High final gravity -- wort or yeast?

[ed_brews_now]

Hi,
In both batch of what I am calling a English amber bitter. I got a highish finishing gravity 1.02 and maybe a little more starting at 1.052.

I used pale DME and amber LME extract. I used Safale S-04 English Ale. I did the second batch because I messed up the first batch primarily because I did not aerate properly. (It tasted like beer and drinkable never the less) The second I aerated properly and the fermentation boiled like mad and blew off -- so I was expecting a lower FG. But that was not the case.

I am wondering if it is the S-05 or it is the extract having more unfermentables.

 

[nilo]

You can blame the extract, in my opinion.
If you have access to other brands, try a different extract next time and see what happen.

 

[marnel]

How long did you give to ferment out and what temps?

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[ed_brews_now]

Vigorous fermenation. Checked gravity at 1 week and again at bottling 3 weeks. No difference. Finished -- except maybe I should have agitated to get more. Temps 68 room, but in the are probably 72.
The yeast flocculates very quickly. Probably at 1 1/2 weeks the beer was clear.

How long did you give to ferment out and what temps?

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[ed_brews_now]

I had all Bries pilsner malt brew, with different yeast and it went down to 1.014. So with two variables, I could not tell. I might do the all pilsner and go back to the S-05 yeast.

You can blame the extract, in my opinion.
If you have access to other brands, try a different extract next time and see what happen.

 

[marnel]

With an OG of 1.052 and that yeast attenuation i get a final gravity range of 12-15 so it's not that far off but with so many variables its hard to say. Beer might have a little more mouthfeel than intended but otherwise should be ok.

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[Krelja]

S-05 has always worked very well for me. It routinely ferments down to the 1.010 range when I mash for it. The only strain I've had issues with is nottingham. Same wort into 2 fermenters notty recently takes forever to start and has a slight off flavor. These sachets are not it the recall group. It seems like lately there have been a ton of questions about extract brewers getting stuck at 1.020 so like stated above I'm thinking its the extract. Of my few extract brews I had 2 finish in that range 1.018-1.020. Good luck and hopefully fresher extract will be out soon

 

[beergolf]

S-05 usually work great for me. On a beer with1.052 SG i usually get down to the 1.012-1.010 range, doing extract brews.

 

[ed_brews_now]

I mis-named the yeast. I was pitching S-04. The English ale yeast.

I know that English Ales are low in ABV typically. I am wondering if is yeast (an thus this one) that make the beer have low ABV.

S-05 has always worked very well for me.