Home Brew question.

[vernonator]

Originally Posted by Sporkd2

My guess for not achieving your final gravity is your not pitching enough yeast. You should make a yeast starter, the size depending how what your starting gravity is going to be what you want your gravity to finish at.

Are you doing an Iodine test to verify that you are mashing long enough? You may not be getting maximum efficiancy from the grain. This can be caused by a number of things including - to corse a grind, mash temp control, mash water PH just to name the primary culprits.

If you are confident you are getting good conversion it may by yeast health or qty. ALWAYS do a starter, even if you are using a wyeast tube or XL Smack Pack. Pitch them into a gallon of starter made from DME and a pinch of hops let it ferment out, chill and decant the yeast to pitch.

It may also be yeast health - are you aerating your wort post boil? If not you really need to - get an aquarium pump, filter and aeration stone and aerate AFTER you chill (hot wort + O2 = Nasty Beer). I typically aerate while I recirclate thru my chiller (60 min or so)...

My bet is its either your mash PH or lack of aeration. (For mash PH I use Buffer 5.2 made by Star San - keeps things in the perfect range).

Good luck.....