Bad batch?

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pkrgod22

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So Ive brewed 2 batches of beer so far with the 5 gallon bucket system, both of them with True Brew Kits. The first one was a Nut Brown Ale, the second a Bock.

The first batch turned out great and the beginning SG was right on, but I was only able to bottle around 4 gallons from it. I couldnt siphon any more than that because of all the yeast and sediment in the bottom.

So for the Bock I tried adding an extra Liter of water, so I could get more beer. I didnt check the SG before fermenting, but I did before bottling and it was 1.02 (supposed to be 1.012-1.014). Also, while the bock was fermenting, there were bubbles coming up, but it wasnt nearly as much as was coming up for the Nut Brown Ale. So I kinda figured something might be wrong.

I thought one of the reasons why it wasnt fermenting like the first batch was because I was supposed to bake some of the grains for 10 minutes, and when I put them in the seeping bag afterwards there was a bunch of powder on the cookie sheet that I didnt sweep off. So I was thinking I may have lost some of the stuff the yeast ferments with (glucose?). Also, I think the wort may have been too hot when I added the yeast, so I'm worried that had an effect. However, I ordered a wort chiller that should be coming in tomorrow. :ban:

I just bottled today, but have a bad feeling about this batch. Do you think it will be a bad batch? I dont want to repeat the same mistake, so what do you think is the most likely cause for the higher SG?
 
I assume it was an extract batch. It is very difficult to get extract beers below 1.02. Almost all my extract beers finished close to there, but they all still tasted good. I wouldn't worry quite yet.
 
Did the bock use a lager yeast? In my limited experience with them, I have never got one below 1.020. Should be okay for a bock, though. I would think you would want some residual sweetness there. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I should qualify this by saying that in both lagers I have done, a marzen and a bock, I chose a yeast that finished high so there would be some sweetness. My experiences may not be the norm.
 
As for your comment that the Bock bubbled less than the Nut Brown - different beers with different yeasts experience different fermentation cycles. Some yeast are fast and furious, some are slow and steady, some produce huge krausens, some produce almost none. The air lock isn't a good indicator of something right or wrong with the beer.

A Bock (according to BJCP Guidelines) could have an FG as high as 1.018 or 1.019. If you are at 1.020, you're pretty close so I wouldn't worry about it.

You also note that you only got 4 gallons from your first batch. That is fine. I usually loose 1/2 to 1 gallon to trub and siphoning as well. If you want to have more finished beer, start with more. A lot of recipes start with 5-1/2 gallons, which should yield pretty close to 5 gallons when bottled. Remember - you have to adjust your ingredients to have the same OG if you increase the volume.
 
I assume it was an extract batch. It is very difficult to get extract beers below 1.02. Almost all my extract beers finished close to there, but they all still tasted good. I wouldn't worry quite yet.

This is not true. Miss Information is visiting this board again. Sorry to get a little off topic...If you use good yeast and extract and proper fermentation temp, you should be able to hit your target FG (or pretty close) just the same as AG. If you recipe calls for a FG of .012 and you settle for .020 because you are using extract, you are cheating yourself and not making as good a beer as you could.
 
+1 KCMOHophead - I've never had an extract batch stop at 1.020 or higher, I use Briess DME when I brew with extract and watch my temps like a hawk!
 
This is not true. Miss Information is visiting this board again. Sorry to get a little off topic...If you use good yeast and extract and proper fermentation temp, you should be able to hit your target FG (or pretty close) just the same as AG. If you recipe calls for a FG of .012 and you settle for .020 because you are using extract, you are cheating yourself and not making as good a beer as you could.


I only made 6 extract batches before switching to AG. All finished around 1.020. No such problem on AG. No difference in fermentaion procedures or temps.


FYI, I did only use LME. Either way I like AG much better.
 
I'm fairly new at this all of this, but so far, I've done 8 batches using Liquid Extract. FGs were as follows (in chronological order):

1.020, 1.019, 1.012, 1.012, 1.012, 1.012, 1.012, 1.012

As you can see, the last 6 batches all ended at 1.012. I also bought a wort aerator and used them for those last 6 batches so maybe your problem is poor aeration. Link here.

(Edit: Note that my LME is made fresh every day at the brew store I buy it from)

Your temperature theory might have been contributing factor as well. I've heard some yeasts can't survive going into 80+ °F wort so maybe some of the yeast died off.

As for your theory of not wiping the "dust" into your wort, that definitely is NOT the reason. If you had any shortage of sugars in the beginning, it would just make your wort have a lower OG which, if anything, would help you get a lower FG rather than a higher one.
 
I only made 6 extract batches before switching to AG. All finished around 1.020. No such problem on AG. No difference in fermentaion procedures or temps.


FYI, I did only use LME. Either way I like AG much better.

LME is suspect, especially if you get it in a can...like I said GOOD extract.
 
I only made 6 extract batches before switching to AG. All finished around 1.020. No such problem on AG. No difference in fermentaion procedures or temps.


FYI, I did only use LME. Either way I like AG much better.

Did you happen to buy a new hydrometer around the time you went AG? :D
 
the LME was northern brewer's brand they sell and no on the hydrometer. Either way that beer was good, but the AG definitely has more variety to its flavors. Sorry for hijacking this thread. I had read in many a place about ME have more unfermenatables in it, but it sounds like you guys are getting results from it.
 
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