Fermentation conks out

I started an IPA the 14th last, pitched a healthy starter 1.25 liter of WLP051. Less than 24 hours later, a healthy foam head and airlock bubbling away. OG was 1.065. A week later the gravity is a little above 1.020, after 11 days it’s about 1.018. Temp wise it began in mid 60s, gradually upping to 70. The projected FG is 1.008 to 1.014, but I hope for the lower range of this. Was thinking of pitching a champagne yeast to get the gravity down. Seems concerning that full attenuation is not achieved nearly 2 weeks after pitching. Should I just be patient and give it a few more days, or pitch the champagne yeast?

I wouldn’t be too quick to add another yeast… How are you checking yer gravity?
Sneezles61

Sounds pretty normal to me. Was this an all-grain or extract brew? Monitor your gravity. If gravity remains the same for 3 or more days then you are most likely done. It’s not uncommon for beers to take 3 weeks to finish up. At one point it was common practice to advise new brewers to never bottle before 4 weeks because people are so impatient when they are… thirsty.

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All grain. Mash temp 152. First time with this yeast (WLP051), since HB shop was out of 001. I get concerned because some yeasts like Saison often chew up the sugars down to 1.004 or less in same span of time or shorter.

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Use simple wine thief, hydro tube and hydrometer, just as I’ve done for years. Why? Is there a better way?

Hard to tell if it’s yeast, process or recipe. You’re right around 72% AA which is the bottom end of Cali V yeast. What’s the recipe?

We had some confusion about a refractometer for FG earlier in the week.

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Without getting into the hops, here’s the grain bill:

12 #s Briess Pale Malt
.25# Briess Caramel 120
.25 Briess White Wheat
.5# Avangard 8L Munich

Mash 152

11 days is on the short end for that beer. If it were me id give i three weeks

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Saison yeast are more like wine yeast and they go dry. Ive actually tweaked my process to keep most of my styles .010-.012 FG

051 will not attenuate as strongly as 001……and saison yeasts can be absolute beasts and can attenuate to a gravity below distilled water. Really in a different stratosphere from most ale yeasts.
I agree with the advice to give it a full 21 days.

Yeah Cali V and saison yeasts are two different beasts. The recipe isn’t loaded with a lot of unfermentables so I would give it a little more time. If it doesn’t drop much and you want to dry it out a bit you could add some table sugar.

I’m with you Loopie…
And as Squeegee pointed out, some testing equipment just are plain old peculiar… I think you are on track to have a very good brew!
Sneezles61

Seems normal to me. Give it more time. Only way to know if your brew is done fermenting. Take several. Gravity. Tests. Over a period of time. After say a week gravity still the same. Your brew done. Take a taste sample as well. When ya not sure you could add some yeast later as well. But 1.018. Seems close to fg to me

Little better than 6 percent which seems good to me. My experience with higher than expected FG has been too high of a mash temp and not yeast performance. Higher degree of non convertibles maybe?

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