What happens when a beginner doesn't top off.

CornyKegs 728
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rockout

rockout

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That beginner would be me. Some of you (thanks for the replies and help) may remember me posting about this. I threw it into the secondary today.

4gallons.jpg


The good news is, even thought there's slightly less than four gallons of it, it smells GREAT. There should've been 5, but oh well, live and learn.

It's a kit-produced ESB from 7 Bridges.
 
If you didn't top off wort from a partial boil to 5 gal you're OG will be high. You'll also end up with higher alcohol content.

I wouldn't worry about it, it'll probably come out great and you'll spend all your time trying to reproduce it in a full 5 gal batch.
 
In fact, that was part of my original cry for help - my OG was indeed too high. But hey, when it comes to alcohol content.... I can think of worse things to happen as a result of a mistake.

Melana, my dog held the racking cane for me. Isn't she great?
 
rockout said:
In fact, that was part of my original cry for help - my OG was indeed too high. But hey, when it comes to alcohol content.... I can think of worse things to happen as a result of a mistake.

Melana, my dog held the racking cane for me. Isn't she great?
Click to expand...

I wish my cats would do something to assist me other than batting at the airlock...
 
Junebug said:
I wish my cats would do something to assist me other than batting at the airlock...
Click to expand...
I came home one night from work to my airlock on the floor. I thought it was just an aggressive fermentation until I saw the little beer-paw-prints all over the top of the bucket. Started locking my fermenter in a closet after that, was a really nice stout too, was hard to pour it out. :(
 
rockout said:
That beginner would be me. Some of you (thanks for the replies and help) may remember me posting about this. I threw it into the secondary today.

4gallons.jpg


The good news is, even thought there's slightly less than four gallons of it, it smells GREAT. There should've been 5, but oh well, live and learn.

It's a kit-produced ESB from 7 Bridges.
Click to expand...

ha, that dog is REALLY jonesin for some ESB. That look on her face says "gimme some I want some oh holy hell I need some!" :D

Yeah, believe me, it's much better to have a higher OG than a lower one. When you do AG batches, you have no real way of knowing what your efficiency will be...and I often end up with really high efficiency, and thus, high OG. Oh well.
 
stronger, richer beer = better beer, in my book. who wants some watered down brew? should be some good stuff. let us know how it turns out...or, ya know, send me a bottle ;)
 
bradsul said:
I came home one night from work to my airlock on the floor. I thought it was just an aggressive fermentation until I saw the little beer-paw-prints all over the top of the bucket. Started locking my fermenter in a closet after that, was a really nice stout too, was hard to pour it out. :(
Click to expand...

I have the same issues with my kittens... so i have one closet sized room that is now 'the beer room'.
 
bradsul said:
I came home one night from work to my airlock on the floor. I thought it was just an aggressive fermentation until I saw the little beer-paw-prints all over the top of the bucket. Started locking my fermenter in a closet after that, was a really nice stout too, was hard to pour it out. :(
Click to expand...
Why did you pour it out? Most likely there was nothing wrong with the beer and you just wasted 5 gal of perfectly good stout.
Don't pour out a beer unless it is obviously infected!!!!!!

Craig
 
If you come out with less than 5 gallons, do you adjust how much priming sugar you use? Last night I bottled 40 instead of 53 bottles. I used the full cup of dextrose. It was only afterwards that I thought that perhaps this might be a problem. Actually my wife is kind of freaking out about but I'm way into the "meh, I'm sure it will be fine" mode.
 
Nate1977 said:
If you come out with less than 5 gallons, do you adjust how much priming sugar you use? Last night I bottled 40 instead of 53 bottles. I used the full cup of dextrose. It was only afterwards that I thought that perhaps this might be a problem. Actually my wife is kind of freaking out about but I'm way into the "meh, I'm sure it will be fine" mode.
Click to expand...
A full cup of corn sugar should be good for a well carbonated 5 gal. It is usually recommended to use 3/4c for a 5 gal batch unless the style calls for more fizz. With a whole cup in 3.75 gal you may be pushing the limits of the bottles. Likely you will have no problems but I think I would put the cases in a garbage bag just incase. Once a sampled bottle seems well carbonated then put the whole batch in a fridge to slow the process.

As for adjusting the priming sugar, if you have planned on using 5oz or 3/4c for 5 gal but only have 4 gal then just multiply by the ratio. 5oz * 4/5 = 4oz or 3/4c * 4/5 = 3/5c
Ofcourse slightly more or less is going to have little affect.
Craig
 
CBBaron said:
Why did you pour it out? Most likely there was nothing wrong with the beer and you just wasted 5 gal of perfectly good stout.
Don't pour out a beer unless it is obviously infected!!!!!!
Click to expand...
I'm not going to drink a beer my cat has had his FEET in. Ever seen what they do in a litterbox? No thanks! :D
 
CBBaron said:
A full cup of corn sugar should be good for a well carbonated 5 gal. It is usually recommended to use 3/4c for a 5 gal batch unless the style calls for more fizz. With a whole cup in 3.75 gal you may be pushing the limits of the bottles. Likely you will have no problems but I think I would put the cases in a garbage bag just incase. Once a sampled bottle seems well carbonated then put the whole batch in a fridge to slow the process.

As for adjusting the priming sugar, if you have planned on using 5oz or 3/4c for 5 gal but only have 4 gal then just multiply by the ratio. 5oz * 4/5 = 4oz or 3/4c * 4/5 = 3/5c
Ofcourse slightly more or less is going to have little affect.
Craig
Click to expand...

This should be clear from CBB's post, but just to belabor the point:
In addition to chilling to slow continued carbonation, be sure to also serve well chilled. A beer that's fine chilled may gush at room temp.
 
bradsul said:
I'm not going to drink a beer my cat has had his FEET in. Ever seen what they do in a litterbox? No thanks! :D
Click to expand...


It probably would have been one of the best stouts you'd ever had, just with that little extra something that you could never replicate again.

Meh, I agree, I spent all the time brewing it, I'm going to see it through to the end unless it has legs and hair.

I'll just tell myself that the bottle I'm drinking isn't the one that the cat had its feet in. :)
 
Rook said:
It probably would have been one of the best stouts you'd ever had, just with that little extra something that you could never replicate again.

Meh, I agree, I spent all the time brewing it, I'm going to see it through to the end unless it has legs and hair.

I'll just tell myself that the bottle I'm drinking isn't the one that the cat had its feet in. :)
Click to expand...
You guys have more guts than I do. :mug:
 
Rook said:
I agree, I spent all the time brewing it, I'm going to see it through to the end unless it has legs and hair.

:)
Click to expand...

I'm with both of you. After all, it's got alcohol in it, right? I just tell myself the alcohol sanitizes it for me. And a stout... well, that must be even safer!
 
One other consideration when off for your OG is that it will mess up your hop balance. Ray Daniels book has a great section on how to hit your target gravity and why it is so important.
 
5 of the 7 brews I've done so far ended up with less that 5 gallons in the secondary. All but one made good to great beers and the one that didn't, was contaminated with a wild yeast.
 

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