Hello. I hope all is well. I have a question. Just bottled a Belgian Dubbel yesterday and was taking a fg reading. This one finished at 1.001. The OG was 1.070. The fg was lower than anything I have ever brewed. With the numbers plugged in, it indicated it was 99% attenuation. It was Belgian wyeast 1214. Is 99% attenuation possible? And, is that even something to aspire to…except when looking for a super dry beer?
Thanks.
If you have added a simple sugar to the wort, then attenuation of that magnitude is conceivable. However, I wouldn’t expect that a Dubbel would attenuate to that degree. Double check your results.
Have you calibrated the hydrometer?
+1 - that FG reading sounds way too low to me. That’s the ballpark for something like a Saison or Brett-aged beer, but doesn’t seem right for a dubbel. Even if you mashed super low and used 20% simple sugar, I can’t imagine most Belgian yeast strains finishing quite that low. If your hydrometer was off by 10 points or so, then I think you’d be in the right ballpark.
A few followup questions for you:
As far as whether 99% attenuation is possible, it is with something like a Saison strain or Brett. But keep in mind that this is apparent attenuation. Alcohol is lighter than water and will affect how your gravity reads. that’s why things like ciders and meads finish out below 1.000. The sugars are 100% fermentable, so the amount of alcohol present will bring your FG reading below one. In your case the real attenuation is closer to 80%, even with a 99% apparent attenuation.
Hydrometer is calibrated. All is right there. Sample was at 60 degrees…so no temp correction needed.
I used 1.5 pounds candi sugar in the boil. I mashed at 152 for 60 minutes. Hit my target OG on the head.
The sample tasted awesome. It wasn’t too thin and not boozy at all. Tasted like New Belgium Abbey which was what I was going for.
I triple checked my readings. I took the first, let it sit for 20 minutes, rechecked…still the same. Gave the meter a spin…still the same.
Possible over-pitch? But from what I have read, over pitching won’t cause too much of a final gravity difference.
Thanks.
have you calibrated your thermometer? I have seen attenuation like that with belgian strains on occasion when I mash really low (<=148)
If anything, over pitching may have caused a stall or stuck fermentation, not a greater attenuation.
I’m thinking you mashed lower than you think as well. Calibrate your thermometer and ensure its accurate
Well…I’m in luck because I’m out tonight to buy a new thermometer because mine recently died. I calibrated my thermometer awhile back but not recently. I wonder if that was the culprit. Thanks everyone.