extract kit with really low OG

markz · 08-14-2009, 11:54 AM

I've done a few extract kits since I started brewing a year ago. Last night I made a new Octoberfest packaged by my LHBS. I've had success with other kits of theirs, so I was surprised to have the OG so far off. I've had some minor variation, I think mostly due to temperature, but this has to be the first batch I've screwed up without knowing exactly why. Some things that were different following this recipe compared to others:

1) started the boil with 1 gallon - every other kit has started with 2.
2) I did a "better" job than usual crushing the grain (rolling pin, not much flour).
3) The boil was closer to 2 hours than the usual 1 hour and it boiled over a tiny bit in the first minute.
4) I poured through a strainer (like usual) into the cold water in the bucket and it just sat there it was such thick sludge. I let it sit for a bit and then scraped a spatula around to help the liquid through, and it eventually reduced to a large fist sized claylike ball.
5) I then added water to 5.5 gallons (all others have been to 5 gallons).

All of the above was per the recipe - except the boiling over part.

OG was supposed to be 044-052, and I got 032 at 70F.

Should I have dumped the sludge in? Was it not all trub? I'm thinking maybe I should have short filled the bucket to compensate or rinsed the sludge in the strainer. The final wort + sludge was only about 1/2 gallon, and I tossed the lump of sludge into the weeds.

I dunno - any ideas? I've screwed up recipes before and they've come out alright, but never been off on the gravity like this (except for the one time I forgot to measure it....).

-Z

VTBrewer · 08-14-2009, 12:03 PM

Did you remove the kettle from the burner when you added the extract? Sounds like you may not have. I usually don't strain, whirlpool, etc and dump everything into my primary and deal with it a few weeks later...however I doubt that your lump of clay would have affected the OG had it been in the primary. That being said, you'll still likely end up with a decent brew, just a little on the lighter side of abv.

markz · 08-14-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTBrewer

Did you remove the kettle from the burner when you added the extract? Sounds like you may not have.

Hmmm.... How did you know? What does that do? I remember the first few kits I killed the burner at this stage, but I didn't the last few. I stir it in with a heat resistant spatula to make sure it's incorporate, but I guess maybe it was too hot (very gentle boil).

-Z

MGAZ · 08-14-2009, 02:47 PM

1 gal of water and a two hour boil, is one of the main reasons that caused that sugar lump.

I always do at least a 2-3 gal boil regardless of the instructions.

The wort boiled off so much water that it turned into that sludge, which solidified when it hit the cold water.

+1 on removing the kettle from the heat to add extract. I've carmelized LME before. Not as tasty as it sounds.