Hi guys! I just recently brewed a Czech Pale Lager using the famous SafLager W-34/70 yeast and I'm experiencing underattenuation. Here's the grist and specs:
97.6% Pilsner - 4kg (8.82lbs)
2.4% Red Ale (Melanoidin) - 0.1kg (0.22lbs)
Expected OG: 1.040
Expected FG: 1.008
- I ordered the grain with a double crush.
- I heated 30 liters (7.92 US gallons) of pH- and mineral-adjusted distilled water to strike temp, doughed in, hit 68C (154F) and kept it there for 60 minutes.
- I insulated the kettle by wrapping it in a reflective sleeping mat and a sleeping bag.
- I stirred every 15 minutes in hopes of increasing conversion and keeping temps uniform within the kettle. During the 60-minute period, I experienced a 1 Celsius degree drop in the mash temp, which I compensated by pulse heating the kettle back to 68c.
- After 60 minutes, I pulled out the grain bag, rested it on an oven rack that sat on top of the kettle, and I squeezed the bag using a kettle lid.
- After the mash, I boiled for 60 minutes and ended up with an OG of 1.042, two points higher than anticipated.
- I chilled the wort down to 18c in 15 minutes, transferred the wort to my FermZilla, aerated by splashing and pitched two packs of non-rehydrated W-34/70 yeast, so yeah, quite an overpitch.
- I set the fermentation chamber at 19c, moved my FermZilla there and set the spunding valve at 15 PSI.
Now, after four days, the yeast has already completely crashed out and the beer is crystal clear, but my FG is sitting at a whopping 1.015. I've also raised the temp to 22c to do a d-rest, I even swirled the FermZilla a couple of times to scoop the yeast back into suspension. However, the yeast keeps dropping out and the FG stays stable, meaning that the beer is most likely done. The only reasons I can think of are the following:
1. High mash temp - this seems unlikely, as I've had beers mashed higher and still more attenuated than this
2. Yeast stress
3. Closing the spunding valve right after pitching might've inhibited yeast growth
Do you guys have any experiences with the W-34/70 crapping out on you prematurely? I've heard it's a monster attenuator so I was expecting much lower numbers.
97.6% Pilsner - 4kg (8.82lbs)
2.4% Red Ale (Melanoidin) - 0.1kg (0.22lbs)
Expected OG: 1.040
Expected FG: 1.008
- I ordered the grain with a double crush.
- I heated 30 liters (7.92 US gallons) of pH- and mineral-adjusted distilled water to strike temp, doughed in, hit 68C (154F) and kept it there for 60 minutes.
- I insulated the kettle by wrapping it in a reflective sleeping mat and a sleeping bag.
- I stirred every 15 minutes in hopes of increasing conversion and keeping temps uniform within the kettle. During the 60-minute period, I experienced a 1 Celsius degree drop in the mash temp, which I compensated by pulse heating the kettle back to 68c.
- After 60 minutes, I pulled out the grain bag, rested it on an oven rack that sat on top of the kettle, and I squeezed the bag using a kettle lid.
- After the mash, I boiled for 60 minutes and ended up with an OG of 1.042, two points higher than anticipated.
- I chilled the wort down to 18c in 15 minutes, transferred the wort to my FermZilla, aerated by splashing and pitched two packs of non-rehydrated W-34/70 yeast, so yeah, quite an overpitch.
- I set the fermentation chamber at 19c, moved my FermZilla there and set the spunding valve at 15 PSI.
Now, after four days, the yeast has already completely crashed out and the beer is crystal clear, but my FG is sitting at a whopping 1.015. I've also raised the temp to 22c to do a d-rest, I even swirled the FermZilla a couple of times to scoop the yeast back into suspension. However, the yeast keeps dropping out and the FG stays stable, meaning that the beer is most likely done. The only reasons I can think of are the following:
1. High mash temp - this seems unlikely, as I've had beers mashed higher and still more attenuated than this
2. Yeast stress
3. Closing the spunding valve right after pitching might've inhibited yeast growth
Do you guys have any experiences with the W-34/70 crapping out on you prematurely? I've heard it's a monster attenuator so I was expecting much lower numbers.