be so quick as to place the blame on extract brewing, but rather look at each step of your process first.

Though I'm doing my first partial mash soon, I'm making good (extract) beer now. I will likely continue to do extract brews as well as partial mash.

 

[NorCalAngler]

I have another theory on my 1.020 issue. I tried LME from a different source and still got stuck around 1.020.

My first beer attenuated down to 1.010. My second, third and now fourth batch are around 1.020. This is with extract from different sources. The only remaining difference between my first batch and the next three are the fact that I used bottled spring water to top off my first batch. All the remaining batches I used tap water. A friend's wheat batch crapped out at 1.020 as well. Given the fact that both of our water comes from Folsom Lake and then treated I'm thinking the tap water chemistry may be limiting the yeast activity.

My next batch will be made using spring water to see if that is the issue.