low ABV again - what am I doing wrong?

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dna_alexov

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I just started my 2nd batch. I took the OG at 1034 and the kit says it will be done when FG is at approx 1010. Based on my OG, I estimate that the beer will be about 3%. For my first beer that I made a few weeks ago, its OG was 1032 and also ended at about the same FG and thus was 3%.

So what am I doing wrong. I'd using the canned beer kits with the hops and extract already mixed. With these, you just add the extract into 3L hot water and stir, add 1.2kg dextrose and stir, and then fill primary to 23L total with additional water. At that point you stir again and take OG - after that I just add yeast and cover it up.

So why is my OG so low - should I add more sugar????

Thanks
 
Don't add more sugar! You are not doing anything wrong.

The reason your readings are so low is that it is very hard to get the liquid malt mixed thoroughly with the water (particularly with a canned kit). When you are taking your reading, you are pulling mostly top off water which makes your reading inaccurate. It is almost impossible to get a gravity different that what the recipe states with an extract kit. The yeast will find the sugars in your brew so mixing isn't really a problem except for driving your crazy.
 
Thanks guys for the quick reply. I guess the OG can be off, though I'm filling the hydrometer from the spout at the bottom of the primary - so it really isn't being pulled from the top where more water may be present extract - actually since I'm pulling from the bottom I should be getting more extract than water in the hydrometer so I would expect higher OG and not lower?

Also, I did add a little more dextrose to my 2nd kit (approx a total of 1.4kg vs 1.1kg in my first). I also add about 150g of honey hearing that honey makes more abv - but even with the added honey and added dextrose, I still got a low OG so I was confused.

The beer was only started yesterday. I'll take a OG today since it has now had time to settle and start fermentation - perhaps todays reading will be a more accurate OG?

Thanks
 
In extract batches where I have to add top off water, I stir vigorously stir for a minimum of 5 minutes before I take a reading and pitch my yeast. That insures I get a pretty good mixing of wort and water as well as adding pletny of O2 to it.
 
Ok, my 2nd batch has been fermeting now for about 9 days so I thought I'd check the FG - it is only at 1020 and as I stated above it only started at 1034??? I also did not notice that much head on the top of the primary (almost like the yeast wasn't doing much). Should I be concerned?

Remember, this was a 9 year old beer kit. I did obviously use new yeast (I used Nottingham brewing yeast). Perhaps did I use the wrong type of yeast? Also note that I did had a little honey to the kit which I think does slow down the fermentation. Oh, and I did taste the sample out of the hydrometer - it really tasted pritty good.

Thanks
 
Alright dude. Part of the problem at least for this one. Using a 9yr old brew kit.
 
Yah, but I've read some posts about well expired kits, and most replies said they will be fine if new yeast is used. And still, my first batch that only had 1032 OG was a new kit.

So, I'm not sure the age of this kit is the issue. Should I just continue to wait - I know 9 days is not that much but should I not have gotten a bigger change from 1034 to 1020? Or should I just quite and bump it?

Thanks
 
9 years old. Ewww! Yecch! Ugh! I wouldn't use 4 month old extract.

Second. Your reading was wrong. Your Og was not 1.034 since you added sugars which would add up automatically to about 1.048-1.051.

OTOH, with 9 year old extract who knows what will happen when it ferments. It might end up at 1.020.

Let it go for another 1.5-2 weeks, then measure again before bottling. Just don't use these batches as true measures of what homebrewing can deliver.
 
Throw away the instructions on the can, and ONLY fill to at most 19L... ...then maybe go down to 1kg dexrose?

OR, buy 1.4kg DME and boil your can and DME for 20 min, and fill to 19L
 
dontman said:
Your reading was wrong. Your Og was not 1.034 since you added sugars which would add up automatically to about 1.048-1.051.

QUOTE]

I'm confused with that statement. I measured the OG after I added the sugars and honey and topped off the primary to 23L - after mixing it all up is when I got 1034. I didn't take the 1034 straight out of the beer kit when I first opened up the can.

I know that temperature plays a role, though it is minor. And I pulled the OG from the bottom of the primary through a spout, where the extract would be at its thickest even if I did not mix it well with the added water.

So I think my 1034 was accurate. Anyway, test the FG again next week to see if it goes down from the 1020. Either way, seems like this beer will be another 2% to 3%?

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
I never trust OG hydrometer readings for extract batches, as others have said it's practically impossible to get it all to mix completely. I've taken gravity readings from the same fermenter off the top (with a turkey baster) and off the bottom (with a spigot) and had as much as 20 gravity points difference between them. Brewing software will do a better job of telling you what the OG actually is.
 
Your 1034 was not accurate. Sugars and malt extract dissolved in a given volume of liquor will have a predictable, reliable gravity contribution.

1.8 kilograms (4 US lbs) and 1.2 kg dextrose in 23 liters gives an OG of ~1.040. Guaranteed. If you reduce the final volume to 19l, your gravity rises to ~1.049, due to greater concentration of sugars in solution.

You should trust your hydrometer, but I suggest you never use it to determine OG of an extract batch which was boiled with less than the full volume of the brew length. The mixing problems referred to above make it less than reliable. You may rely on the calculators with perfect confidence to compute your OG. The Beer Recipator, for example, is a free online calculator which will help.

Cheers!

Bob
 
Just took another reading today - in the last 5 or so days it has gone from 1020 to 1014. So based on this 6 points drop in almost a week, does it sound like it is slowing down, or is this typical if the yeasties are still doin there thing?

I guess I'll just keep checking it weekly until it finally stops dropping. The kit said it was done at 1010, but maybe if I leave it long enough it will keep going to maybe 1000 or less??

Also I am noticing some small floaties in the batch - not much but enough that you can see them in a glass. Could this be the honey that I added that is not yet dissolved or fermented? It tastes OK and otherwise everything looks good.

Thanks
 
dna_alexov said:
Just took another reading today - in the last 5 or so days it has gone from 1020 to 1014. So based on this 6 points drop in almost a week, does it sound like it is slowing down, or is this typical if the yeasties are still doin there thing?

I guess I'll just keep checking it weekly until it finally stops dropping. The kit said it was done at 1010, but maybe if I leave it long enough it will keep going to maybe 1000 or less??

Also I am noticing some small floaties in the batch - not much but enough that you can see them in a glass. Could this be the honey that I added that is not yet dissolved or fermented? It tastes OK and otherwise everything looks good.

Thanks
Click to expand...

At 1.014, it's about done.

It won't get to 1.000 or less- 1.000 is water and less than that would be something with more alcohol, and NO residual sweetness, like a dry wine. Honey ferments fully, and can cause some drier beer, but not completely dry. The lowest I've had a beer go is around 1.007 or so.

If you have some floaties, time will take care of that and they will fall to the bottom when fermentation is finished. It's not the honey- that ferments out completely.
 

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