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the7yearplan · 04-23-2012, 07:14 PM

I made a very simple wheat beer this weekend that I am going to rack onto watermelon for secondary. Here is the recipe:

3 lbs Golden Light DME
3 lbs Bavarian Wheat DME
1 oz of Liberty (3.9%)
2 vials of WLP320 (I didn't have time to make a starter)

With a planned 5 gallon batch I should of had a 1.050 OG but I started with 7gal of water instead of 6 because I wasn't playing attention/I used a new brew kettle. It was simple mistake and I didn't realize until I poured the wort in my fermenter and took a hydrometer sample that I had too much wort.

I poured out the extra gallon so I didn't have a blow out, aerated and pitched. I know it will be beer just with a lower ABV (4% instead of 5%) which is fine but I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to up the gravity. It is currently fermenting away at a pleasant 66F.

BuddyWeiser · 04-23-2012, 07:23 PM

You could add more extract after fermentation completes. I think 1 lb of DME will boost the abv by approx 0.8%. You may not even need to sterilize a later addition of extract since you'll already have alcohol in there (and plenty of yeast to eat it up before an infection can). After adding more extract, you have to wait for it to ferment out again.

mr_bell · 04-23-2012, 08:21 PM

I don't see a problem with it. May want to pasteurize or boil briefly in some water to sanitize. The question is, how much to get you to where you wanted to be? What was your starting gravity and the volume in your fermenter?

the7yearplan · 04-23-2012, 08:25 PM

Sorry I left out the starting gravity. I ended up at ~1.042. Poured just over 6gals into my fermenter and then poured out the extra gallon until I was at 5gal.

Would adding a # of DME with the watermelon juice work when I rake to secondary?

BuddyWeiser · 04-23-2012, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the7yearplan

Would adding a # of DME with the watermelon juice work when I rake to secondary?

I don't imagine that 1 # extract + juice would cause a huge krausen, but you still might want to keep an eye on the secondary to ensure that fermentation isn't gonna cause an overflow.

Mixing extract with the juice will probably just make the yeast that much happier!

frazier · 04-23-2012, 08:46 PM

If it were mine, I would add the extra extract ASAP, while the yeasties are active. I've actually done this before, and for much the same reason!

JonK331 · 04-23-2012, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazier

If it were mine, I would add the extra extract ASAP, while the yeasties are active. I've actually done this before, and for much the same reason!

yup and boil it for a few minutes to make sure it's clean.

the7yearplan · 04-23-2012, 08:49 PM

My concern is mixing in the DME without oxidizing and/or contaminating the wort. DME can be a really bitch to mix.

***Yooper*** · 04-23-2012, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the7yearplan

My concern is mixing in the DME without oxidizing and/or contaminating the wort. DME can be a really bitch to mix.

You mix the DME with some water, bring it to a boil, and cool it and add to the fermenter. It won't oxidize or contaminate your wort. Don't stir it or anything- just gently pour it in without splashing.

You can use as little as water as possible to dissolve the DME- maybe a quart would be enough water.

mr_bell · 04-23-2012, 08:54 PM

To get another 8 points in that volume you're at a little shy of a pound of dme, like 113 oz. according to my calcs, A lb should work. Maybe boil or even just pasteurize in say .5 gal water as to not add too much additional volume, in addition to the fact that it would make it easy to stir in. Cool and stir in gently w/ sanitized spoon.

Just my thoughts.