Danstar Windsor not finishing

[Ungoliant]

I've got a brown ale (OG 1.062) and an IPA (OG 1.074) sitting on Windsor. The Brown was brewed on 20 March, and the IPA was brewed on 27 March.

The brown has been sitting on a SG of 1.020 for a week, and the IPA has been sitting at 1.028 for three days. Both airlocks are still bubbling, and I can still see bubbles on the surface of both.

My mash temps weren't too high. I have proofed my hydrometer and made the appropriate temp corrections for all my readings. I warmed the batches up (from 64 to 69). Ive seen some stuff here and there about Windsor finishing really high, so I have even procured some actively fermenting yeast (s-05) from a local Brewer off of one of one of his fermenters.

After all this I'm getting airlock activity, signs of fermentation on the beer surface, but no traction on FG. Any thoughts?

 

[ChelisHubby]

Relax if the airlocks are moving more than every20 seconds the yeast is still working.

 

[Ungoliant]

Yeah that's where my head is at.

What frustrates/confuses me is that the Brown should be finishing around 1.016, but its SG hasn't budged in a week even with a fresh fermenting yeast pitch.

 

[flars]

I had a Caribou Slobber finish at 1.019 with the same yeast. Was in the primary for three weeks. Too heavy and sweet to even consider how it might age out in the bottle. I pitched a half liter starter of WY 1056 at high krausen. Took two weeks for the beer to finish at 1.011. Tasted the first one today after two weeks in the body. Great body and flavor.

Brewed this one many times before with WY 1332 and finishing gravity of 1.010 to 1.011. Ages very well in the bottle.

 

[Jimbodaman]

If they're extract brews the brown is probably done, but the IPA should go down to at least 1.020 in the next few days. I'd wait another week and see what happens pitch something else if you have to. I personally don't mind a brown ale that finishes at 1.020 send me some I'll sample it for ya.

 

[Dozer71]

Windsor doesn't have as high attenuation as other yeasts, hence it is used in English milds and the like where more body/sweeter finish is to style.

Your brown is at 68% which is about right for the yeast, although the IPA is at 62% so would expect a little more, but that said could be done as well.

 

[dmtaylor]

Windsor doesn't have as high attenuation as other yeasts, hence it is used in English milds and the like where more body/sweeter finish is to style.

Your brown is at 68% which is about right for the yeast, although the IPA is at 62% so would expect a little more, but that said could be done as well.

Correct! Give this man the prize.

 

[Ungoliant]

These were both all grain.

I think I'm going to use a different yeast strain for the next time I run these batches. They taste fine, but I just didn't end up with the ABV I wanted

 

[mattdee1]

They're done. If you're used to the likes of Notty, S-05, etc. then the low attenuation of Windsor can be a bit of a shock. Maybe a high FG on browns and IPAs is bad (I don't know) but my 1.073 OG milk stout finished at 1.030 on Windsor, and the beer is awesome. Of course, it helps that a bit of sweetness is an expected characteristic of a milk stout.

 

[Ungoliant]

They're done. If you're used to the likes of Notty, S-05, etc. then the low attenuation of Windsor can be a bit of a shock.

Definitely. I was shooting for a bit more body/maltiness for both.

I think the Windsor is fine for the Brown, but I'd like my IPA to finish lower for sure. It doesn't taste overly sweet, though. I'll probably just play with mash temps on the IPA.

 

[skidmark]

Windsor finishes too sweet, Nottingham too dry.

The late, great London, however was smack dab in the Goldilocks Zone. Enough attenuation to make a goodly amount of ETOH, but not so much that you found yourself missing that malty goodness in every sip.

Each and every NHC, I beseech the Lallemand reps to please, Please, PLEASE! bring London back. Please join me in this noble mission!