Hey all…new member and a new brewer (only 3 batches). I’ve been brewing extract kits so far and have yet to even come close to reaching the FG I’ve been hoping for. I’ve tried a different method for each batch with the same subpar results: dry pitched, made a yeast starter with liquid yeast, and rehydrated dry yeast.
My latest batch is the Storm the Bastille (extract). First time trying a full boil. I rehydrated two packs of the Danstar Belle Saison yeast and pitched it at a temp of 73 degrees. OG was 1.078 (slightly low but that seems to be normal for me as well). Had great fermentation, needed a blowoff tube, and it was seemingly going pretty well for about 5-6 days. Tested gravity after ten days and the reading was 1.027. Racked it to secondary tonight after 15 days in primary and the reading was 1.033.
Any thoughts on what could be happening? Or any tips on hitting the expected OG/FG?
Thanks in advance!
Are you, by chance, using a refractometer? With saison yeast and correcting those values for the presence of alcohol, 1.078 to 1.033 is actually a FG of 1.007, which is right on the money for belle saison. Does the wort taste sweet at 1.033? If that is the true final gravity, it would be quite sweet still.
Porkchop, thanks for the reply. I am using a refractometer, but I’m not sure if I understand what you mean about correcting the values for the alcohol. Any chance you could elaborate a bit? And I did taste it while racking, and it seemed to me to be pretty boozy-tasting.
Just did some research about what you mentioned and I think I understand more of what you’re talking about. Discovered the refractometer calculator on NB which I never knew existed. That’s a big help for me.
Also, checked out my refractometer which measures in Brix and SG, and noticed that at 1.077 SG the Brix reading is exactly 20. Every website I’ve looked at says 20 Brix is equivalent to 1.083 SG. Maybe I have a cheap refractometer…
That little bit isn’t anything to worry about, I have a friend I brew with and he does everything in brix, so when I brew with him we always have a simple math equation to preform, multiply or divide by 4… Easy, eh? Sneezles61
