Was excited to brew an IPA with the renowned conan yeast for the first time 2 weeks ago but it did not attenuate very well. Finished at 1.020-1.022 from 1.066. Has anyone else ever had an experience like this? I used a first generation vial of conan fed with 2 liters of starter wort. The conan was pitched into 5 gallons while cal ale was pitched into 5 gallons of the same wort. The cal ale finished at 1.014 so I know it was not the wort. Oxygenated both with 90 seconds of pure O2. Both worts were at ferm temps when pitched and both slurries were colder. Just wondering if anyone has any experience and or insight on the matter.
Odd - I actually just did a side by side with S-05 and The Yeast Bay’s Conan (Vermont Ale). They finished almost identical, .001 difference. I’ve been getting attenuation in the low 80s with it just shaking & stirring for O2. I also have a vial of East Coast Yeasts version in my fridge that I’ve yet to try.
I have used Conan yeast a lot. I have experienced high finishing gravities a few times. I try to keep my temperature creeping up throughout fermentation. I have run into my problems when I have fermented at …say… 62 degrees ambient temp. Fermentation has driven the temp up to 64-66 range. As fermentation slowed, that temp dropped back to 64-62… and then my ferment would stall out and leave a high FG.
Now, I watch my fermentation temp on day 3-4… as soon as it peeks/stalls around 66-68 and drops a degree or so, I move the fermenter upstairs where ambient temp is 68-70. Beers almost always finish out in the 1.011-1.014 depending on starting gravity.
I also used to do bigger starters (2-3L), cold crash, decant, pitch. I now go with a 1L starter, 18 hours before brewing, stirplate, no cold crash, no decant, pitch the entire 1L, actively fermenting starter… I seem to get much better results doing this.
Bottom line - the problems I have had seem to center around temperature changes and it slowing the yeast. Not sure if any of that could have been a potential issue for you, but that is what I ran up against a few times.
I have found the same with Conan the three times I have used it. The last batch I started mid 60’s, hold at 68 for a few days, and allow to go up a degree or two a day after that until I hit 72. Got 78% on that one.
Yes I should have mentioned in the OP, I fermented the beer at 67 (beer temp measured with a thermowell, not ambient) and boosted to 72 after 4 or 5 days. So raising the temp did not help on my end.