Receipe or Attenuation problem?

[drhookmec]

Hi Guys, l’m a long time reader but this is my first post.
I've been brewing now for over 5yrs so I'm not exactly a beginner.
But i got a recipe that's giving me fits.

This is a recipe I've been playing with and i can't get it to completely ferment out.
The recipe is simple..
30% 6-row
35% 2-row
35% flaked rice
protein rest at 120-122 1HR
sac. rest 148-152 2HRs
Mash out 160-168 10min

OG starts at 1040
I add 1min of oxygen using an oxygen injection system.
I pitch a 1.5L starter made 2 days earlier.
I normally use Wyeast 2000 Budvar.
Ferment for 14days at 53deg

FG finishes at only 1030

At first i thought it could be the thermometer on my 10gal blichmann boilermaker pot.
But i have checked it and it's right on.
I talked to the guys at my local HBS and they tell me this recipe should work and finish around 1010
The 6-row should have enough diastatic power to convert the rice.
So could this be a mash PH issue?
At this point it seams i have tried everything i can think of to get this beer to completely ferment out.
Like Omitting the Protein rest, made no difference.
And using Rahr malt cause i was told it has a higher diastatic power then the breiss.
And even with the Rahr malt she still only finished at 1030

So any ideas are greatly appreciated...Thanks Tim

 

[Double_D]

Maybe you need to rouse the yeast. That has always helped me.

 

[ghank15]

I'm not trying to patronize you, but did you check your hydrometer? I can't imagine a yeast only getting 25% attenuation.

I'm not familiar with this strand of yeast, but perhaps you need to let it ferment a bit longer. 2 weeks for a lager yeast is usually enough time to finish primary fermentation, but perhaps you need to wait it out.

 

[drhookmec]

I'm not trying to patronize you, but did you check your hydrometer? I can't imagine a yeast only getting 25% attenuation.

I'm not familiar with this strand of yeast, but perhaps you need to let it ferment a bit longer. 2 weeks for a lager yeast is usually enough time to finish primary fermentation, but perhaps you need to wait it out.

No offense taken, If I'm doing something wrong rag on me all you want
cause if I'm doing something wrong i want to know a bought it.

The hydrometer checks out at 1000 @ 60deg in water
And as far as i know this if the only way to calibrate these things.

It will be interesting to see what is exactly going on here, I don't presently have the equipment to check the PH of the mash but i soon will.

But this points more to a yeast problem.

I'm seeing this new Brewferm lager yeast being advertised that is so post to have a high attenuation rate.

Has anyone tried this yeast yet?

 

[VladOfTrub]

Couple of questions. Have you ever brewed using the exact same grain bill. Using another lager yeast? Have you ever used Budvar yeast in a lager or pilsner? Was the starter at high krausen when pitched? Was the starter OG in the ball park? Give the yeast longer than two weeks to work if the starter was good, you're brewing a lager...The next few things have little to do with a lazy ferment. But, why do you sacc. rest for two hours? Use iodine to check for conversion after an hour. You may save an hour. Did you decoction or step to hit the rest temps?

 

[drhookmec]

vald,, no i'm not an extract brewer.
I have used Budvar yeast in other recipes with no issues.
The starter are 1.5L-2L Measure around 1045 before pitching
and are actively fermenting when they are pitched.
One thing i don't do with the starters is i don't decant the liquid off the top of the yeast.

The idea of the long sac. rest is to allow more starches to be converted into
fermentable sugars.
And the longer rest time also reduces calorie content in the final beer.
i just infuse my mash by just adding hot water to adjust temp.
Has worked very well for me.

tim

 

[drhookmec]

Give the yeast longer than two weeks to work if the starter was good, you're brewing a lager..

Vald.. You may be on to something here,
This is something i never considered
cause i'm so used to most of my beers fermenting out after 2 weeks.

I have 2 5gal batches of this beer fermenting right now both at different temperatures.
One with Budvar and the other with dry yeast saflager-S-23

Maybe i'll age one in the secondary for a good 3-4 weeks and see if i get
anymore gravity points out of it.

tim