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Author Topic: Cream Ale  (Read 2195 times)

Offline Pope of Dope

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Cream Ale
« on: July 24, 2019, 11:08:35 am »
Brewed a cream ale, overshot the gravity, OG 1.060.

The recipe is as follows:

12 2 row
1.25 flaked maize
.5 cane sugar.

mashed at 149f.
Initial ferm done at 55f German Ale yeast

FG is 1.015

Thought ferm was stuck so I threw in a healthy 05 starter a week ago and left out at room temp. No change in gravity so it's done.

My question is: does that FG seem right based on all the fermentables?
Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance.

Offline Brewtopalonian

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2019, 11:55:06 am »
How are you taking your gravity readings?

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Offline dannyjed

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2019, 12:16:16 pm »
That does seem a bit high, but have you tasted it yet? Does it have too much body?
Dan Chisholm

Offline EnkAMania

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2019, 12:21:17 pm »
The attenuation is 74%, which is at the lower end of the printed expected attenuation for WLP003 German Ale II Yeast, but still in the range of 73-80.  Not sure if this is the yeast you used.
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Offline Pope of Dope

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2019, 12:26:36 pm »
Taking reading with a calibrated hydrometer

Yest is Wyeast 1007

Haven't tasted yet. I'll carb first and I'm sure it'll be good. Just trying to figure out why it's not drier.
Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance.

Offline Robert

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2019, 12:45:14 pm »
Big beer at 1.060, so much sugar to eat, yeast eventually pushed back from the table, put on sweatpants and hit the couch. 
Rob Stein
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Offline denny

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2019, 01:12:46 pm »
Big beer at 1.060, so much sugar to eat, yeast eventually pushed back from the table, put on sweatpants and hit the couch.

1.060?   Sorry, your explanation doesn't seem likely, unless there was no initial starter.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Brewtopalonian

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2019, 01:27:26 pm »
Nothing about this seems right.  There's no reason the German ale yeast wouldn't finish lower and especially no reason a US05 krausening wouldn't bring it down.  Only thing I can think of is using a refractometer instead of a hydrometer.  Sorry I'm of no help, but I would be interested in learning the answer should someone think of it.

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Offline denny

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2019, 01:32:04 pm »
Nothing about this seems right.  There's no reason the German ale yeast wouldn't finish lower and especially no reason a US05 krausening wouldn't bring it down.  Only thing I can think of is using a refractometer instead of a hydrometer.  Sorry I'm of no help, but I would be interested in learning the answer should someone think of it.

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And he said he's using a calibrated hydrometer
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline EnkAMania

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2019, 02:07:09 pm »
I glossed over the part about pitching additional yeast.  Does seem odd you couldn't crank out a couple more points with the new yeast.
Some day we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2019, 02:23:06 pm »
Seems strange to me. Is the thermometer you used to check the mash temp accurate?
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Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline denny

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2019, 02:23:49 pm »
I glossed over the part about pitching additional yeast.  Does seem odd you couldn't crank out a couple more points with the new yeast.

Which says to me it's the wort, not the yeast.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline denny

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2019, 02:24:13 pm »
Brewed a cream ale, overshot the gravity, OG 1.060.

The recipe is as follows:

12 2 row
1.25 flaked maize
.5 cane sugar.

mashed at 149f.
Initial ferm done at 55f German Ale yeast

FG is 1.015

Thought ferm was stuck so I threw in a healthy 05 starter a week ago and left out at room temp. No change in gravity so it's done.

My question is: does that FG seem right based on all the fermentables?

Did you do a forced ferment test?
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Robert

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2019, 02:39:59 pm »
Big beer at 1.060, so much sugar to eat, yeast eventually pushed back from the table, put on sweatpants and hit the couch.

1.060?   Sorry, your explanation doesn't seem likely, unless there was no initial starter.
Yeah, that was my assumption, the only reason I could see for it to crap out early with that mash temp and grist was an insufficient pitch calculated for the original target gravity.  If a starter was involved, ignore me.
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.

Offline Robert

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Re: Cream Ale
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2019, 02:42:27 pm »
I glossed over the part about pitching additional yeast.  Does seem odd you couldn't crank out a couple more points with the new yeast.
Oops I missed that too.  Just ignore everything I've posted in this thread. 
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

I'd rather have questions I can't answer than answers I can't question.