High gravity on first BIAB

[Doctor_Paul]

Hi All,

I've got my first BIAB on the go at the moment, a Graham Wheeler recipe with ingredients from the Malt Miller. At first the fermentation went fine but after 2 weeks in the FV with a heater set to 22 degrees the gravity is still 1020. I haven't stirred it or anything as I'm paranoid about air getting into it (I lost my last batch that way). Can anyone think what I've done wrong with this? I tasted the brew out of the trial jar rather than returning it and it seems fine, just the reading is too high.

Thanks for your help,
Paul.

[Beer O'Clock]

Hi Paul

What was your OG ? Grain bill ? Yeast ? etc. It may have finished high due to the recipe.

A little more info would help us to narrow it down a bit.

Your Hydrometer may need calibrating. Try it in De-ionised water @ 20deg. It should read 1000.

[Doctor_Paul]

The OG was 1052, which was pretty close to what the recipe predicted. Total grain used was just under 4.5 kg and there was a small amount of sugar on top (don't want to type up the full recipe from the book here. Yeast was Nottingham. Total water was around 37 litres to start, yielding an estimated 20 litres final.

To be honest I've been wondering about the hydrometer for a while now, so will check that as well.

[Beer O'Clock]

From the grain bill and OG, I can't see any reason to finish that high.
How are you reading it - eye level to a trial jar ? Top or bottom of the meniscus ? To be fair these variations would only show up slight differences (2-3 points) But a combination added to an inaccurate Hydro could account for it.

[Doctor_Paul]

I reckon I'm reading the hydro ok. I spin it then let it settle, perhaps bob it up and down to remove bubbles. Whichever way it was read on Sunday however it was waaaaay too high. I'll see what the reading is this weekend for both the beer and in water.

[Spud395]

I'd be inclined to gently rouse the yeast with a sanatised brewers spoon, although nottingham very rarely needs any help.
What temp did you mash at a higher mash temp will leave more unfermentables but that does sound very high.

[Doctor_Paul]

I mashed at around 67 degrees and didn't heat after strike, just put the lid on and wrapped the boiler with a duvet. I may give it a stir tonight just to see if that has any effect.

Paul.

[potatoes]

Hi Paul, did it make any difference?

[charliefarley]

I've had brews finish high when I've not properly aerated the wort before pitching.
Just because there is a lot of foam when you run off from boiler to fermenter doesn't mean it is oxygenated enough. I now give the fermenter a shake for a while before pitching yeast.

[EoinMag]

How much yeast was pitched on the wort. It sounds like you are sticking due to not oxygenating enough or due to not pitching enough healthy yeast. How do you pitch the notty? Are you rehydrating it or pitching it dry?

[minimilo]

I reckon you may have used some dodgy yeast, I have had the same problems with a couple of extract brews. What does it taste like? Did you use Nottingham last time when you had an infection?

Cheers,

Miles