Oktoberfest FG Stalled.....

[Yontsey]

I used the popular Oktoberfest/Marzen recipe from Brewers Friend and used WLP820 yeast. SG came in slightly lower than I anticipated but after sitting in my kegerator at a controlled 55˚ for about 8 days, it's stalled around 1.026/27. I was out of town Wed-Sunday so I wasn't monitoring daily, but since I got home yesterday early, haven't seen much movement. I still see occasional bubbles so *something* is still happening. Should I try and raise the temperature a bit to see if activity picks up?

 

[Simonpyman]

I used the popular Oktoberfest/Marzen recipe from Brewers Friend and used WLP820 yeast. SG came in slightly lower than I anticipated but after sitting in my kegerator at a controlled 55˚ for about 8 days, it's stalled around 1.026/27. I was out of town Wed-Sunday so I wasn't monitoring daily, but since I got home yesterday early, haven't seen much movement. I still see occasional bubbles so *something* is still happening. Should I try and raise the temperature a bit to see if activity picks up?

What are you using to measure the gravity? If its a tilt device sometimes the krausen/gunk gets attached to the device and it impairs the reading and moving the fermenter back in forth a little helps jostle the device.

 

[Yontsey]

Using a Tilt. Have really only ran into that issue with dry hopping but I’ll give it a few rocks and see if that shakes anything up. Temp for the yeast is 52-58° so was thinking about bumping it up a bit. I’ll wait and see first.

 

[Simonpyman]

Using a Tilt. Have really only ran into that issue with dry hopping but I’ll give it a few rocks and see if that shakes anything up. Temp for the yeast is 52-58° so was thinking about bumping it up a bit. I’ll wait and see first.

Yeah you are right in the middle of the temp range, i would expect you to be much closer to your FG at 8 days.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I have only played with 34/70 to this point, but those yeasts do need a D Rest.

 

[Yontsey]

I have only played with 34/70 to this point, but those yeasts do need a D Rest.

What would you do in this situation. Pull it out of the kegerator to d rest at room temp? That was my plan all along wed/thur at the start.

 

[Minbari]

Raising temp might get it going again, plus it will serve as a D rest too.

What was your OG?

What is the attenuation of that yeast?

Don't 100% trust the tilt either. Get a hydrometer reading and confirm it.

 

[Yontsey]

Raising temp might get it going again, plus it will serve as a D rest too.

What was your OG?

What is the attenuation of that yeast?

Don't 100% trust the tilt either. Get a hydrometer reading and confirm it.

Attenuation is 65-73%.

OG was 1.054

I’ll kick it up to 58-60° overnight and see if that gets any movement

 

[dmtaylor]

WLP820 is a fussy yeast. Only after I brewed with it about a half dozen times did I finally reach the conclusion that... any OTHER lager yeast is better than this one. I'll never use WLP820 again.

 

[Minbari]

Attenuation is 65-73%.

OG was 1.054

I’ll kick it up to 58-60° overnight and see if that gets any movement

On the lower end of that, your FG would be 1.021.

Maybe you mashed too high temp?

 

[Yontsey]

On the lower end of that, your FG would be 1.021.

Maybe you mashed too high temp?

I went with this mash schedule:

Traditional Multistep:
122˚ 20 min
149˚ 30 min
158˚ 30 min
170˚ 10 min mashout
w/ 90 min boil

Boil ended up going a little longer because I started my sparge water late and was letting that get up to temp.

Just checked after overnight and it's still at 1.026 up to 58˚. There's still an occasional bubble every couple seconds. I guess we just wait and see. Disappointing. Learning experience.

Edit: I'm going to take a hydrometer reading on Thursday. Kegging up Wayner's Pale Ale to cold crash so going to pull the Oktoberfest out of the kegerator when I do that.

 

[Minbari]

I went with this mash schedule:

Traditional Multistep:
122˚ 20 min
149˚ 30 min
158˚ 30 min
170˚ 10 min mashout
w/ 90 min boil

Boil ended up going a little longer because I started my sparge water late and was letting that get up to temp.

Just checked after overnight and it's still at 1.026 up to 58˚. There's still an occasional bubble every couple seconds. I guess we just wait and see. Disappointing. Learning experience.

Edit: I'm going to take a hydrometer reading on Thursday. Kegging up Wayner's Pale Ale to cold crash so going to pull the Oktoberfest out of the kegerator when I do that.

I would just let it ride (unless your hydrometer shows is done)
I have had some yeast take longer and it finished after another week.

The other option is to try a pack of us05 and see if there is more sugar.

Your mash schedule looks good, should have some sweet with the high temp step. I would expect 1.015-1.020

 

[Yontsey]

I would just let it ride (unless your hydrometer shows is done)
I have had some yeast take longer and it finished after another week.

The other option is to try a pack of us05 and see if there is more sugar.

Your mash schedule looks good, should have some sweet with the high temp step. I would expect 1.015-1.020

Let me ask you this then, I just dry hopped Wayners Pale Ale Sunday and was going to keg it up to cold crash wed/thur.

I’m afraid of letting it go too long and getting grassy. Is it fine to ride or can I keg and let sit at room temp for a couple days? I could put it in the garage. Later this week is highs 50s/lows 40s. Garage will probably sit comfortable temp.

 

[Minbari]

Let me ask you this then, I just dry hopped Wayners Pale Ale Sunday and was going to keg it up to cold crash wed/thur.

I’m afraid of letting it go too long and getting grassy. Is it fine to ride or can I keg and let sit at room temp for a couple days? I could put it in the garage. Later this week is highs 50s/lows 40s. Garage will probably sit comfortable temp.

Honestly if you are kegging, just transfer it, but don't carb it yet. It will finish in the keg and you won't over hop it

 

[Yontsey]

Honestly if you are kegging, just transfer it, but don't carb it yet. It will finish in the keg and you won't over hop it

Beautiful. Yeah I’m kegging it.

I really appreciate your advice all these months. You can read all the info and watch all the YouTube videos but personal advice is the best.

 

[Yontsey]

This thing is fighting for its life. It’s down to 1.023. Not gonna actually test it til this weekend tho with the hydrometer.

Currently cleaning keg lines and taps and going to keg up Wayners

 

[Sandy Feet]

Depends on how much Munich is in that thing too. If you have a lot, it might finish sweet. I would think it would be done at 14 days if you pitched heavy enough.

 

[Yontsey]

I only used one packet of WLP820 but I did a 2 day starter on it.

Grain Bill:
5lb Pilsner
5lb Munich Light
1lb Munich Dark
0.5lb caramunich

 

[Sandy Feet]

I hope it does, but I don't know how much further it is going to drop with that grain bill. Those lagers get a whole lot better when they sit for a couple of weeks in the cold after kegging too.

 

[Yontsey]

I hope it does, but I don't know how much further it is going to drop with that grain bill. Those lagers get a whole lot better when they sit for a couple of weeks in the cold after kegging too.

Yeah not sure what happened. It’s the top rated recipe here on BF and it’s the same recipe as the bundle from Northern Brewer. I don’t plan on tapping it until around Dec 1st because I want to give it roughly 6 weeks to sit.