rpt
Brewing without a hat
I'm brewing an oatmeal stout with Windsor yeast. It started at 1041 and after 3 days at 20C was down to 1019. After 3 more days it was still at 1019 so I increased the temperature to 21C and roused the yeast. I've increased the temperature by 1C every day so that today, 2 days later, it is at 23C. It is still at 1019.
I know that Windsor is a poor attenuator but this is an apparent attenuation of only 53%. I was expecting 60% at the very least, which would have been 1016.
I mashed at 65C and I rehydrated the Windsor before pitching.
So, what should I do next?
I've just had a taste from the hydrometer sample and it does taste pretty good. It probably is a little sweeter than my first attempt at an oatmeal stout, but this is a beer where that doesn't matter - it nicely compliments the roast barley.
It contains roast barley, flaked barley and oats, and I did read that they may mash to sugars that Windsor struggles with. I did an oatmeal stout before that used Nottingham (I pitched it straight onto the yeast cake from a previous brew) and that went to 74% apparent attenuation (although the recipe was slightly different).
I know that Windsor is a poor attenuator but this is an apparent attenuation of only 53%. I was expecting 60% at the very least, which would have been 1016.
I mashed at 65C and I rehydrated the Windsor before pitching.
So, what should I do next?
- 1. Be patient. It will get lower given time.
2. Keep raising the temperature.
3. Rouse the yeast again.
4. Pitch some more yeast. I have some Gervin ale yeast. Should this be made into a starter and pitched at high krausen?
5. Transfer to a secondary. This will be a better way of rousing the yeast.
6. Bottle it. With such a high FG I'd be worried about bottle bombs but if it's actually finished then this shouldn't be an issue. Before bottling I would lower the temperature to help the yeast drop out.
I've just had a taste from the hydrometer sample and it does taste pretty good. It probably is a little sweeter than my first attempt at an oatmeal stout, but this is a beer where that doesn't matter - it nicely compliments the roast barley.
It contains roast barley, flaked barley and oats, and I did read that they may mash to sugars that Windsor struggles with. I did an oatmeal stout before that used Nottingham (I pitched it straight onto the yeast cake from a previous brew) and that went to 74% apparent attenuation (although the recipe was slightly different).