Help with Holiday Ale

morrissey1 · 12-12-2008, 01:11 AM

Hello everyone, This is my first brew and im a little anxious to get at it....The kit claims my OG shouldve been 1.074 mine turned out to be 1.06 at 85 degrees....my FG turned out to be 1.03 at 60 degrees...It fermented for 5 days however the airlock stopped bubbling after three days...the recipe is as follows......
Original Gravity = 1.070 - 1.078
Final Gravity:
1.010 - 1.016
Alcohol by Volume:
8.0% - 9.0%
Hop IBUs:
68 - 74
6.6 lbs.
Plain Light Malt Malt Extract
2 lbs.
Plain Light Dry Malt Extract
1 lb. 8 oz. Crushed Crystal Malt 80L
4 oz.
Crushed Chocolate
4 oz.
Crushed Black Patent
1 each
Spice Pack *
1 1/2 oz. Target Hops (Bittering)
1 oz.
Willamette Hops (Finishing) Last 15 min.
5 .oz
Priming Sugar
1 each
Beer Yeast

For some reason the 4oz of crushed black patent wasnt included?? My question is if this beer is gonna be okay and what ABV should I expect? Thanks for all your help!

shertz · 12-12-2008, 01:23 AM

Alright, a few things. Did you adjust your OG for the warm temp at the beginning? An OG at 85 degrees will not be the same at 65. I always check mine when I pitch the yeast so it's in the 60's. Also, you should ferment a little warmer, like around 65-68. I would bump your fermentation temp up and maybe gently rock the yeast back to life. Not sure what yeast you used, but that's a pretty big brew. You should have used a starter on it.

ifishsum · 12-12-2008, 01:24 AM

At 1.030 I'd say it is not done fermenting yet. You really need to leave it in the fermenter for at least another week, also maybe move it to a slightly warmer place so the yeast can finish their job. It should drop more, and it should turn out fine if you give it the time it needs.

morrissey1 · 12-12-2008, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ifishsum

At 1.030 I'd say it is not done fermenting yet. You really need to leave it in the fermenter for at least another week, also maybe move it to a slightly warmer place so the yeast can finish their job. It should drop more, and it should turn out fine if you give it the time it needs.

Well ummmmm....I bottled it...yikes. It did ferment at around 70 degrees for five days...after two days of no action in the airlock I figured it was done. The instructions say its ready to bottle after three to seven days of ferment..sooooo I went with it...hmmmm

Do I have 50 bottles of trash now or can I save it? Thanks for your time!

Jaha35 · 12-12-2008, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morrissey1

Well ummmmm....I bottled it...yikes. It did ferment at around 70 degrees for five days...after two days of no action in the airlock I figured it was done. The instructions say its ready to bottle after three to seven days of ferment..sooooo I went with it...hmmmm

Do I have 50 bottles of trash now or can I save it? Thanks for your time!

Just make sure those bottles are kept in a closet or something because if one or more blows up it could be dangerous.

morrissey1 · 12-12-2008, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaha35

Just make sure those bottles are kept in a closet or something because if one or more blows up it could be dangerous.

Yeah there in a closet in a bathroom thats never used....So what can I expect from the beer as far as ABV and taste? By the way I was just reading that Muntons kits finish early and their intructions do allow for bottling as soon as CO2 stops...Muntons products were in my kit..maybe a glimmer of hope....thanks again

Jaha35 · 12-12-2008, 02:32 AM

Well if your numbers are correct I would say somewhere around 4% but you may want an opinion from someone more experienced on here. Also if you get scared of your bottles you could chill them to slow the fermentation after a little while. Plus I would refrigerate any bottles that make it to ensure that the yeast stops working. It may not end up bad, just sweeter than intended. You not getting some of the ingredients probably affected some of your gravity points.

KayaBrew · 12-12-2008, 02:38 AM

OG-FG*131=ABV

1.060-1.030*131=3.93% ABV

You could always uncap the bottles and GENTLY pour them back into you fermenter for another week or two. If you do, try not to splash or glug or any crazy sh*t like that.

Jaha35 · 12-12-2008, 02:38 AM

To check my math I use the simple formula:

OG - FG * 131 = ABV

So for you I did:

(1.060 - 1.030) .030 * 131 = approx 4% (3.93%)

morrissey1 · 12-12-2008, 02:45 AM

4% that blows..It was suppose to be 7 to 8%...oh well

Thanks for all the info fellas...ill keep you posted!