Final Gravity Way too High (Belgian Strong Dark)

[hokieguy95]

I made this on November 30. The OG was 1.102. I checked it last Tuesday December 10 and it was around 1.026. So I took a sanitized spoon and gently tried to rouse the yeast. Checked it again today and it hasn't moved. Still 1.026 . It's Fermented around 75 for most of the first week. My temperatures fluctuate a bit in the house, but I wouldn't think it would be enough to make the yeast poop out. (Temps stay between 68 and 72) I've read everything I can on High F.G on this site. I don't have another yeast cake to rack onto and I don't want to transfer to secondary until I know I've exhausted every resource. And I definitely don't want any bottle bombs. I was thinking maybe to cut back on the priming sugar in case it continues to ferment in the bottles. But that's just an uneducated hypothesis on how to avoid explosions. I had planned to leave it in primary until it finished then transfer it to Secondary for at least another 2 weeks and then bottle condition for two months.

oh...I wanted this beer to get to about 1.015

I really don't want to lose this big beer. It smells wonderful right now. But I don't want to keep mucking in it.

Here was the recipe. It's a hybrid from one of the Westy clones I found here with some minor adjustments.

Extract
9 lb Light DME
1 lb Caramunich
.5 lb Biscuit
.5 lb Aromatic
.25 lb Special B

Candi Sugar:
1 lb Turbinado: Added with 15 mins left in the boil
1 bottle of the Dark Candi Syrup: Added at Flameout

Hops:
1 oz. Northern Brewer (60 min)
.5 oz. Haullertauer (15 min)

Yeast: Safebrew T58

Help!

 

[aarong]

The attenuation rate for that yeast maxes at 75% (from what I have seen) so your beer at an OG of 1.102 with a 75% attenuation would end at 1.026 at best.

102 * .75 = 76.5

102- 76.5= 25.5

= 1.026 FG

So you got the most out if that yeast as you can.

 

[hokieguy95]

The attenuation rate for that yeast maxes at 75% (from what I have seen) so your beer at an OG of 1.102 with a 75% attenuation would end at 1.026 at best.

102 * .75 = 76.5

102- 76.5= 25.5

= 1.026 FG

So you got the most out if that yeast as you can.

Thanks. So I guess it is out of my control at this point. I'm always concerned I did something incorrectly in the process.

So if I go ahead and rack it into secondary for about a week and it remains the same, do I risk any problems later when bottling? Should I use less priming sugar or just store the bottles in very cool place?
Any suggestions?

 

[aarong]

Im not an expert with this but it sounds like theres a couple things you can do:

1) Rehydrate some dry yeast (it says how to do it on the package) and pitch it in your beer

2) I would bottle it the same and not make any changes.

3) Congrats you made a big beer ABV with your numbers is 10.1%

Cheers

 

[fuelish]

2) I would bottle it the same and not make any changes.

3) Congrats you made a big beer ABV with your numbers is 10.1%

Cheers

My votes right here..

 

[DeBAD]

I made this on November 30. The OG was 1.102. I checked it last Tuesday December 10 and it was around 1.026. So I took a sanitized spoon and gently tried to rouse the yeast. Checked it again today and it hasn't moved. Still 1.026 . It's Fermented around 75 for most of the first week. My temperatures fluctuate a bit in the house, but I wouldn't think it would be enough to make the yeast poop out. (Temps stay between 68 and 72) I've read everything I can on High F.G on this site. I don't have another yeast cake to rack onto and I don't want to transfer to secondary until I know I've exhausted every resource. And I definitely don't want any bottle bombs. I was thinking maybe to cut back on the priming sugar in case it continues to ferment in the bottles. But that's just an uneducated hypothesis on how to avoid explosions. I had planned to leave it in primary until it finished then transfer it to Secondary for at least another 2 weeks and then bottle condition for two months.

oh...I wanted this beer to get to about 1.015

I really don't want to lose this big beer. It smells wonderful right now. But I don't want to keep mucking in it.

Here was the recipe. It's a hybrid from one of the Westy clones I found here with some minor adjustments.

Extract
9 lb Light DME
1 lb Caramunich
.5 lb Biscuit
.5 lb Aromatic
.25 lb Special B

Candi Sugar:
1 lb Turbinado: Added with 15 mins left in the boil
1 bottle of the Dark Candi Syrup: Added at Flameout

Hops:
1 oz. Northern Brewer (60 min)
.5 oz. Haullertauer (15 min)

Yeast: Safebrew T58

Help!

Bro your brew is already rockin almost 10%! Plus it's over 2-weeks old so chances are its at or close to its FG anyway. Ride it out and drink it I say!

 

[dobe12]

You made a huge beer with mostly extract. It finished pretty much where I would expect it. If you want a big beer like that to finish lower, you'd have to move to all grain and mash at a low temp. I'd also use a yeast that has greater attenuation. If you're interested in a saison, wyeast 3787 is a monster! Even big beers will finish well under 1.010 and usually under 1.005.

 

[hokieguy95]

Thanks for all the responses. My Belgian expert at the local homebrew shop said as much the same. Racked into the carboy a few hours ago and will bottle next weekend. I hope to age this baby and start drinking in February. Of course I'm sure I'll crack open a test bottle Christmas day.

 

[Calder]

I think you have about all you can get. The simple sugar helped bring the Fg down, but that was offset by the 1.25 lbs of crystal (Caramunich and Special B).

1.026 would be too sweet for me. Make sure you are OK with it. You could try using Wyeast3711 or WLP099 to help lower the gravity. You would need to make a starter if you used either of those, to get the cell count up, since they will not reproduce in a fermented beer.

 

[hokieguy95]

^

Thanks for info. I went ahead and bottled it last night. It did taste a bit sweet, but I'll know what it really did once it conditions and carbonates.

Still learning how to get these things right.

 

[solbes]

One more thing to try if you're game. Make a strong yeast starter, say 1-2 quarts at about a 1.085 gravity (so as to not dilute your final ABV much). Pitch the whole thing into your fermenter about 12 hours after your starter gets to high krausen. I did this with a RIS once and it dropped it quite a bit (1.029 to 1.014 pushing it past 12%).

When you pitch even rehydrated dry yeast into a high ABV environment like that, I think most of them die off before they can even get started. But if you got some good grunts already in high munching mode they can hold the front lines of the battefield.

EDIT: Doh, just read the last post about bottling. Oh well, maybe for next time.

 

[billl]

Sounds like you are about set with this batch.

For future batches, if you want it to finish lower, cut back on the specialty grains a bit and replace them with more dark syrup. Also, aerate well before pitching and pitch more yeast.

 

[logan3825]

Thanks. So I guess it is out of my control at this point. I'm always concerned I did something incorrectly in the process.

So if I go ahead and rack it into secondary for about a week and it remains the same, do I risk any problems later when bottling? Should I use less priming sugar or just store the bottles in very cool place?
Any suggestions?

If you rack to a secondary that will slow or stop fermentation. If you want it to ferment further you should leave it in the primary. I wouldn't secondary at all. I would leave it in the primary for at least 4 weeks and probably 6.

 

[hokieguy95]

If you rack to a secondary that will slow or stop fermentation. If you want it to ferment further you should leave it in the primary. I wouldn't secondary at all. I would leave it in the primary for at least 4 weeks and probably 6.

This and using less specialty grains is my primary lessons learned.
along with maybe cutting back a bit on specialty grains.

Using the HG yeast to get it started again or use Amylase also sound like options.

Also I will go with my gut and use WY530 like I had originally wanted to. LHS did not have this and I did not want to wait. I'm not opposed to dry yeasts, but being a beginner Home brewere, I've had a run of bad luck with them and I'm starting to develop an aversion to them.

You live you learn. Guess I'll live with a cloying Strong Dark Belgian, and learn what to do better next time.

 

[billl]

Just another note: If you are going to brew this style with extract, you probably will always land a little higher in FG than some of your favorites. You can get yours down with more sugar, but most versions you love are likely mashed low AND high in simple sugar. A way to balance the sweetness of a higher fg version is to target slightly higher IBU as well.

 

[logan3825]

You may have under-pitched. I would have used 2 packets of dry yeast. Not sure if you did.

You added enough sugar to get the beer down to 1.015

 

[hokieguy95]

You may have under-pitched. I would have used 2 packets of dry yeast. Not sure if you did.

You added enough sugar to get the beer down to 1.015

Yep. I did use two packs. Made a starter and then pitched a second pack for good measure. I think the bottom line was the specialty grains. Next time I will get either some Amylaces or use a wine/champagne yeast to bring it down a bit.

I'm making a Dubbel tomorrow and have the starter going as we speak that I harvested from some bottles I made back in the fall. I may also pick up a vial of WLP530 tomorrow with the rest of the recipe ingredients for good measure.

I did not have any trouble reaching my numbers the last time I brewed this recipe and it is still my best beer I ever made.

 

[logan3825]

You shouldn't need other yeast. In the future I wouldn't make a starter with dry yeast. Making a starter can actually be detrimental to dry yeast.

I think the main culprit was the grains. I made a BDSA a while back with 9lbs of DME and 2lbs of sugar. It ended up around 1.012.

I also think you pulled it out of the primary way to early. 2 weeks with a high gravity is just a very short time. Next time leave it in the primary longer to age at the very least.

 

[hokieguy95]

Thanks again for all the tips and ideas. I've learned a lot from this beer. It probably won't even bee that bad.

It sucks to have to screw things up a bit to learn. Oh well. Relax, don't worry have a homebrew....

You all have a great Christmas..