I brewed a porter based on Denny Conn's Bourbon and Vanilla porter with my dad yesterday. I had to make some changes to the malt bill, here's what I used:
6.6 lbs light DME
2.2 lbs Morgan's Master Blend Chocolate (LME, 15% chocolate, 85% Munich)
1.3 lbs Master Blend Dark Crystal (60/40 Dark Crystal/Vienna)
0.55 lbs Crystal
1.1 lb Special B
0.95 lbs Chocolate malt
I also scaled up the recipe to 6.1 gallons.
I did some form of partial mash, I let the crushed grains sit in some warm water for about an hour, then put them in a fine net and washed them with some more water. Then I continued as usual. I used two kettles with about two gallons in each, then boiled some more water, and added it to the wort in the fermentation bucket. It all added up to 5.1 gallons (I was going to add the rest of the water later). We cooled the whole thing in a large tub with some with water overnight (my dad doesn't have any running water at the moment).
Anyhow, I took a gravity sample in the morning and to my surprise, it was only 1.050. According to BeerSmith, the extracts alone should have put it at 1.083. Does anyone know what could have gone wrong? We I don't think we sparged enough since the spent grains were pretty dark, but that alone can't be the problem. Also, I'm pretty sure the extract dissolved properly in the boiling water since there wasn't any burnt sugar covering the insides of the kettles. I'm thinking the beer might have gotten higher in density in the bottom of the bucket than at the top, since the water level of the tub was a bit lower than the beer level in the bucket. My sense of physics is a bit off though.
I think you got an incorrect reading. You should be right around 1.080-1.090 depending on what kind of conversion you got.
Unless you were good about monitoring your temps during your "partial mash", I doubt you got much of a conversion out of the grains. Also, you don't have much to help them convert on their own.
__________________ He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.
I bet your intuition was right and your wort was stratified when you took the reading. Next time, especially with extract brews, make sure it's mixed up really well before you draw a sample.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by duffman2
I dub this beer the Double Slutty Triple Nutty Bodacious Booty Brunette!
Thanks for the replies, I'll see if I can stir it up a bit tomorrow and do a new reading.
As for the "partial mash", I think I had pretty good temp control. Didn't take a gravity sample before adding water and extracts though, so i can't be sure.
Just talked to my dad. He stirred the beer a little, made a gravity sample and got a bit over 1.070, so it was just probably thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom. Feels great.
Next question: how will I know when the fermentation is complete? It will probably be very hard to get an accurate gravity sample. I'm kind of worried that fermentation will take a long time because most of the sugars will be at the bottom but the yeast is top fermenting. Any suggestions?
Don't worry too much about the sugars on the bottom etc. The yeast will find and consume.
Give it a couple of weeks (at least 3), then take three consecutive hydro samples 3 days in a row. If the readings are the same, you are done fermenting. Congrats, I wish that my Dad was interested in brewing.
I brew with my dad whenever he needs a new keg. I set him up with a kegerator last year for x-mas. He still has no clue how to brew (I'm trying to get him there so he doesn't need me as much), but I don't mind helpin' out.
__________________ He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.
Don't worry too much about the sugars on the bottom etc. The yeast will find and consume.
Give it a couple of weeks (at least 3), then take three consecutive hydro samples 3 days in a row. If the readings are the same, you are done fermenting. Congrats, I wish that my Dad was interested in brewing.
Thanks, I'll try that. I'll tell my dad to stir the beer a bit before taking each gravity sample as well, can't hurt.
Yeah, it is pretty nice to have a common interest. I probably have him to thank for getting me into craft beer, even though I'm probably more interested than him now.
Thanks, I'll try that. I'll tell my dad to stir the beer a bit before taking each gravity sample as well, can't hurt.
Yeah, it is pretty nice to have a common interest. I probably have him to thank for getting me into craft beer, even though I'm probably more interested than him now.
Actually i believe it can hurt. If the container is open you may oxygenate the beer if you stir it up.
Actually i believe it can hurt. If the container is open you may oxygenate the beer if you stir it up.
Yeah, I know. I'll have to be careful. But what I've heard, there's a small "cushion" of CO2 above the beer, so if I stir carefully and don't get too much air/CO2 into it, I should be safe, right?
OG is way too low
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