Very low final gravity

[physast]

I just brewed a pale ale using normal malts and the American ale yeast. After 6 days in the primary the final gravity is at 1.006 with the original gravity was read at 1.066.

Why so low? I was expecting a final gravity around 1.016. The pale ale now is around 7.8% ABV with a strong alcohol aroma ans taste. Not to mention very dry. I intend on doing a dry hop with about 3.5OZ of hops to try and mellow out the aroma.

Any ideas? Is it the American ale yeast strain? The fermentation temp was between 67 and 74F for the 6 days. I am going to transfer to secondary tomorrow.

 

[yournotpeter]

Although I can't say why it happened, I also had a beer that fermented far too much and was very dry and thin. I boiled a couple of ounces of maltodextrin and added it to my keg. It really gave the beer a better mouthfeel per the style I had brewed. There is a calculation that states so much maltodextrin equals so many gravity points. So, adding maltodextrin might help take away a bit of the dryness for you and add some mouthfeel. Worked for me.

 

[physast]

I might try that.

 

[Maxkling]

I'm guessing this was an extract brew correct? Also was this a partial boil or full boil?

Need the recipe because most likely the OG reading is incorrect.

 

[physast]

I'm guessing this was an extract brew correct? Also was this a partial boil or full boil?

Need the recipe because most likely the OG reading is incorrect.

Hi Maxkling,

This was an all grain recipe. I don't have the recipe in front of me, but it was roughly 11lbs of pale malt and 3 lbs of a mixture of vienna, carapils and crystal.

I did a 6 gallon boil and ended up needing to add 1 gallon of top up water to the fermenter which was stirred in for 5 minutes or so.

I mashed at 153 which might have extracted too many fermentable sugars from this grain bill. I also got 68% eff from the mash.

As for the equipment, I do need to check and see if the hydrometer is calibrated still. It's been a year since the last time I checked. Should also chek my thermometer while I am at it.

 

[Yooper]

I'm guessing that the mash temp was lower than the recipe should have indicated. What was the mash temp? And is the thermometer accurate? An inaccurate thermometer could give you a huge difference in the actual mash temperature.

 

[physast]

I'm guessing that the mash temp was lower than the recipe should have indicated. What was the mash temp? And is the thermometer accurate? An inaccurate thermometer could give you a huge difference in the actual mash temperature.

I must have just beat you in posting.
See above, but this is exactly what I was thinking. At what mash temp is too low?

 

[Yooper]

I must have just beat you in posting.
See above, but this is exactly what I was thinking. At what mash temp is too low?

153 is a fine mash temp, and I would have expected it to finish at 1.010 or so with that grainbill and yeast strain.

I'd check the thermometer. If you mashed at, say, 149 instead that could explain the lower FG reading.

 

[physast]

I just checked my thermometer and hydrometer. Both are working just fine. The thermometer was within a degree (boiling and freezing) and the hydrometer very close as well.

This makes me think maybe the fermentation temperatures? I started at 68 and ended up at 74F. Would this have any effect?

Any other ideas?

 

[oconnorshomebrew]

How did you aerate it? I had problems in the past of aerating it too little, and it finished high. Then I was paranoid, so I shook the crap out of my next batch and it finished really low. Now I shake vigorously for about 5 minutes, and it seems to work well, but almost always ferments lower than the target.

 

[MBasile]

Wow, that'd be 90% attenuation. Did you cool your gravity samples to the correct temp for the hydrometer or did you mathematically adjust them?