8 replies to this topic

[Deerslyr]

Ok, so I brewed a Fat Tire clone on 6/18. Here is the grain bill:10 lb Maris Otter1 lb Cyrstal 80L.50 lb Munich.50 lb Victory.25 lb Crystal 10LI fermented with Wyeast 1272 American Ale II.The OG was around 1.050. Fermentation has been in the low 60's (around 64). I have taken two samples, at least a couple days apart, and has maintained 1.020. I say it tastes fine... it is on the malty side, which is ok because this is for my dad and he likes maltier beers. Normally I would just cold crash it and keg it, but I have to bottle at least half of it (for my dad). My concern is whether it is truly done. And I don't have much time left. We leave for Colorado on July 15th (2 weeks from tomorrow) and I need to make the "delivery".I feel like I'm probably safe, but just wanted to run it by you guys. No, I did not raise the temp of the fermentation chamber. No I have not swirled it. Has anyone found 1272 to be sluggish like this? I can't recall from the last time.

[djinkc]

I use 1272 a lot. Usually 65 - 68df though - and it will finish most beers in 1-2 weeks around here. I don't bottle anymore but I would be hesitant to bottle something that's attenuated 60%. Did you mash high?

[BrewerGeorge]

Take a big sample and do a forced ferment to see if it will drop any more. Aerate again, mid-70's temp.

[Deerslyr]

I use 1272 a lot. Usually 65 - 68df though - and it will finish most beers in 1-2 weeks around here. I don't bottle anymore but I would be hesitant to bottle something that's attenuated 60%. Did you mash high?

Yes. Thick mash (@ 1.1 quarts per pound of grain) at 155 for 65 minutes.

Take a big sample and do a forced ferment to see if it will drop any more. Aerate again, mid-70's temp.

Can you explain this? Should I just fill a 12 ouncer, stick a ferment lock on it at room temp and see what happens??? If it drops, raise the temp?It is entirely possible I was fermenting at the lower end of the temp tolerance. This is just the third batch with the chest freezer and controller. I may raise it regardless tonight and see what happens. The primary portion of the ferment is over with, so I would expect that the risk for the bad flavors has come and gone, correct?

[ncbeerbrewer]

The primary portion of the ferment is over with, so I would expect that the risk for the bad flavors has come and gone, correct?

Yes I would believe that the risk for bad flavors would be gone. I would also think that at your higher mash temp if you knock off any more gravity points you might get to 1.016. I would suggest warming it up to 68-70 let it sit for 2 days more. If you get no changes than I would figure its done and move on. I have used 1272 a good few times and never seen it stall out early either. One suggestion and maybe you are already doing this with your chest freezer but I would tape the temp probe to the side of your fermenter and set the temp based on that. I usually have a 2 degree difference between the beer temp strip on the carboy and the temp controller. Just a thought too for better temp control. If you have some sorta insulation to put around probe that can block the air temp from the freezer chamber and help you keep a better correlation with the beer as well.

[Deerslyr]

I thought about putting the probe in with the sanitizer in the blowoff tube.

[orudis]

Yes. Thick mash (@ 1.1 quarts per pound of grain) at 155 for 65 minutes.Can you explain this? Should I just fill a 12 ouncer, stick a ferment lock on it at room temp and see what happens??? If it drops, raise the temp?It is entirely possible I was fermenting at the lower end of the temp tolerance. This is just the third batch with the chest freezer and controller. I may raise it regardless tonight and see what happens. The primary portion of the ferment is over with, so I would expect that the risk for the bad flavors has come and gone, correct?

I would put the whole thing at room temp and see what happens. But I think a forced fermentation involves putting the wort/beer on a stir plate and pitching a whole packet of dry yeast to see what is actually fermentable.

[jayb151]

I have noticed that 1272 will crawl a bit toward the end, but not to that extent. I would suspect that either your mash, or your thermometer, or something else was messed up. I think also if you raised the temp of the whole batch, at the very least, it would help.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I would put the whole thing at room temp and see what happens. But I think a forced fermentation involves putting the wort/beer on a stir plate and pitching a whole packet of dry yeast to see what is actually fermentable.

That's what I'd try as well.