so, I tried my hand at the "brew in a bag" method of all grain. It went well, except my OG was way off. Recipe stated 1.039 og. Im at 1.020 right now. Kinda buggin out about it. What should I do here? Hopefully I wont waste this batch.
1st all grain atempt.: missed OG. what should I do?
- Thread starter mikesalvo
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
two_one_seven
Well-Known Member
Do you have any extract around? You can add about a pound and that should get you close......
Otherwise get it in the fermenter and call it a session ale.
Otherwise get it in the fermenter and call it a session ale.
I do, I have 1/2 lb of Amber dry, and I also have a bunch of Dark. This is a blonde beer. Recipe here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/
How should I utilize the extracts here? I am already at 5 gallons in the primary, should I just add it stright up, or dilute?
How should I utilize the extracts here? I am already at 5 gallons in the primary, should I just add it stright up, or dilute?
Some keys to BIAB:
1. Stir like crazy. Stir every 10 minutes or so.
2. Hit your temps and maintain them.
3. Squeeze the heck out of the grain bag when done. Capture all that sugary goodness into your pot. This will add several points to your gravity.
4. If you still have problems, boil longer to reach your target FG.
1. Stir like crazy. Stir every 10 minutes or so.
2. Hit your temps and maintain them.
3. Squeeze the heck out of the grain bag when done. Capture all that sugary goodness into your pot. This will add several points to your gravity.
4. If you still have problems, boil longer to reach your target FG.
two_one_seven
Well-Known Member
I would not add any of that malt as it will be too dark.
Another one is to make sure the crush is pretty fine and you don't have to worry about stuck sparges of course.
Another one is to make sure the crush is pretty fine and you don't have to worry about stuck sparges of course.
two_one_seven
Well-Known Member
You can do that, you will need to boil it for a bit though. Have you added any hops or boiled yet?
NOPE. Trying desperately to up the gravity so I can hit the already low starting point for the recipe. Would it be bad to wait til tmw.?
periwinkle1239
Well-Known Member
Yikes, not the greatest brew day...I would chalk it up as an experience. You could try saving the beer but it'll be weaker than a bud lite, or add some extract (you'll need to boil and cool, but I would do this over anything else), or add it to another batch as trainsafe suggested (however if you brew another BIAB, you might end up with poor extraction again).
Do a bit of research on how to BIAB and you should be able to figure out where you need improvement. There is lots of good stuff on this forum.
Either way congrats on doing on AG, it takes a little bit of patience to get things to work out the way they should.
Do a bit of research on how to BIAB and you should be able to figure out where you need improvement. There is lots of good stuff on this forum.
Either way congrats on doing on AG, it takes a little bit of patience to get things to work out the way they should.
two_one_seven
Well-Known Member
If you have added hops I would not reboil it, that will through of the bittering.
It will be fine in the fermenter...............
It will be fine in the fermenter...............
check the OG again, just to make sure.
And pitch the yeast NOW. You can add extract on Monday, if your brewstore is open then. But pitch the yeast now.
And pitch the yeast NOW. You can add extract on Monday, if your brewstore is open then. But pitch the yeast now.
two_one_seven
Well-Known Member
Trust Yooper she knows her stuff.
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
This is exactly what I did once. It was also a BIAB amber, and I missed my OG by 10 points. I pitched yeast like normal after I cooled the wort, and then the next day I got some light DME, boiled it in 1/2 gallon of water for 15 mins, cooled it and dumped it in. That batch was one of the best ambers I ever made!
scoundrel
Well-Known Member
I agree. Extract has already gone through a boil process so you don't have much of a dms risk. Think of it like a Barleywine or a Belgian where you add sugar later.
I've recently started the BIAB method. Until I get my process down this is what I do.
When I put the wort in the kettle I take a sample with my wine thief and put it in my hydrometer flask. While the wort is heating up I put the flask in the freezer so I can get the temperature of the sample down to about 75 degrees. Take a gravity reading to see if I need to add some dme. I believe 1 pound of dme will add 8 to 9 gravity points. I've learned not to take a gravity reading with hot wort because you will not get an accurate reading.
When I put the wort in the kettle I take a sample with my wine thief and put it in my hydrometer flask. While the wort is heating up I put the flask in the freezer so I can get the temperature of the sample down to about 75 degrees. Take a gravity reading to see if I need to add some dme. I believe 1 pound of dme will add 8 to 9 gravity points. I've learned not to take a gravity reading with hot wort because you will not get an accurate reading.
Ok, so I am gonna pitch now. I can go to my local store tmw and get some DME. How much should I add? Extra light? Thanks for all of your help. Seriously!
MuchoGusto
Well-Known Member
DME = appx. 40 points per pound per gallon. If I read correctly you were shooting for 1.039 and hit 1.020. You need 19 additional points (assuming you have 5 gallons). Appx 2.5 lbs of DME will get you to where you wanted to go... 1.039... 2.5 x 40 = 100/5 = 20 points.
I have done this before and this is what I recommend. Siphon off 2 quarts of fermenting wort. In a pan add the DME and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes and cool it back down to your fermenting wort temp. Toss the now very high SG wort back into the carboy or bucket and you are good to go.
If you use water to boil and dissolve the DME you are creating 2 additional problems. One, you will dilute the wort to more than 5 gallons and probably do not have room in the carboy or bucket and two, you will need more DME to compensate for the additional water.
MuchoGusto
Well-Known Member
I'm from Texas. Real men don't drink fluffy drinks, fruity beers or syrup of any kind in a "cold one". I see, though, you are from "up north". Go for it.
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
I don't put syrup in my beer, but I would love to have homemade maple syrup for my pancakes! Unfortuanately, we don't have maple trees where I live. All we have is cactus, and cactus syrup for pancakes just aint the same!
The issue with maple syrup is that it is pretty fermentable, and will leave a thinner bodied beer behind. That's ok, if that's what you want, but you've already got a pretty thin beer by missing the OG so much. I would use DME this time, and make up a recipe to use maple syrup in a future batch.
I just gave some homemade maple syrup to my neighbors in Texas on Friday- I would have given you some, but you're way on the other side of the state!
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the thought Yooper! The other side of Texas may as well be the other side of the world!
I def. don't want a thinner bodied beer. So, took 2 quarts of the fermenting wort, and VERY sanitarily boiled it, and added 3 lbs of maple syrup. Ive boosted the OG to the recipe target of 1.040, but will I now get a thinner bodied beer? If so, how can/should I boost the body. I just want to salvage this beer. I made this recipe, because the thread I found it in said it could be done from brew to keg in 2 weeks. Have a bunch of people coming to town in 2 weeks...
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
At this point I would just leave it alone! 2 weeks isn't much time for a beer that's just barely getting started in the fermentor...
two_one_seven
Well-Known Member
Are you kegging? If not that is impossible. I agree with stauffbier you done all you can at this point. Let it be, as the more you attempt the more likely the beer will turn out poorly.
Similar threads
- Poll
