Dunkelweizen high FG

Brewed a five gallon extract kit of dunkelweizen on 3/13. First time using harvested yeast which had a great active fermentation. kept it in the basement at a steady 62 degrees. Had an OG right on at 1.05. Was going to bottle today but got a reading of 1.02 which is a little higher than I’d like. Suggestions? Should I leave it in the primary longer? I was certain it would be done by now…

I would definitely leave it in the primary longer. I would also warm the beer to 66° to 68° to see if there is a change in SG after a week or week and a half.

Which yeast did you use and how much yeast did you pitch?

I used danstar munich wheat beer yeast. I harvested from a Hefeweizen I bottled the same day and used the whole yeast cake. I’ll keep it in a warmer area for a week and then take another reading. Any point in stirring the yeast or adding more!

There won’t be any need to add more yeast. A whole yeast cake would be enough yeast for three to four average OG beers.

I would go one step at a time to get more attenuation. The simplest first by just letting the beer warm. It will take a few days for the beer to warm. The yeast is not a flocculant yeast so there will be a large amount of viable yeast remaining in suspension. Stirring may not be needed or accomplish anything extra.

Was the wort well aerated before pitching? Was the yeast rehydrated before pitching? This could figure into low attenuation, but not a definite problem in a 1.053 OG beer.

I did aerate well. I just dumped the cake from one fermenter onto the wort in another fermenter, so no rehydrating I guess. Didn’t think that was necessary??

I’m not paying attention too well this morning. My brain over shot yeast cake.

Are you using a hydrometer or refractometer?

Hydrometer.

Well I let the beer sit at 66 for another week and took a gravity test. Still 1.02. Next step may be to stir the yeast and warm to 68 degrees?

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