Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Oktoberfest Gravity (WLP820/WLP833)  (Read 15539 times)

Offline wingnut

  • Brewer
  • ****
  • Posts: 357
  • Plainwell MI
Re: Oktoberfest Gravity (WLP820/WLP833)
« Reply #30 on: August 23, 2010, 02:00:32 pm »
Geoff,

Take a drink of the beer... yes, 1.018 is on the high end, but I have medaled quite a few times with a FG of 1.018.  If it is not too sweet, then I would not mess with it. 

If it needs some help, I would force a small sample and see if you can drop a couple more points (raise temp, add yeast to the small sample, etc) and establish that there is indeed more fermentables left in the beer.  If you cannot get it down, then don't stress the whole batch by forcing it.

If you do get it to drop a few points, then you may try the technique that worked on the whole batch, or try to krausen the batch.  To krausen, I would rack the 1.018 beer off the yeast cake, make another similar or lighter beer, and put that on the yeast.  Once that new batch gets rocking, I would grab some of the beer and top-crop yeast (if possible) and put that into the 1.018 beer and see if you can get the last few points to go down.  The key is to have actively fermenting yeast, and not add priming sugar until the points have been dropped. 

My fear with adding some S-05 or other yeast that is not present in your base beer, is that it may add character that is not desirable.  If you can keep with the same yeast strain, your results will be more repeatable.

Good luck!
-- Wingnut - Cheers!

Offline ghumphrey

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Highlands Ranch, CO
Re: Oktoberfest Gravity (WLP820/WLP833)
« Reply #31 on: August 23, 2010, 03:35:41 pm »
My fear with adding some S-05 or other yeast that is not present in your base beer, is that it may add character that is not desirable.  If you can keep with the same yeast strain, your results will be more repeatable.

Agreed. I'm going to wait it out for another few days. I have a similar Bavarian yeast in storage, if my FG hasn't budged, I'll consider using it to bring things down, possibly using the krausen technique.

Thanks for the help!

Offline timmyr

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 117
Re: Oktoberfest Gravity (WLP820/WLP833)
« Reply #32 on: August 26, 2010, 06:16:38 am »
UPDATE:

After 11 days at 54F I think my gravities are still about the same (MAYBE a point drop).  However, the WLP820 has started to mellow out.  Since both batches are in kegs, they have slightly carbonated which is a clear indicator that the yeast that moved over from primary still have some energy left in them.  I am simply going to age a little longer at 54, depressurizing the kegs daily then drop to 33F and carbonate/lager for 2--6 weeks.  I am sitting around 1.019 on both batches and neither taste overly sweet IMHO.
Cheers,

Timmy

On
APA
American Brown
Harvest Rye
New England Cider
Soon
More Cider

Offline ghumphrey

  • Cellarman
  • **
  • Posts: 80
  • Highlands Ranch, CO
Re: Oktoberfest Gravity (WLP820/WLP833)
« Reply #33 on: August 30, 2010, 03:43:59 pm »
My fear with adding some S-05 or other yeast that is not present in your base beer, is that it may add character that is not desirable.  If you can keep with the same yeast strain, your results will be more repeatable.
Agreed. I'm going to wait it out for another few days. I have a similar Bavarian yeast in storage, if my FG hasn't budged, I'll consider using it to bring things down, possibly using the krausen technique.

Thanks for the help!

UPDATE

I racked to kegs for lagering yesterday and the gravity dropped to 1.016. I took a taste and didn't find that it was cloying. Malty, but not cloying. Nice. After wiping the sweat from my furrowed brow and taking a deep, cleansing, breath, I set the kegs to lagering.

Tap date will be my birthday 10.10.10, the same day I'm brewing something special for the occasion: Ten Cubed.  10 malts, 10 hop additions, and 10% ABV (not to mention 10X2 IBUs and 10 gallons).

Thanks to everyone for their words of advice.

Geoff