[Pope of Dope]

Brewed a British IPA and I think I had a stuck ferment due to overly cold ferment temps around 55f. OG was 1.061 and FG is 1.022.  Tried to repitch some Nottingham which has worked occationally in the past, but didn't this time. ABV at 5.12.  Just wanting to share and see if anyone would think this beer undrinkable.  Is there any benefit to the higher FG, more sugar (other than lower alcohol of course)?  Thanks.

[denny]

Brewed a British IPA and I think I had a stuck ferment due to overly cold ferment temps around 55f. OG was 1.061 and FG is 1.022.  Tried to repitch some Nottingham which has worked occationally in the past, but didn't this time. ABV at 5.12.  Just wanting to share and see if anyone would think this beer undrinkable.  Is there any benefit to the higher FG, more sugar (other than lower alcohol of course)?  Thanks.

Only you can tell if it's drinkable.  What was the recipe?

[Pope of Dope]

12lb  marris
1lb    German munich
.25    crystal 40
.25    crystal 55
.25    biscuit

1oz   magnum (60)
1oz   EKG (20)
.5oz  EKG (15)
1oz   fuggle (0)
1oz   fuggle (dry)

Safale 04, then repitched Nottingham at 3 weeks after gravity reading. 1 month in primary, going for 3-4 days cold crash.
og 1.061, fg 1.022, 5.12%abv

Would there be any benefit to lager it?  What if I add Brett (never done a sour before and know nothing of that process) I know the 1.022 is going to be a bit too sweet, just trying to figure out a remedy. 

[dmtaylor]

Notty should fix it (about 77% attenuation), or especially US-05 (about 80%)... BUT.... you can't just pitch a pack straight in and expect it to perform well.  This is a case where only actively fermenting yeast will help the beer.  So, you can make a good sized yeast starter with one of those two yeasts, or any other highly attenuative yeast of your choice, let the starter ferment for a couple of days, then add that yeast starter in, keep the beer warmer, closer to 65-70 F, and hope for the best.  It should work.

Did you add that pack of Notty without making a starter or raising the temp?  Yup...

[Robert]

There might be nothing wrong.  What was your mash temperature?  If it was on the high side, with 1lb crystal and a highly flocculent yeast (or two) 64% apparent attenuation is right in the ballpark for an English ale.  If not for an IPA admittedly.  Think of it as a really hoppy ESB and adjust mash and yeast next time if you want a drier beer.

[Pope of Dope]

Yes Dmtaylor, I just dumped in the dry yeast, I knew not to, but I did it anyways (I did warm it up though). Now that it's in a 2ndary, would you create another starter and repitch?

The mash temp was 152 Robert.  Haven't tasted it yet, but I think it's just going to be too sweet. 

[BrewBama]

I plan on S-04, ESB, Windsor, etc English strains to stop at 20-22 depending on OG. Those strains just don’t process maltotriose (10-15% of all malt wort). “The ability to ferment maltotriose gives each strain its characteristic attenuation range.”  — BYO

https://byo.com/article/fermentation-time-line/


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[Pope of Dope]

Thanks Brewbama.  I guess I will have to just try it out.  And, I really didn't think that the ferment was too cold, there was just a couple days in there where I had problems/lower temp than I had planned on.  So in the future maybe avoid the 04 and use the good ol' 05 or start out with a lower og for this yeast strain? 

I've never used the 04 before, and for that matter never brewed an english style before that was not a porter or stout.  I've also never had an fg this high unless adding adjunct unfermentable sugars.

[Robert]

Mash a little lower and a little longer, try a different yeast; I don't think you had too low a fermentation temp either.  I still think you got what you can expect with that mash and yeast. FWIW, I'd probably drink that beer as is.  Nothing wrong with a malty ale.

[mabrungard]

I used Windsor in a brown ale that started at 1.060 and ended at 1.022. It was nice and hoppy and it really wasn't overly sweet or unpleasant.

While Windsor yeast is intended for smaller beers made with some simple sugars or mashed to attenuate, it can make decent beers.

Don't assume that your beer is lost. Get it carbed up and make a better assessment then.

[klickitat jim]

Remember that unfermentable sugars aren't necessarily as sweet to us as fermentable sugars. I just took a gravity sample of two beers, been fermenting 9 days on wy1028. OGs were 1.062 and 1.069. The 1.062 Bitter is at 1.014 and the 1.069 stout is at 1.020. The bitter is sweeter than the stout right now. But not by much. And it's obvious by looking at them that they are not quite done

[skyler]

I don’t think temperature was the issue, as S-04 is a cold-loving ale yeast. Just keg/bottle it and call it a “strong bitter.”


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