recent Pale Ale - not dry at all

[scottvin]

I recently brewed a batch of Ed Wort Haus Pale Ale with a couple of changes because I didn't have everything I needed on hand. This batch ended up almost sweet and not dry at all. Any ideas what could have contributed to that? Could it have been the S-04 yeast?

Thanks!

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Ed Wort's Pale Ale - MO Substitution

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.074
Final Gravity: 1.015

FERMENTABLES:
8 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (75.7%)
1 lb - American - Vienna (9.5%)
10 oz - American - Vienna (5.9%)
8 oz - American - Caramel / Crystal 10L (4.7%)
7 oz - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (4.1%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Cascade for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 50 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 45 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 40 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 35 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 30 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 25 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 20 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 15 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 10 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)
0.1 oz - Cascade for 5 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7)

MASH STEPS:
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 32 qt

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04

 

[GodsStepBrother]

Scottvin,

That is a pretty weird hop schedule but you still got a fair amount of bitterness out of it. You could have fermented the beer out a little bit more, but still 1.015 is not a bad FG, and would most likely not give you such a sweet beer.

Are you sure what you are tasting is sweet? What temperature did you ferment this beer at? Can you hold good fermentation temperatures? You might have stressed out your yeast a bit and picked up some funky estor flavors from this English yeast, maybe even the beginning stages of diacetyl. Diacetyl comes from unhealthy yeast fermentation due to under pitching, temperature swing, or even hot fermentation's. Or it could also come from an infection, it will be perceived as sweet in the beginnings of the infection, then it hits your pallet with a buttery taste and a coating slick feeling on your tongue. What temperature did you pitch your yeast at?

 

[scottvin]

I pitched the yeast at 60 degrees and fermented the beer between 59-62 degrees. Could it have been too cold?

 

[Pappers_]

No mystery here at all - you made the beer much bigger than Ed's recipe. His original gravity was 1.051 and yours was 1.074. That's the difference.

 

[duboman]

No mystery here at all - you made the beer much bigger than Ed's recipe. His original gravity was 1.051 and yours was 1.074. That's the difference.

+1, you got about 80% attenuation and that's pretty darn good, wouldn't really expect things to get much better

 

[david_42]

The IBUs are a bit low for your OG, since they were planned for a 1.054 beer. That would also make the beer taste sweeter.

 

[djevans3]

If you didn't rehydrate the yeast before pitching, then it could have been a little cold. Fermentis recommend pitchings @ 68 or slightly above if not rehydrating, then bringing down to low 60's for fermentation.

Also, you got 79% apparent attenuation which is slightly above what is expected out of S-04. I don't think you could get much lower with that yeast since it is supposed to be a little sweeter. If you wanted it to attenuate lower I'd either go with S-05 or Nottingham.

Side note - 1.074 is very big for a pale ale. I make IPA's that are around 1.070 and get them down to 1.010 with different yeast.