What went wrong?

col-in-texas · 10-25-2009, 09:38 PM

I brewed the India Pale Ale Extract Kit from NB expecting an O.G of around 1.064, when I tested the wort the hydrometer read off the scale, (it scales to 1.120) so I'm guessing about 1.130.

The ingredients:
Specialty Grains: 1 lbs. Simpsons CaraMalt
Fermentables: 3.15 lbs. Gold Malt Syrup (boil for 60 min.)
6 lbs. Gold Malt Syrup (boil for 15 min.)
Boil Additions: 1 oz. Nugget (60 min)
0.5 oz. Kent Goldings (30 min)
1 oz. Kent Goldings (15 min)
1 Whirlflock tablet (15 min)
0.5 oz. Kent Goldings (1 min)
Any input on why this would be, and how long will the fermentation take (the airlock is going crazy) before I can put it in the secondary to clear.

**Cheeto** · 10-25-2009, 09:48 PM

I think you have a mixing problem.

This is a common mistake, Heck I have even made that very same mistake,
The best I can tell you is to let it ride

The Pol · 10-25-2009, 09:48 PM

#1. Reading hydrometer wrong
#2. You ended up with a lot less than 5 gallons
#3. You used top up water, didnt you... admit it... simply not mixed well enough.

There is one thread like this each day.

Ferment from 2-3 weeks, then secondary.

jdinger29 · 10-25-2009, 09:49 PM

Is it possible your hydrometer is not calibrated? If you have some distilled water hanging around take a hydro reading from that, it should be right at 1.000. If it is off than you know your hydro is off and you can adjust. Sometimes the paper tube inside the glass will slip.

col-in-texas · 10-25-2009, 10:08 PM

Quick replies guys.
The hydrometer is fine (I have two other brews clearing). I topped up as usual (5 gals) and oxygenated for four minutes as usual. I have been brewing ESB and ordinary bitter since the mid eighties, never had this before. The only thing different is that the syrup is not a recent delivery from NB.
Col.

The Pol · 10-25-2009, 10:12 PM

Bottom line, with extract, your OG will never vary if your volume is right.

So, it needed more mixing. No biggie, the yeast will mix it.

78kombi · 10-26-2009, 12:25 PM

9 lbs of liquid extract? according to the beer recipator your gravity would need to have been taken before the top off water ( when there was 3 gallons) which is 1.116