Giant massive fail!

Brewed a Nut Brown a couple weekends ago. Was intended to be a sessionable beer with an OG of 1.049. My thermometer was somehow WAY off during the mash...LIKE 20 DEGREES OFF!!... so instead of mashing at 154, I was probably mashing at about 174...OG ended up at about 1.041 toward the end of the boil (which is actually surprising considering)...so added a bit of brown sugar that I had around the house which only brought me up to 1.046, but 2 and a half weeks into fermentation and I'M ONLY AT 1.030...

I'm assuming that mashing at 175 just doesn't yield enough fermentable sugar...correct? What a massive disappointment....down the drain this does...just not interested in a 2% beer...

It's possible you killed the yeast by pitching at too high of a tempature, seeing as how you mashed in too hot, possible the yeast may still be good but i wouldn't risk it.

Brew a very dry version of the same beer and blend them. I wouldn't just dump it, but thats just me.

I would bet it got mashed at too high a temp. genius idea about brewing a dry batch. that way you have twice as much beer.

I was going to ask if you use A/C and store the beer in your cellar. my beer takes twice as long to ferment in the summer because my basement is about 60 degrees or thereabouts.

dump that bad boy and start over.

eastoak said:

dump that bad boy and start over.

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yep - was a cheap batch anyway...just gonna try again this weekend.

I ferment at about 65 ambient all year...been at 1030 for 3 days now...it's not moving. Of all the issues I've had brewing, they all involve a damn thermometer...time I bought a nice one.

kbuzz said:

yep - was a cheap batch anyway...just gonna try again this weekend.

I ferment at about 65 ambient all year...been at 1030 for 3 days now...it's not moving. Of all the issues I've had brewing, they all involve a damn thermometer...time I bought a nice one.

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But- how does it taste? If it tastes good, and not too godawful sweet, I'd bottle it and call it a "dessert beer". A low ABV beer for after dinner would be great, if it tastes good!

Heck yea, if it tastes good/decent/not horrible then bottle it and I'm sure someone would be happy to drink it for you

kbuzz said:

yep - was a cheap batch anyway...just gonna try again this weekend.

I ferment at about 65 ambient all year...been at 1030 for 3 days now...it's not moving. Of all the issues I've had brewing, they all involve a damn thermometer...time I bought a nice one.

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One word... Thermapen. You won't regret it.

Yooper said:

But- how does it taste? If it tastes good, and not too godawful sweet, I'd bottle it and call it a "dessert beer". A low ABV beer for after dinner would be great, if it tastes good!

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I guess I could probably be labeled as wasteful, but I just wouldn't keep this around...it didn't taste "BAD" per se, but definitely a touch too sweet and not what I was after...every bottle I cracked would remind me of my failure...I wouldn't be able to look past it...to save myself that psychological anguish, it went down the drain...

Hey, it happens to the best of us. Did you learn anything new? If you did, then it wasn't a waste. At least that's how I view it. I had to dump a batch earlier this week because I didn't clean the commercial bottles I used well enough and got a gusher infection (probably wild yeast). I learned my lesson and learning is never a bad thing.

Damn the thermometer. I was looking forward to trying this batch, Kevin!

I'm using the Polder Digital In-Oven Thermometer and will say that I'm very happy with it. The cord is plenty long so i can leave the sensor deep in the mash, close the lid, and sit the display on top of the insulated tun (which in my case, BIAB, is the kettle/hlt too!). The Polder is only $23 on Amazon, not a bad buy!

I.'d be more psychologically annoyed that I wasted 5 gallons of beer that didn't need to be dumped.

It's not just the thermometer but how homogeneous the stuff in the pot is. I've found a huge variation trying to measure the temp in a mash pot (I do BIAB) right after adding the grain. It can vary 10 or more degrees from one part of the mash (pot) to another depending on how well you've mixed the grain and the mash water. Trust your starting temp, mix really well and wait 5 or 10 minutes before mixing again and measuring the temp.

Riseabovebb said:

Damn the thermometer. I was looking forward to trying this batch, Kevin!

I'm using the Polder Digital In-Oven Thermometer and will say that I'm very happy with it. The cord is plenty long so i can leave the sensor deep in the mash, close the lid, and sit the display on top of the insulated tun (which in my case, BIAB, is the kettle/hlt too!). The Polder is only $23 on Amazon, not a bad buy!

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Well, Matt - you'll be happy to hear that I rebrewed this batch earlier today and it was a much better experience...had an additional thermometer on hand for calibration, etc...all went perfectly according to plan...nailed my OG, temps...

Can't remember the name of the digital thermometer that I use, but it was a cheap Amazon buy as well...couldn't have been more than $20-$30ish or so...but I think I might have to buy something decent soon...can't be worrying about calibration as often as I currently do...the worry is exhausting

BTW - I've still got plenty to send your way!! I think we should save up for a big epic box trade...jus sayin...

Calibration can be done the high school Chemistry way -- stick the thermometer bulb into the middle of a glass of icewater and hold it for a minute. In theory, it should always read 32 degrees F. If not, then there is usually a method of adjusting what the thermometer reads. Dial thermometers usually have a lock nut on the back that you loosen so you can turn the dial to the proper reading. Digitals may have a small screw you can adjust.

Standard glass thermometers don't touch my brews -- too fragile to trust and they usually don't like thermal shocks.

mikeysab said:

Brew a very dry version of the same beer and blend them. I wouldn't just dump it, but thats just me.

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at 174 I am suprised you have any sugar at all... so I would quiestion your questionable thermometer...

Did it ferment? do you have alcohol?

I high temps will not kill all the the yeast at pitching but it sure can produce a bunch of off flavors and hig alcohols.

SO if when you taste it, it tastes like beer, but it has a flaw that you can correct by blending.

ELSE,, pour it on some weeds on the garden... maybe it will kill them...

Too late, he already dumped it