Yeast Attenuation question

[kagey]

I just racked my brown ale to secondary and it has gone from a 1.050 to a 1.010 in 8 days in the primary.

I am a bit disapointed as the flavor of the sample was a little dry and not sweet enough for a brown. I guess my yeast overattenuated but not sure why. I used english ale yeast.

I used a batch sparge at 150-153f rest and mashout at 165ish. I'm guessing my rest temp was too low and did not pull out enough non-ferementing sugars. Am I right??

[Ozbrewer]

it could be a combination of a lot of things, mash temp, rement temp grain bill



can you post your recipe? including the yeast strain

[kagey]

Batch Sparge in Ice Cube cooler.

4.5 Pale 2 row us
4.5 pale 2 row UK
.5 brown malt
.5 british crystal
.1 black
.1 chocolate

1oz fuggles 60 min
1oz fuggles 30 min

British Yeast - Wyeast 1098

Forgot to smack the pack and pitched straight into fermentor (no proofing). No fermentation for 36 hours so added 1 packet of Nottingham dry yeast, fermentation started in about 6-8 hours.

[bubrewer]

You are almost certainly getting the results of the Nottingham rather than the 1098. Nottingham tends to finish notoriously dry and far more clean than the pleasant British fruitiness you were likely expecting from the 1098.

[George]

I agree with bub. It's the Nottingham. While we're at it, I think the recipe could use another half pound of crystal, too.

[kagey]

Thanks guys. Sounds logical. Good thing is that my sample didn't taste bad so at least I've got some beer to drink. . .

Next time I am going to do a yeast starter to make sure I get enough yeast to start fermentation earlier.

Also I am still figuring out my system efficeincy so looks like I may need to use a bit more malt to start with and mash at a bit higher temps if I want to get sweeter malt flavor. Part of the problem is that I'm having trouble hitting initial temps and maintaining them in my MTL.

[George]

It's a common misconception that mashing higher makes beer sweeter or maltier. It does not. Mashing higher produces more dextrins which raise FG and body, but dextrins aren't sweet. The way to make sweeter beer is to get carmelized sugars that yeast can't metabolize. That means using crystal malts (which are pre-caramelized) or boiling longer. Basically, the grainbill determines sweetness. And to a smaller extent the attenuation of the yeast.