Help with wyeast 1968

This was my first time using this yeast. I pitched a 1.5 liter starter into a 1.050 beer on Saturday now monday morning the krausen has all fallen. I was scared i’d get a crazy high gravity reading but it was 1.014. That’s too high but if could get to 1.010 I’d be happy. Do you think it’ll get there on its own? If not what would the best thing to do? The grain bill was 96% 2 row 4% special roast mashed at 149.

Why would you think the beer would reach final gravity in 2 days?

Why do you thing 1.014 is to high? Why do you think 1.010 is where it should end?

Give the little guys 2 weeks to do that they can do. Be happy with the results. :wink:

[quote=“Nighthawk”]Why would you think the beer would reach final gravity in 2 days?

Why do you thing 1.014 is to high? Why do you think 1.010 is where it should end?

Give the little guys 2 weeks to do that they can do. Be happy with the results. :wink: [/quote]

Before using the yeast I did some searches and found people saying they had to baby sit it to reach gravity and others saying those people were wrong and they did nothing. I figured if I kept the grain bill mostly base malt and mashed low I’d be fine. I’ve never seen krausen drop so fast which is what got my wondering. I usually don’t take a gravity reading till I’m ready to bottle or after a 2 weeks when I want a taste.

Looking at the attenuation numbers I’m at the top of wyeast’s numbers but considering that I asked the yeast to work extra hard I’m hoping to hit 1.010

I know a pro brewer that used it has his house strain. I believe others know different pubs that use it also. The Pro’s are not going to use a yeast that need babysitting. It’s liked because it works well and drops clear fast. Making silly putty in the bottom of the fermenter.

A friend uses it a lot for the same reasons.

Are you sure your thermometer reads correctly? How about the hydrometer?

One of my favorite yeast. I have had it finish at 1.010 lots of time but I give it two weeks to ferment out and 1.014 isn’t bad.

If I remember right, this is the Fuller’s strain, which is famous for its awesome flavor, but unfortunately it is also famous for its habit of “dropping out,” or flocculating, early in the fermentation. A common practice is to “swirl” your fermenter to roust the yeast (once a day should do it). Swirl it enough to re-suspend the yeast throughout the beer. Note that I said “swirl,” not “splash” - you don’t wanna oxegonate! What I have described above should assist in bringing your beer down (attenuating) even more, unless it has in fact reached its final gravity.

Fuller’s (a very popular British ale brewery) uses a really unique fermentation schedule with 1968. The yeast is added to the wort at 63F, allowed to free rise up to 68F where it is held to about 1/2 attenuation, then the temperature is dropped back down to 63F. This is then held until 80% attenuation. Then you drop the temperature down to around 40F, allowing the beer to slowly eat the last bits of sugar before dropping out and going dormant.

As far as I can tell, this is done to allow the yeast to ferment the wort nearly to completion, then have it drop out before can begin to start cleaning the flavors produced during fermentation. To me this seems counter-intuitive, but try it because it works. Taste your beer after it has been fermenting for just a day, it’s a bit sweet but it will have an amazing flavor!

For pretty much any other yeast you really want it to have a chance to clean up after itself, but this one is different. If you leave it on the yeast for a few weeks (which I’ve done several times in the past), the yeast character really starts to disappear and you will lose that flavor that makes 1968 special.

I use this one a lot. Keep it in primary for 7-10 days. If you rack earlier than 7 days, you will have a diacetyl bomb. Most of my 1.048-52 beers finish at 1.011-12. I usually pitch at 73 and put in a cool fridge overnight to get the temp down to 66-68. I don’t recommend cold crashing because of the diacetyl problems that you can get stuck with.

Fuller’s probably lowers the temp because the beer would be easier to store and package at that temp on a large, commercial scale. Brew pubs like this yeast because it drops bright and has a nice character in English and American styles.