What the FG should end up being with malt extracts?

[-joe-]

My second kit batch ever. Using TC preacher's hefe wheat and TC wheat malt extract. OG was around 1.050. Yesterday was the 10th day of fermenting,  gravity seemed to be around 1015-1016. Today (11th day) around 1014-1015. Could be just a measuring error (hard to get accurate readings with all the CO2 in the solution). There's no real activity anymore in the airlock. 

Is the high "FG" due to using malt extract? My first batch was with mexican cerveza + dextrose (big mistake, but a good learning experience) and the FG went as  low as 1.006 if I remember correctly.

[Otto Von Blotto]

It might drop a little more but using all malt generally won't go below about 1.010-12 depending on the yeast used. If it's at 1.014 from 1.050 it's probably done.

[Shamus O'Sean]

1 hour ago, -joe- said:

My second kit batch ever. Using TC preacher's hefe wheat and TC wheat malt extract. OG was around 1.050. Yesterday was the 10th day of fermenting,  gravity seemed to be around 1015-1016. Today (11th day) around 1014-1015. Could be just a measuring error (hard to get accurate readings with all the CO2 in the solution). There's no real activity anymore in the airlock. 

Is the high "FG" due to using malt extract? My first batch was with mexican cerveza + dextrose (big mistake, but a good learning experience) and the FG went as  low as 1.006 if I remember correctly.

Hey Joe, welcome to the Forum.

For these ingredients and an OG of 1.050 suggests a volume of 20 litres.

Malt extract does seem to finish a bit higher.  Keep measuring your SG until it stabilises over 24 hours.  Having said that, your brew could be finished. 

The previous brew with Dextrose, that completely ferments out, will finish lower.  Plus, if you used the kit yeast, the Cerveza yeast is a hybrid ale and lager yeast.  in my experience, lager yeast tends to finish lower.  Therefore, the lager component could help that brew finish lower too.

[-joe-]

1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

It might drop a little more but using all malt generally won't go below about 1.010-12 depending on the yeast used. If it's at 1.014 from 1.050 it's probably done.

This is what I was suspecting. It just sounds a bit high when you read that you should generally aim around 1.010 or lower. 

8 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Hey Joe, welcome to the Forum.

For these ingredients and an OG of 1.050 suggests a volume of 20 litres.

Malt extract does seem to finish a bit higher.  Keep measuring your SG until it stabilises over 24 hours.  Having said that, your brew could be finished. 

The previous brew with Dextrose, that completely ferments out, will finish lower.  Plus, if you used the kit yeast, the Cerveza yeast is a hybrid ale and lager yeast.  in my experience, lager yeast tends to finish lower.  Therefore, the lager component could help that brew finish lower too.

It's actually the recommended 23 litres. Coopers official documentation says that the TC preachers hefe wheat should be around 1.032 and the TC wheat malt should add +0.020. So I think the 1.050 is reasonable even for the 23 litres. The yeast was definitely different for the TC series than with the normal ones. I will still probably wait till tomorrow for bottling.

Thanks for the fast replies!

[Shamus O'Sean]

32 minutes ago, -joe- said:

This is what I was suspecting. It just sounds a bit high when you read that you should generally aim around 1.010 or lower. 

It's actually the recommended 23 litres. Coopers official documentation says that the TC preachers hefe wheat should be around 1.032 and the TC wheat malt should add +0.020. So I think the 1.050 is reasonable even for the 23 litres. The yeast was definitely different for the TC series than with the normal ones. I will still probably wait till tomorrow for bottling.

Thanks for the fast replies!

Something's not quite right with those numbers.  A 1.7kg can of hopped extract plus a 1.5kg can of extract mixed to 23 litres should give a OG of around 1.043.  In your case, to get 1.050, maybe some concentrate was caught in the tap when you took the sample.  Some people say to throw away the first sample because it tells lies.

Not sure where Coopers gets the 1.032.  A 1.7kg can of hopped extract into 23 litres should be around 1.023.  The 1.5kg can of extract gives 1.020 into 23 litres.  Hence the total of 1.043 when mixed together.

[-joe-]

10 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Not sure where Coopers gets the 1.032.  A 1.7kg can of hopped extract into 23 litres should be around 1.023.  The 1.5kg can of extract gives 1.020 into 23 litres.  Hence the total of 1.043 when mixed together.

I think your numbers are correct or much closer, can't find reference to the 1.032 (don't have the cans or instructions anymore). Probably just me remembering wrong. Only actual reference is this site listing the kit having OG of 1.046, so I guess it's around that 1.043-1.046. Also lists the FG as 1.010 so I guess I'm close enough.

27 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

maybe some concentrate was caught in the tap when you took the sample.  Some people say to throw away the first sample because it tells lies.

Very much possible. Also just tested my hydrometer (proper glass one) with straight up water and it seems to show .002 so there's a part of the problem found out.

[Shamus O'Sean]

8 hours ago, -joe- said:

I think your numbers are correct or much closer, can't find reference to the 1.032 (don't have the cans or instructions anymore). Probably just me remembering wrong. Only actual reference is this site listing the kit having OG of 1.046, so I guess it's around that 1.043-1.046. Also lists the FG as 1.010 so I guess I'm close enough.

Now that I think about it, 1.032 is the Potential of the can.  It is measured in PPG - Points per Pound per Gallon.  It relates the amount of gravity points contributed by 1 pound of the extract in 1 gallon of water.  I do not know how it works, but this number is used in brewing calculations to figure predict your OG.

[Kegory]

12 hours ago, -joe- said:

Could be just a measuring error (hard to get accurate readings with all the CO2 in the solution).

I'm very new and pretty cautious, also patient. As mentioned above, I throw away the first sample then take another. Then I spin the hydrometer in the sample a few times to degas it, then wait even longer until all the bubbles dissipate, i.e. get it as flat as I can, before confirming the reading on that sample. I also use two hydrometers. I didn't like the look of the plastic one that came with my kit so I got a glass one, too, but I still take readings from both.

[Otto Von Blotto]

A kit by itself in 23 litres should work out to an SG of 1.022-3. I work it out by grams per litre multiplied by 0.38, in this case 22.4 is the figure. It's based on 100g/L being around 1.038. 

In any case there's no arbitrary target FG that every beer should get down to. They are all different depending on the ingredients, including the yeast, that are used to brew it.