Has my porter finished?

[Charmin1073]

I'm in the process of creating a Coffee Vanilla Porter. I've brewed this once before and all went well except a little low on the OG. This time I was a bit closer on OG 1.09 instead of 1.094. Target mash temp was 154 degrees. Started a little high at 158-159. By the end of mash it was at 154, but at 154 for about the final 20 minutes. I pitched 2 packs of Denny's Favorite 50 (which I used last batch and worked great). Fermented between 66-68 degrees. After 12 days gravity was at 1.030. Target FG is 1023. I roused and pitched a half package of SA-05. A week later I had the same reading. So I added a tbsp of yeast nutrient with another half pack of 05. Another week later same thing. LHBS recommended yeast energizer. Boiled a cup of water, cooled and added 2.5 tsp of energizer and roused the wort. 3 days latter, same thing. So do I rack to secondary and add my vanilla beans or keep trying.

Thanks in advance

 

[Copbrew133]

I'd say it has gone as far as it's going to. I'd probably look first at that high mash temperature as the primary culprit and then yeast health/ oxygenation as a secondary reason. The beta amylase enzyme is denatured and rendered useless at that higher temperature; and you can't then drop temps to get it working again because it's toast at that point. 154* is still on the high end of the temp range for it as well so you end up mashing with just the alpha (in theory) and get a fuller body beer. This is fine if you're going towards a full bodied beer, but if you're looking to "dry it out" a bit start the mash lower in the temp range (upper 140'si to let the betas work) then raise up into 156ish range to allow the alpha's to do their thing. Or start at around 153 as a compromise between the two an insulate the heck out of the mashtun to hold the temp for your scheduled time.

Here's a link to Palmers explanation if it helps:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/chapter14-5.html

 

[Charmin1073]

Thanks Copbrew133. I thought those could have been the reasons. Just nice to have this forum for the advice and reassurance from those who have been there and done that. Now when it comes to bottling, should I prime as I normally would or cut back a bit on the priming sugar?

 

[day_trippr]

If SG has remained stable for that long, all of the digestible sugars have been converted, and what is left are dextrins and other complex carbs that aren't going away. Use the recommended priming charge...

Cheers!

 

[Charmin1073]

Thanks. Racked on top of 3 vanilla beans scraped and chopped. Soaked in vodka for 2 weeks. I'll post when ready to drink. The plain sample by itself tasted really nice and silky.

Thanks again

 

[winvarin]

For a beer that big and a mash temp that high, if I run your numbers right, it looks like you're in the neighborhood of 67% AA. That's pretty respectable for a 1.090 beer that it sounds like you just pitched straight without a starter.

Depending on the proportion of roast and chocolate malts you used, it may seem quite a bit drier than the numbers suggest.

I brewed a robust porter over the winter (much smaller than your 1.090). But I used 2 kinds of chocolate malt and some other roasted grains. I used a British yeast and a high mash temp and attenuated about the same as you did. The dark grains really cut into the sweetness I thought I was going to have with a 1.022 finish. It wound up full bodied but with a dry finish.


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