[xdknjx]

So I got the Fall ESB kit by Austin Home Brewing using the White lab 002 yeast strain. Fermentation was vigorous for ~3 days at 68 degrees but stopped all of a sudden. The final gravity didn't reach the goal and so I shook the carboy because maybe the yeast was just highly flocculated (this strain is known for) but this didn't really lead to further fermentation. When I taste the whort, it's still very sweet because I did end up adding the extra sugar for the 1% boost. I'm wondering if anyone has had this happen, and if they used any additional dry yeast to finish the fermenation. If so, which strain would be good? Thanks in advance!

[Jimmy K]

What was it supposed to finish at and how close was it?

[rjharper]

We can help more with some more information.  What were your OG and FG?  Was this extract or all-grain.  If all grain, what was your mash temp.? Did you make a yeast starter? Did you aereate after pitching?

WLP002 is very flocculent, and does leave some residual sweetness.  That said, its a classic ESB type yeast.  Are you going only by airlock activity?  Has the krausen dropped?

[hopfenundmalz]

WLP002 is very flocculent, and does leave some residual sweetness.  That said, its a classic ESB type yeast. 

In England it is the ESB yeast, as ESB is a trademark of Fullers.

[xdknjx]

Sorry, i'm a newbie. It was a half malt, half extract kit + 1% alcohol boost. The crushed grains were soaked at 155 degrees for 25 minutes.  I didn't use a yeast starter, but I let it warm up to room temp 3 hrs prior. The OG was 1.052, the recipe said 1.049 but that didn't account for the 1% boost. I aerated immediately and also 2 times within 6 hours and fermentation began within 12 hours. I used an airlock but it blew off in my freezer which was set at 68 degrees so I put in my blow off tubing. After 3 days, the bubbling stopped and the krausen dropped. I left it in for 2 more days, checked the FG which was 1.02. I aerated the whort by vigorously shaking for 30 seconds. Checked it again the day after and it was the same FG. The recipe's approximation was 1.014. The estimated ABV was 4.6%, mine comes out to 4.19% including the 1% boost. I was thinking about bottling it but thought that adding the priming sugar would make it way to sweet and either the bottles would explode, or the yeast is all just dead and wouldn't carbonate. So I thought that adding some more yeast could help. Thanks for all your help guys!

[morticaixavier]

When you say it was half malt did the kit instructions want to mash the malt? it sounds like it. Was there any crystal malt in the malt half? how much?

[xdknjx]

It was 1.5lb of crystal malt that I soaked in 2 gallons of H2O at 155 degrees for 25 minutes. After, that then I added 7 lb of extra pale extract.

[a10t2]

1.5 lb of crystal malt, plus the crystal that's in the extract, is quite a bit. I'd say that with a 1.055* OG and a 1.020 FG you're about where the beer should finish.

* I'm assuming this is a partial boil and that your OG was off due to stratification. In order to add 1% ABV, and assuming it's pure sugar, the "boost" would add about 6 points to the OG.

[kgs]

1.5 lb of crystal malt, plus the crystal that's in the extract, is quite a bit. I'd say that with a 1.055* OG and a 1.020 FG you're about where the beer should finish.

* I'm assuming this is a partial boil and that your OG was off due to stratification. In order to add 1% ABV, and assuming it's pure sugar, the "boost" would add about 6 points to the OG.

I'm thinking this was the OP's recipe: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=13079 

that "alcohol boost" says: "Add 1% alcohol to your beer without compromising its flavor. Brewvint Alcohol Boost is 55% maltose/45% glucose, a very fermentable mix with little flavor contribution."