Final Gravity Q: If you're FG is bottoming out higher than you want.

[maximus4444]

So, I have yet to take a gravity reading since I've racked my first batch to the primary. I'll be taking the first reading on Saturday. (8 days in primary)

I'm just curious about the final gravity. If your gravity readings are bottoming out at a higher gravity value, is there a way to get it go down?

Or is it just do things differently the next time you brew?

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

Are you asking for this batch or for future batches? For this batch at 8 days in you could raise the temp to get the yeast more active during cleanup but I don't think it will make a huge difference. In the future, If you are all grain, mash at a lower temperature

 

[maximus4444]

Are you asking for this batch or for future batches? For this batch at 8 days in you could raise the temp to get the yeast more active during cleanup but I don't think it will make a huge difference. In the future, If you are all grain, mash at a lower temperature

Well, I don't know what the gravity will bottom out at for my current batch. I have an estimated FG from my recipe.

So, I guess I was just asking to get a better understanding of what it possible and what isn't. I started with extract, and don't plan to move to all-grain for quite a while if ever.

So I am asking for this batch and any future batch.

 

[FirstAidBrewing]

For extract, since the mash was dome for you, I think the most important things for accurate fermentation are a healthy yeast pitch and temperature control.

 

[adamdillabo]

Adding half of the extract close to flame out will make sure they don't caramelize. Pitch lots of yeast. When ever I pitch a slurry from another fermentation it finishes lower.
I had a lot of batches stop around 1.020. It bothered me so much I went BIAB. I stopped checking my FG but they taste a lot better

 

[kh54s10]

With the extract kit, if you used all the ingredients, collected the proper volume and pitched the right amount of healthy yeast there should be no problems with getting a good final gravity. But the yeast will do what they want, the target FG in a recipe is just that, a target. Extract brews have a tendency to finish at about 1.020 so somewhere between that and the listed FG should be good.

If you are off, then post the results for opinions on what to do. There are too many variables to give advice ahead of a problem.

Some options are warming the beer, swirling up the trub, pitching more yeast. Which option and how much is dependent on the severity and the possible reason for missing FG.

When your beer has finished fermenting report back.

 

[IslandLizard]

Congrats on your first batch! Patience is a virtue.

Since we're fretting, if your instructions indicate any wording of racking to a secondary after x days, completely ignore that part. Just let it be and do its thing for 3 weeks in the same vessel. If it's in a bucket do not lift the lid until you're ready to bottle. You may raise the temps a bit (5-10 degrees F) after a week.

 

[--Dom--]

Finishing high either means
1-Not enough yeast/yeast wasn't healthy
2-Yeast wasn't at the right temp to complete fermentation
3-You didn't have enough fermentable sugar which could be the result of several things.

 

[balrog]

Congrats on your first batch! Patience is a virtue.

Since we're fretting, if your instructions indicate any wording of racking to a secondary after x days, completely ignore that part. Just let it be and do its thing for 3 weeks in the same vessel. If it's in a bucket do not lift the lid until you're ready to bottle. You may raise the temps a bit (5-10 degrees F) after a week.

+1. Just. Wait. It is the hardest thing (according to Tom Petty), but it will reward you in the end.

No peeky. No tasty. No testy. No nothing. Just. Walk. Away. 3 weeks.
You will learn in time to appreciate the result of waiting.

 

[maximus4444]

It's interesting that everyone says wait. If that's the case, then why don't they just say in the recipe instructions to let it sit in the primary for 3 weeks? It seems like if the brew would taste better after a longer primary, then why wouldn't they tell you to do that?

I am not worried about my beer. I was just curious.

Thanks for the replies

 

[chickypad]

3 wks is not a hard and fast rule. Some beers like wheats and IPA's/hoppy pales taste best young IME, those I try to get packaged as soon as possible. I think the point folks were making is you don't necessarily need a secondary vessel and you may be better off making sure the yeast have enough time to finish their work, especially at first until you get some experience with how fermentations go.

Regarding your original question, don't fret a few pts difference as the FG is just an estimate. If you find that you are consistently finishing very high (6, 8, 10 pts) and the beers taste too sweet to you then you can modify future recipes to replace some of the extract with sugar. As mentioned you can't control the composition of the extract, it may or may not ferment out as well intended. Replacing a little with the proper amount of sugar can thin it out as sugar tends to ferment out completely. But I would only do it if you are consistently unhappy with the end result, that's what matters after all not modifying it just for the sake of chasing a number.

 

[IslandLizard]

It's interesting that everyone says wait. If that's the case, then why don't they just say in the recipe instructions to let it sit in the primary for 3 weeks? It seems like if the brew would taste better after a longer primary, then why wouldn't they tell you to do that?

I am not worried about my beer. I was just curious.

Thanks for the replies

They won't sell as many kits if there is that time investment involved. Most people are notoriously impatient, and impulse buyers. They want it NOW!
<mimicking all the "as seen on TV" commercials, although many didn't see the fine print, it takes 3-6 weeks for delivery. They hope you may have forgotten about it or at least lost that initial spike of interest that made you buy it.>

The kits also don't tell you that most beer should be fermented at more or less controlled temps in the lower 60s for better flavor and quality. Lagers even colder, low 50s. Also one vial or smack pack of yeast is not enough for a 5 gallon batch. An 11.5 gram yeast sachet is just enough IF rehydrated, and the beer gravity is not higher than 1.060.

That's why you come here, to HBT and other sites and forums, and read, read read.

 

[maximus4444]

They won't sell as many kits if there is that time investment involved. Most people are notoriously impatient, and impulse buyers. They want it NOW!
<mimicking all the "as seen on TV" commercials, although many didn't see the fine print, it takes 3-6 weeks for delivery. They hope you may have forgotten about it or at least lost that initial spike of interest that made you buy it.>

The kits also don't tell you that most beer should be fermented at more or less controlled temps in the lower 60s for better flavor and quality. Lagers even colder, low 50s. Also one vial or smack pack of yeast is not enough for a 5 gallon batch. An 11.5 gram yeast sachet is just enough IF rehydrated, and the beer gravity is not higher than 1.060.

That's why you come here, to HBT and other sites and forums, and read, read read.

Great points. I agree that the vast majority of people nowadays are... now, now, now.

This is the first time I've read that one vial/smack pack/package(dry yeast) isn't enough. That's good to know.

 

[IslandLizard]

Great points. I agree that the vast majority of people nowadays are... now, now, now.

This is the first time I've read that one vial/smack pack/package(dry yeast) isn't enough. That's good to know.

You typically need 210 billion healthy cells for a moderate gravity (1.060) 5 gallon ale batch. Lagers need 2x that amount! The vials and smack packs only contain 100 billion, and that's the day they were packaged. Their numbers go down steadily from there. Check Mr. Malty.

IF properly hydrated, one dry package has about twice as many yeast cells as a vial or smack pack, so around 200 billion or more can be expected.

Dry yeast is also more stable and can be left in the freezer for longer times. I has some that were 2 years past the expiration day and still worked well. I did make a starter though to check viability.

Regarding waiting time for the fermentation to finish, yes 3 weeks is a liberal time, and most beers are done by then, some may need more, many can be good a little sooner, but good temperature control is needed. Yeast needs some time after the vigorous time has elapsed to clean up byproducts making for a better tasting beer. That time can coincide with dry hopping, bottle conditioning, etc, but for your first few batches, start with 3 weeks before taking a sample.