Gravity and Alcohol content far lower than expected. Why?!?! - Page 2

phatuna · 02-09-2010, 07:46 PM

[QUOTE=bhagen;1871561]Thanks for all the responses. No one commented on the low alcohol. Also, no one commented about boil time; this was my only deviation from my normal procedure. I boiled for 45 minutes instead of 60QUOTE]

Alcohol content can only be calculated if you have a correct OG & FG reading. Most of us who posted believe that the OG reading that you took is not correct.

You should boil for the full hour per the instructions. You will have some problems relating to your hops additions if you don't boil long enough.

I am assuming that you ended with the correct volume, so you should not have issues with that.

smmcdermott · 02-09-2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhagen

The Kit doesn't list the quantity of ingredients that are supposed to be included. I had dried malt extract, Crystal grains, Belgian Candy sugar, and hops. I used Wyeast Scottich Ale Yeast. I just ran some numbers through a brewing calcluator. 3# Extract, 1# grain, 1/2# Sugar, and Ale Yeast # 1728 gives me expected numbers very close to my actual numbers.

I think I was sent half the extract that the recipe should have. Lesson learned, weigh my ingredients and run a brewing calculation independently.

The 3# extract is that three pounds? if so then there is the OG and low alcohol content, 3 pounds of extract is not a lot of extract and would get you a low OG AND a low alcohol content.

As for the 1.011 FG, does anyone know the attenuation of this yeast? Is it possible the yeast attenuated better than usual? IDK the answer to that. But if the OG is right at 1.031, then a 1.011 FG is right on, maybe even a little high.

JiveTurkey · 02-09-2010, 11:41 PM

Yep, sounds like you got only half the extract it needed. 6 pounds would put your OG in the 60s, whereas 3 pounds would only get it into the 30s.

Putting your ingredients into beer calculus, the FG ends up at around 1.009-1.011 (depending on the actual extract and specialty grains used). So, your beer is probably done or close to done fermenting. Leave it in the primary for a few weeks total and bottle/keg it.

It's an almost-but-not-quite Dead Guy Ale; maybe call it a Permanent Vegetative State Guy Ale.

smmcdermott · 02-10-2010, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiveTurkey

Yep, sounds like you got only half the extract it needed. 6 pounds would put your OG in the 60s, whereas 3 pounds would only get it into the 30s.

Putting your ingredients into beer calculus, the FG ends up at around 1.009-1.011 (depending on the actual extract and specialty grains used). So, your beer is probably done or close to done fermenting. Leave it in the primary for a few weeks total and bottle/keg it.

It's an almost-but-not-quite Dead Guy Ale; maybe call it a Permanent Vegetative State Guy Ale.

HMMMM, seems i posted these same results already?