Bottling at 1.020

[simpleton]

I've had a porter in the FV for 3 weeks now, and its well and truely stuck at 1.020 and has been for 2.5 of those weeks.

I pitched a rehydrated pack of S04 (I now assume not enough) into 26l of porter at 1.063 , it went berzerk on the first day with yeast coming out of the airlock. Not a jot after that. I took a reading, 1.020. I left it a week, still 1.020, so I pitched some S05...nothing.

I then made a solution of 50g of sugar and some yeast nutrient, added that and stired it up making a deliberate attempt to get some of the yeast on the bottom back into solution. I also move the FV out of the fridge where it was at 18C to the kitchen where it is about 21C. This appeared to work, I got a full week of steady bubbling.

I take the reading......1.020. 3 days later (today) 1.020.

Beersmith estimates 1.014.

I had intended this to go in my new cask, but I really don't that to explode!

The beer is of course sweeter than I would like but it isnt too bad.

Should I bottle it?

Si

[Rick_UK]

I would if it tastes good.

Your other option is to use a pilsner enzyme which will break down most of the remaining unfermentable into fermentable sugars and restart fermentation. It will likely finish about 1008 giving a stronger drier beer. This has rescued a couple of brews for me very well. It costs about a quid from yr LHBS.

Rick

[john_drummer]

I did a batch of the GW Old Peculier recipe which had an OG of 1063. Pitched a pack of S04 & after about a week it had dropped to 1020. never got any lower. it's bottled now & tastes very nice indeed

[timbo41]

Im no expert ..and it shows ...but I'd be more inclined to pressure barrel this with priming. And at that sg just let it age.
At least a pb is unlikely to go bang

[jaroporter]

I'd be more inclined to pressure barrel this with priming. And at that sg just let it age.
At least a pb is unlikely to go bang

i'd tend to go with this. if you think there's any chance it'll drop over time and the cask exploding, i'd think of the effects of 40odd bottlegrenades going off..

i bottled a porter at around 1,020 and the later bottles were certainly a lot fizzier than the first. though that was my first time with windsor which is very slow fermenting (like, it gets a reputation as a low attenuator, but i suspect often it's just not done!)

[The Idiot]

I recently did a smoked porter. It started at around 1.064 and finished at 1.020 (Beersmith estimated it lower, around the same figure you quoted). I left it in the PFV for a month and it didn't change. I drank the contents of the testing tube each time, and it was good, very little sweetness. I figure that the slightly higher mash temperature I use for porters to give more body may have produced more unfermentables. It has carbonated well, and is great.

The only thing that would cause me concern is that you've added extra sugar, yeast and nutrient. I'd be cautious in case that lot starts interacting!!!

[Matt12398]

Beersmith's FG predictions are about as reliable as the Met Office's predictions on how good our summers are going to be.

I did a porter a couple months ago and mashed high. It finished about 1.018 which was higher than I expected but it's been in the bottle for some time now and each one just gives a faint his when opened and no overcarbonation. I suspect yours will be fine and the sweetness may fade over time in the bottle. Perhaps go easy on the priming if you're unsure.

[spanspoon]

I'm in a similar position using wyeast 1098. Knocked up a strong stout starting at 1.060, it bubbled for 2 and half weeks and sat at 1.020. Gave it a stir last week and things seemed to kick off a little - bubbling for 3-4 days and now nothing. Still at 1.020. I've just put in a bit of yeast feed, give it a stir and put it near to a warm radiator. It's bubbling away again!

My target fg is 1.015, if I can knock a couple of points from 1.020 I'll bottle or maybe just wait until activity stops then bottle regardless of fg. It tastes good!

[pantsmachine]

I have had similar and generally do the following. Bottle majority with minimal priming sugar to personal taste and store them in garage/shed at this time of year. Also bottle a couple unprimed and keep them in the house in a warmish spot and try the 1st unprimed one after a month. You'll know for sure then.

[Pinto]

AG #1 for me isnt behaving either - went great guns for about 6 days then lapsed into stillness. I cleared the yeast rafts tonight and took a SG reading expecting to see it around the 1.010 mark.... nope - 1.016

Mind you, I mashed high (66-67 deg) so im guessing it will end a little higher - just have to monitor it for the rest of the week and see where it goes.

Tastes SUPERB tho