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**jetmac** · 01-07-2011, 08:06 AM

Brewed my first AG. An American Ale from the Brewsmith software. I expected O.G. to be around 1.047 but it was 1.062. after 6 days fermenting at 70-71F the F.G. is at 1.028

I mashed with 3 gal of water but it resulted in 1.5 gal of wort. Is that pretty normal? I expected 2 gal.

Is my efficeiency of my mash tun too low?
Why was my O.G. so high?

Recipe:
8 lbs Pale Malt 2 row
1 lb Crystal 40L
.25 lb Munich Malt
.75oz Centennial 8.4% 60min
1 oz Cascade 6% 10min
White Labs WLP060

2L starter

Mashed 3gal 158F 45 min
Batch sparge 5 gal
60min boil

Justibone · 01-07-2011, 11:16 AM

Grain does absorb some of the water you add. I think the rule of thumb is about .125 gallons per pound of grain, so for you that's 9.25 * .125 = 1.15 gallons absorbed. Wheat absorbs more.

If you expected 47 points in 2 gallons, that's 94. 94/1.5 = 63. Sounds about right.

Add more water next time.

dzlater · 01-07-2011, 11:31 AM

For you're mash efficiency you need to use the total pre boil volume and the preboil gravity.

**jetmac** · 01-07-2011, 12:55 PM

My fermentation temp did drop from 70/71 down to 66/67 during a cold snap on the 3rd nite of fermentation . Could that have made the yeasties go dormant and not finish?

jbug440 · 01-07-2011, 01:20 PM

I don't think its done fermenting. Let it go another week and check the gravity.

timOD · 01-07-2011, 01:23 PM

What was your final volume after sparge? If 5-5.5 gallons, then it sounds like your hydrometer is off by about 15 points.

Justibone · 01-07-2011, 01:23 PM

No, yeast are fine at that temperature. Your mash volume is more likely to be the issue than a downspike in temperature.

If you taste it, and it tastes sweet, then you have a stuck fermentation. If it doesn't taste sweet, then it's fine and will be ready to bottle soon. Just take another hydrometer reading, and if it's the same as the one above then the beer is done fermenting (it might still be cleaning up it's side products, though).

If you don't want the gravity that high, you have a few options. Get some enzyme from your LHBS (you can use Bean-O if you want to). Or add some champagne yeast in there and see what they can do. Basically, until you have taken another hydrometer reading and tasted the beer to see if it tastes sweet, then you don't have enough information to proceed.

If you want a low-risk "something" to do right now, try swirling the closed fermenter to get some more yeast in suspension. It might help. It won't hurt (unless you spill).

That's just my opinion.

**jetmac** · 01-07-2011, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timOD

What was your final volume after sparge? If 5-5.5 gallons, then it sounds like your hydrometer is off by about 15 points.

Being my first brew this is something I completely forgot to check.

dzlater · 01-07-2011, 04:43 PM

You can work it backwards to figure you're preboil gravity, if you know preboil volume, post boil volume and post boil gravity.

Docjowles · 01-07-2011, 06:38 PM

He said he mashed at 158. That's at the upper end of mash temps and is gonna give him a higher FG, although probably not 1.028-high. Also unless my math is wrong (likely

) he mashed at 1.3 quarts/lb which is a totally reasonable volume.

edit for typos