High FG - Imp IPA

[waitej02]

I brewed my 3rd all grain batch. Beer smith recipe below. The FG was 1.024 - 1.026. OG was a little high as well. I left it for 1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary and put it in the fridge for a day before bottling. I took 1 corny keg and 12 bottles. I have seen other threads say that bottles will explode. Can I put them in the fridge after a week and be safe?

Celebration Clone 4
Imperial IPA


Type: All Grain
Date: 7/4/2011
Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Brewer: JW
Boil Size: 7.14 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
13.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 78.41 %
1.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 6.03 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3.02 %
0.33 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 1.99 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.51 %
1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [9.60 %] (60 min) Hops 25.3 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 14.5 IBU
1.00 oz Citra Leaf [12.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops -
1.00 oz Centennial [9.90 %] (60 min) Hops 26.1 IBU
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (15 min) Hops 7.2 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [9.90 %] (15 min) Hops 12.9 IBU
1.50 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 9.05 %
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.077 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.080 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.024 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.79 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 7.33 %
Bitterness: 86.0 IBU Calories: 370 cal/pint
Est Color: 13.5 SRM Color: Color

 

[unionrdr]

That's a tough one. It might have stalled before going that few points lower. Or the yeast hit the point where ABV was getting to the threshold.

 

[Dogphish]

what temperature did you mash at? high mash temperature is usually what causes high FG.

bottles will only explode if you didn't let it finish fermenting before you bottled. you need to let them get fully carbonated before you stick them in the fridge to stop further carbonation and prevent explosion. that might take 2 to 4 weeks.

open a bottle after 2 weeks and check the carbonation level. let it condition further if needed. then stick in fridge if you're worried that you bottled before fermentation was complete.

 

[waitej02]

Tried to keep it at 155. Thermometer not too precise. Could have been as high as 160.

 

[Ravenshead]

Tried to keep it at 155. Thermometer not too precise. Could have been as high as 160.

That's probably it then although a five degree variance on your thermometer is pretty big. Your fermentation was probably over after three weeks so you probably don't have bottle bombs. The only way to tell for sure is to take multiple gravity readings over the last three days.

I really wouldn't worry about it though. Of course, I always condition my bottles in a big plastic tote just in case.

 

[KyleVS]

I have a similar problem with a black IPA I recently made. My O.G. was 1.079 and my F.G. is 1.024. I'm new to the game so I don't know what factors into why the F.G. is so high. It tastes great (albeit a tiny bit syrupy) but I was shooting for a 9% beer with a F.G of 1.017 or so. Does the higher gravity always means something went wrong, or is it okay to be higher for some beers?

 

[slym2none]

Depending on your specialty malts & amounts of them, it is possible for your FG to be that high.

I imagine someone else is going to ask for your recipe, so let me be that person, so that someone that knows what they are saying can tell you what might be the problem.

Recipe?