So Frustrated! Wyeast 1968 Issues

[SFGiantsFan925]

Brewed a Pumpkin Ale 9 days ago. Brew day went great. Used the Thunderstruck Recipe from the database on here.

Here is the recipe:
Brewed BIAB style, tap water, campden added.
8.5# 2-Row
1.75# C60
14oz Biscuit
10oz Flaked Wheat
1# Brown Sugar (added last 10 minutes of boil)
60 oz. Pumpkin Puree in mash

Mashed at 158 F for 75 minutes.

Looking for an OG of 1.062, and ended up with 1.060. Everything was smooth and turned out great.

I used 2 smack packs of 1968, that both seemed very active with a bulging pack after about 2 hours at room temp. I used 90 seconds of Pure O2. Added the yeast to 68 degree wort, and fermented at 66 F for the first 3 days, then raised to 68 F.

After 7 days, the yeast only chewed it down to 1.024. I have no idea why they crapped out so early. I was hoping to be around 1.014. Thats a big difference. Its my first time using this yeast, and used it in place of WLP002 last year in the same beer. The gravity has not really dropped in the last 2 days, so I am pretty sure its done.

Is there anything I can do to get the gravity lower?? I am so frustrated since its the first brew day in awhile that went really smooth and pretty much hit all my numbers. I was sure that with a pound of brown sugar it would have easily been below 1.024. Is it because of the mash temp of 158???

 

[duboman]

158 is kind of high and with almost 2# of crystal it could very well be done

You could try and raise the temp and rouse the yeast as 1968 will drop like a rock

 

[winvarin]

I'd say mash temp caused the high finish. 1.062 to 1.024 is about 62% ADF, which is definitely in this yeast's ballpark. I have a robust porter that I mash at 154 then ferment with this yeast in the low-mid 60s. I regularly wind up in the mid 60% ADF range.

To me, taste always trumps numbers. Does it taste overly sweet?


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[Natdavis777]

I'd agree with the high mash temp. Before I read on, as soon as I saw 158F, I immediately thought your issue was going to be a high FG...

 

[winvarin]

It's still a matter of perception though. High FG need not necessarily be a bad thing if the beer is balanced.


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[SFGiantsFan925]

I'd say mash temp caused the high finish. 1.062 to 1.024 is about 62% ADF, which is definitely in this yeast's ballpark. I have a robust porter that I mash at 154 then ferment with this yeast in the low-mid 60s. I regularly wind up in the mid 60% ADF range.

To me, taste always trumps numbers. Does it taste overly sweet?


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It is on the sweet side. Not syrupy sweet, but sweeter than I wanted. But now that I think if it, its a pumpkin beer. Going for the "pumpkin pie in a glass" sort of thing. It was made for the wife, so I guess as long as she likes it we are good.

It's still a matter of perception though. High FG need not necessarily be a bad thing if the beer is balanced.

This is very true. I was just hoping to get around 6% ABV, and right now, if it doesn't drop at all, its going to be about 4.7%. But this may be a good thing, as the wife will drink most of it, and she is 35 weeks pregnant. Obviously she will no longer be pregnant when she starts drinking it. This will be some of the first beer she drinks in about 10 months! And she is CRAZY about pumpkin everything. Just wanted to make something good for her.

 

[g-star]

High mash temp + high percentage of crystal malt + low attenuating yeast = high finishing gravity

 

[TallDan]

As previously mentioned, due to high mash temp you may be done, but I would swirl the fermenter a few times a day for a few days before you give up. 1968 flocculates very well, I have an american wheat that I thought was going to finish high, but then swirled the carboy a few times a day for five days and it dropped about five points.