Brewing Master

Question:

I have been brewing for about 7 months and have made about 10 batches of different varieties, using different kinds of kits.  However, I have one problem that won’t seem to go away.  My final gravity is always about 1.020.  Most of the recipies say the final gravity should be around 1.005.  I have tried adding yeast nutrient, raising the temperature, and letting it sit longer, but nothing seems to work.  My ofiginal gravities have been between 1.045-1.065, depending on the style I was brewing. Can anyone give me any advice as to how to fix this?

Response:

I have been brewing for about 7 months and have made about 10 batches of different varieties, using different kinds of kits.  However, I have one problem that won’t seem to go away.  My final gravity is always about 1.020.  Most of the recipies say the final gravity should be around 1.005.  I have tried adding yeast nutrient, raising the temperature, and letting it sit longer, but nothing seems to work.  My ofiginal gravities have been between 1.045-1.065, depending on the style I was brewing. Can anyone give me any advice as to how to fix this?

1) Aerate! prior to pitching 2) If you are pitching liquid yeast, make a big starter. 3) Use an attenuative yeast. 4) Keep the temperature consistent. Kent

Response:

I have been brewing for about 7 months and have made about 10 batches of different varieties, using different kinds of kits.  However, I have one problem that won’t seem to go away.  My final gravity is always about 1.020.  Most of the recipies say the final gravity should be around 1.005.  I have tried adding yeast nutrient, raising the temperature, and letting it sit longer, but nothing seems to work.  My ofiginal gravities have been between 1.045-1.065, depending on the style I was brewing. Can anyone give me any advice as to how to fix this?

Hi Jason The  kits that started in the 1.065 area a FG of 1.020 shows an apparent attenuation(AA) of about 70%. This is reasonable AA. Most of the liquid yeast I any familiar with have AA around 68-77%. I am not so sure about dry yeasts. If you used the yeast on top of a canned kit this could be the reason for the low AA. Try a liquid yeast made into a  starter. IMHO you will have better results. Hope this helps Mark Hafterson Don’t let your beer be a stranger. HOMEBREW!

Response:

I have one problem that won’t seem to go away.  My final gravity is always about 1.020.  Most of the recipies say the final gravit=

y should be around 1.005.   My ofiginal gravities have been between 1.045-1.065, – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hi Jason The  kits that started in the 1.065 area a FG of 1.020 shows an apparent attenuation(AA) of about 70%. This is reasonable AA. Most of the liquid yeast I any familiar with have AA around 68-77%. I am not so sure about dry yeasts. If you used the yeast on top of a canned kit this could be the reason for the low AA. Try a liquid yeast made into a  starter. IMHO you will have better results. Hope this helps Mark Hafterson Don’t let your beer be a stranger. HOMEBREW!

I second this.  I’ve been brewing for about a year and a half.  My beers have nearly all come out pretty good, some better than others.  But yeah, I was plagued by poor attenuation too.  Not always a big deal, but I didn’t get things quite where I wanted them to.  I’d always used dry yeasts (from the supplier’s cooler, I don’t use kits), brand names.  I knew that I should be using liquid yeast, but Papazian’s book makes it sounds like you need to prepare your starter in a sterilized operating room or maybe one of Intel’s clean room production areas. Well, a couple weeks ago I brewed a California Common and prepared a Wyeast starter.   Dyn-o-mite!  OG= 1.057 (yeah, a touch high), FG= 1.013!  Right where I wanted it.  I racked it for the second time this last weekend and took a taste.  I think it’s going to be the best brew I’ve ever made.   So, I’m never going back to dry yeast again (unless of course I get the urge some day and don’t have a starter going).  I was very impressed.   And the starter preparation just took some reasonable precautions, didn’t require flaming my hands and forearms w/ a butane lighter ala G. Gordon Liddy.  Just a little more on the conservative side of standard sterilizing/sanitizing techniques.

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And the starter preparation just took some reasonable precautions, didn’t require flaming my hands and forearms w/ a butane lighter ala G. Gordon Liddy.  Just a little more on the conservative side of standard sterilizing/sanitizing techniques.

I hear you… but if you write a book on the subject, you don’t really want to encourage people to cut corners. | Tim Robinson                   | Lonely Web page.  Please visit.   | | "The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by | | men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."  L. Brandeis |

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 writes:     I have one problem that won’t seem to go away.  My final gravity is always  about 1.020.  Most of the recipies say the final gravit=  y should be around 1.005.   My ofiginal gravities have been between  1.045-1.065, …  … Try a liquid yeast made into a  starter. IMHO you will have better    results. …  I second this.  …  So, I’m never going back to dry yeast again (unless of course I get the  urge some day and don’t have a starter going).  … Not this religious war again ;-    I don’t think that ALL dry yeasts can or should be blamed for low attenuation.  I use both liquid and dry, and have found both high and low attenuators in each catagory.  Both are capable of producing great results.  For example Lallemand’s Nottingham Ale dry yeast is of very high quality, and an excellent attenuator, in the high 70s.   Other problems could be to blame.  For example, adequate aeration of the cooled wort can make a big difference to attenuation.  Use of sugar instead of all malt can lead to stuck fermentations (from the FG of the original post, it looks like sugar IS being used).  How much yeast was pitched (use AT LEAST 2 packages)?  Good quality, fresh and properly stored?  Properly re-hydrated? Hop this helps (and doesn’t ignite another religious war), Peter Nortel Technology                      

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Blatherwick) writes: writes: I have one problem that won’t seem to go away.  My final gravity is always about 1.020.  Most of the recipies say the final gravit= y should be around 1.005.   My ofiginal gravities have been between 1.045-1.065, … … Try a liquid yeast made into a  starter. IMHO you will have better   results. … I second this.  … So, I’m never going back to dry yeast again (unless of course I get the urge some day and don’t have a starter going).  … Not this religious war again ;-    I don’t think that ALL dry yeasts can or should be blamed for low attenuation.  I use both liquid and dry, and have found both high and low attenuators in each catagory.  Both are capable of producing great results.  For example Lallemand’s Nottingham Ale dry yeast is of very high quality, and an excellent attenuator, in the high 70s.   Other problems could be to blame.  For example, adequate aeration of the cooled wort can make a big difference to attenuation.  Use of sugar instead of all malt can lead to stuck fermentations (from the FG of the original post, it looks like sugar IS being used).  How much yeast was pitched (use AT LEAST 2 packages)?  Good quality, fresh and properly stored?  Properly re-hydrated? Hop this helps (and doesn’t ignite another religious war), Peter Nortel Technology                      

Hi Peter I also use a combination of dry and liquid yeasts, but Jason mentions using kits this implies yeast in the lid of a can. These things sit at room temp for too long and that destroy the viablility of the dry yeast. I argee Lallamand’s Nottingham Ale dry yeast is an excellent yeast. I really like whitbread ale yeast also. Guess I should have said to make sure you use a fresh yeast liquid or dry, and aerate well.. Thanks for the input Mark Hafterson Don’t let your beer be a stranger.  HOMEBREW!

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Not this religious war again ;-    I don’t think that ALL dry yeasts can or should be blamed for low attenuation.  I use both liquid and dry, and have found both high and low attenuators in each catagory. Hop this helps (and doesn’t ignite another religious war), Hi Peter I also use a combination of dry and liquid yeasts,

OH, no religious war intended, just what works (and hasn’t worked so good)for me.  I’ve used both Nottingham and Whitbread, and one thing that I really like about them is how they take off like a bat out of hell.  I have to admit that this first venture with the liquid yeast had me a bit concerned when it took 12 hours to get going.   So I don’t want to be dogmatic.  Just like using tap water vs. boiled for foundation water or topping up a carboy.  I feel better boiling anything that is added to my beer but that doesn’t mean that somebody else who has cleaner water from the tap can’t just take it straight from the pipe (lucky dogs).

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