Advice needed!

Hello! Hoping someone will be kind enough to read this essay and give some advice! I'm new to homebrewing and was hoping to get some advice to improve the outcome of my beer. In particular I'm struggling to get my final gravity down.

I've got a very basic kit. I've got a stove-top pot for my mash, I then pour this through a sieve into a bucket and sparge by pouring more water over the grain, then pour back into stove-top pot for the boil. After the boil is finished I then pour into a glass 5L demijohn, add dry yeast and hops, mix and close with a cork and airlock.

I've been trying to make IPAs from all grain and whole hops. My first attempt was a recipe from the people who supplied the equipment so doesn't really count. I didn't have a hydrometer when I brewed, only when I bottled but my FG was 1.012. My last 2 attempts were my own recipe. I used 1.25kg of Maris Otter pale malt and 0.25kg of Munich malt. Added this to 3.5L of water at 77c, then aimed for a mash temp of 63-68c. My first brew I mashed for 60 mins, 2nd time I mashed for 90 mins (was aiming for the lower end of the temp target as I think the first time I went a bit hot too often). Both times I've ended up stirring the mash quite a lot because I was getting hot pockets where the temp was going way too high compared with the rest. My stove is electric so the mash ends up being quite slow to respond when it goes on the heat. I've finished the mash each time by reheating to 77c.

The sparge has involved pouring the mash through a sieve into a 10L bucket and pouring 4L of water at 77c over the grain. I've then boiled for 60 mins with my hop additions at various points (about 26-28g worth), then cooled down to 21c. I've then poured into the demijohn, probably getting about 4-4.5L in to leave a bit of space at the top (first attempt I filled too high and ended up with it almost overflowing during fermentation). First time doing my recipe I added the yeast and hops to the bottom of the demijohn and poured over the wort then gave it a shake. The second time I poured in the wort first, then added the yeast then the hops, given it a shake each time. I've used Mangrove Jack's M44 West Coast Yeast. I added about 2.5g the first time, and 5g the second time, and 12g of hops.

My OGs were 1.058 and 1.064.

I've then fermented in the airing cupboard with the temp generally somewhere between 20-23c (on most of the times I checked) with a plan for 2 weeks. My first recipe I checked the gravity after 2 weeks and it had only dropped to 1.026. I gave it another week and it was the same so I ended up bottling it. My second brew I gave the demijohn a shake a couple of times during the fermentation time thinking it might liven up the yeast. After 2 weeks the FG was 1.013, so better, but probably still not quite as low as it should be.

Both have been bottled now with some priming sugar. First I tried after a couple of weeks and tastes decent, if a bit sweet. Leaving it to sit for longer before I drink again. Second one has just been bottled.

I feel I should be getting my FG down a bit further. From my reading up on the subject I figure it might be either I'm mashing at too high a temp (getting more unfermentables) or it's a yeast problem. Don't know how to tell which it would be. Any advice would be much appreciated!

You need to sort the mash temp out. Get the mash temp right, and even, wrap the pot up well, and leave alone for the hour.

The 1026 FG sounds like a stuck mash. Gently swirling the demijohn to re-suspend the yeast can be a solution. Possibly adding a little sugar to try to reactivate the yeadt

I've used the Mangrove Jacks yeast and they recommend doubling up for a SG over 1050 (2 packs for 5 gallons), so maybe the 2.5g is under pitching a bit?

That's possible, under-pitching can a cause stuck fermentation.

Think the mangrove jacks yeast is pretty poor to be honest. I pitched 2 packets for 22l of lager with a S.G of 1.052 and couldn't get it below 1.018.

Don't jump to conclusions about yeasts too quickly. Fermenting lagers (and ales) isn't entirely straight forward, things can go wrong for various reasons in a home brewing context.

clibit said:

Don't jump to conclusions about yeasts too quickly. Fermenting lagers (and ales) isn't entirely straight forward, things can go wrong for various reasons in a home brewing context.

Click to expand...

True. Still tastes pretty good.

Thanks for the tips. The second brew I doubled up on the yeast to get about 5g in and got the FG down by quite a bit further so prob a lot to do with that, was still hoping for a little lower. Any suggestions for another yeast that would do a good job for an american IPA/pale style?

Will maybe a get a lid on my pot for the mash next time to keep the temp more steady and see how that goes too.

Still waiting to get my first taste of both...need some patience for this homebrew business!

us05 is a dependable yeast for an api ish beer, with such a small pot perhaps heating to a strike circa 71-73c before doughing in and confirming a good mash temp 67?c then removing and placing in an insulated box to hold that temperature for the duration may provide a better mash than a variable temperature on the hob? save packing beans to pour over and cover the pot in a big box perhaps?

Just put a lid on it and then cover it with towels/fleece or something.

And don't be obsessed with a really low FG. Some yeasts leave more sugars behind, some grains leave unfermentable sugars in the wort, and a high mash temp provides more unfermentable sugar. These are brewing options that can contribute to a final flavour that you may want. Increase abv by using more base malt.

Just a thought... If your pot can go in the oven is it worth putting your oven on very low (you may have to calibrate it first with a temp probe as it will be below your gas mark 1!) and using that to hold mash temp?

Again, thanks. I appreciate the advice. I'll sort out getting a steady mash temp and not get too hung up on the FG as long as it's all tasting ok. Can't wait to get on with the next one now!