I brewed the extract version of Pliny the Elder from MoreBeer. My OG was 1.060 and was estimated between 1.070-74. My FG was 1.026. It was sitting since 12/25, and I dry hopped for 15 days rather than 3-7.
I attributed the OG to not having the water thoroughly mixed with the wort, but the FG I have not clue about. I used Safale 05 for yeast. Any thoughts?
Numerous things could lead to higher FG.
What was your fermentation temp? Too low a ferm temp could cause the yeast to give up early.
Low yeast cell count is another possibility but seems unlikely in this case. I assume this was a 5 gal batch and a whole pack of US05 was pitched? Did you rehydrate?
I am not familiar with the recipe in question but it being an extract kit could lead to difficulty in creating a more fermentable wort. Was there any sugar as part of this recipe? In my opinion, most IPA extract kits need anywhere from 1-2lbs of sugar depending on the recipe to dry it out.
If it’s a stalled fermentation you might run the risk of gushers or bottle bombs. Did you try to rouse the yeast or increase the temperature?
Another possibility is a false reading from your hydrometer. Is it possible there might have been some C02 still absorbed in the beer? When I take my samples I like to pour it back and forth between containers to let out any trapped C02 which could give a false reading. Also, I know it seems silly but did you have enough of a sample in your test jar? One time I didn’t have enough and didn’t realize that my hydrometer was resting on the bottom of the jar.
