[narvin]

First generation of yeast is often slower.

 I wouldn't rack after 7 days in the primary... it may drop another 3 points if you give it an extra week.

[noodle]

stlaleman - I use Mr Malty to compute the required yeast.

Narvin - 7 days for fermentation? How do commercial breweries do it? They aren't waiting that long.

Pawtucket Patriot - If I was having this issue with one particular yeast and recipe over and over then I could see the relevance but this is not the issue. The problems lies with the initial pitch.

Thanks,

[sandy]

Well, if you insist that it's not your pitching rate or oxygenation or time, that only leaves your recipe or mash...

Since you obviously don't want to provide that, for whatever reason...we'll (and you'll) just have to assume you have a lot of non-fermentables in there...either due to mash temp, or grains...

[narcout]

Like Narvin said, the first generation can sometimes ferment more slowly - especially with certain strains.  Which strain are you using?

Have you at least tried leaving the beer on the yeast for a few extra days? 

When you repitch, are you pitching significantly more cells than on the first pitch?

[noodle]

Same strain for both examples. It's always the first pitch that doesn't finish as expected.

When re-pitching, we just add fresh wort to the carboys. We rack to secondary then just add wort to whats left.

thanks for your help.

[tubercle]

Same strain for both examples. It's always the first pitch that doesn't finish as expected.

When re-pitching, we just add fresh wort to the carboys. We rack to secondary then just add wort to whats left.

thanks for your help.

 With you refusing to help with a recipe I can only conclude this:


1. You are underpitching the first batch.

  2.  "When re-pitching, we just add fresh wort to the carboys"...you are over pitching the others.

[nateo]

You are underpitching the first batch.

  2.  "When re-pitching, we just add fresh wort to the carboys"...you are over pitching the others.

+1 to that. Tubercle hit the noodle on the head with that one.

[narvin]

You are underpitching the first batch.

  2.  "When re-pitching, we just add fresh wort to the carboys"...you are over pitching the others.

+1 to that. Tubercle hit the noodle on the head with that one.

Definitely agree with this as well.  Yeast growth during fermentation means that you'll have significantly more yeast for the second batch, and unless it's a very high gravity beer you won't need all of it.

If your FG is 1.013 even when overpitching, I'd look at your recipe or your mash temperature to try to make a more fermentable beer.  Calibrate your thermometer against a lab grade model or quality certified digital thermometer to make sure you are mashing at the temperature you think you are.

[noodle]

Thanks for the info. This is why I'm using the Mr Malty calculator to make sure we pitch enough but it seems we're still off a bit. Using Blichman kettles and we calibrated the thermometers.

[denny]

we calibrated the thermometers.

Hopefully with a certified lab thermometer and not the freezing/boiling method.