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**Afhuff01** · 09-09-2012, 03:22 AM

I got a stout recipe from my local home brew supply store. I did a partial mash, replacing 2lbs of extract with 2.5lbs of 2 row pale barley. I made a yeast starter for this batch 24 hours prior. After adding the wort to my primary and before adding the yeast starter, I measured my S.G. @ 1.028. I am thinking this is a little low. It's been sitting at about 70 degrees in my garage.

After four days all of the head has come off the top and my airlock bubbles about once every 25 seconds. Should I be concerned that it seems like it is almost done? I am debating as to whether or not I should take a hydrometer reading?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

EDIT:

The first picture is after one day in the primary. The second is after 4 days.

LoneWolfPR · 09-09-2012, 03:27 AM

Your SG of 1.028 is extremely low. It probably started and finished that quick. That's not much sugar to work with. Assuming you finish out around 1.010 you're talking about 2.4% ABV.

**Afhuff01** · 09-09-2012, 03:32 AM

Out of curiosity, what could I have done to get my S.G. higher?

**CastleHollow** · 09-09-2012, 03:38 AM

It's unlikely your SG was really that low for a partial extract brew. If you topped off before pitching, you may have just not stirred things up well enough to get a good sample. What other fermentables were in the recipe?

**Afhuff01** · 09-09-2012, 03:41 AM

Out of curiosity, what could I have done to get my S.G. higher?

LoneWolfPR · 09-09-2012, 03:47 AM

Could CastleHollow's comment have been an issue? Did you top off with water and not stir it well before taking your reading?

**Afhuff01** · 09-09-2012, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CastleHollow

It's unlikely your SG was really that low for a partial extract brew. If you topped off before pitching, you may have just not stirred things up well enough to get a good sample. What other fermentables were in the recipe?

5lbs light malt extract
2 1/2lbs 2-row pale malted barley
3/4 lb Dark roaster barley 500*L
1/4lb black patent malt
1lb crystal malt 80l
1lb flaked barley
1 1/2 oz N. Brewer loose hops
1 1/2 oz Willamette loose hops

I placed all the grain in to two separate grain bags and steeped for a half hour at 150F. After this was done, I boiled a couple cups of water and poured over the bags after I removed them. I then brought it up just shy of a boil, killed the heat, and added the malt extract. Afterwards I did a one hour boil adding the northern brewer hops first, and the the Willamette hops at the 40 minute mark.

I let all this cool, and added the wort to the two gallons of water I had added to the primary. I the topped off with about another couple gallons of water to get to the 5 gallon mark. After this I took my hydrometer sample, then added the yeast starter and let things go from there.

LoneWolfPR · 09-09-2012, 03:57 AM

Did you stir it up after topping it off?

**Afhuff01** · 09-09-2012, 04:23 AM

No. I just assumed that pouring the wort in and the topping off would stir it enough. It wasn't longer than 20 minutes that I added the yeast, put in a solid stopper and gave it a good shake to aerate the yeast.

**Afhuff01** · 09-09-2012, 04:24 AM

I just took a hydrometer reading. I am at 1.018 right now.