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Eastside Brewer

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Well I had a pretty awesome brewday, everything ran really smooth. I wanted to brew a 1.056 APA with 46 Ibu's. I started with 13.5 gallons in the boil and had a pre-boil of 1.056 when I was shooting for a 1.048. With a 90 min. boil, I ended up with approx. 10 gallons in fermenter at 1.070!

problems;
1. Only 46 Ibu's, beer won't be balanced
2. Did yeast starter with 2 viles WL cal ale yeast in 3000ml on a stir plate for three days prior to brew. I don't think it's enough yeast to ferment 1.070.
3. Got in the fermenter at 95 degrees. I had already got starter out of fridge and decanted off fermented wort. I did not pitch last night because the wort hadn't cooled to 66 degrees. I accidentally left flask with yeast on top of frigde over night, still have not pitched.

questions;
1. Can I just boil 2 gallons of filtered water, cool to 66 and add to fermenter? The dilution tool on Beersmith says that will bring it down to 1.058.

2. Is the yeast okay after sitting out of the fridge overnight? it is in a flask with foil on top. The garage was probably 80 degrees around 5pm but probably cooled to 60 overnight.

3. Or do I just pitch the yeast in what I have and hope for the best?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Eastside
 
the yeast should be fine as long as the foil was covering the hole well. did you make ten gallons? that should be enough yeast. why did you put in the fermenter when it was 95*
no wort chiller or what?
 
Thanks for the responses. I do have a plate chiller but I did a bone head move and forgot to turn the water on before I pumped about 4 gallons into fermenter! I am going to dilute with 2 gallons of filtered water boiled and cooled, Beersmith says that will give me 12 gallons @ 1.063 which is still 85% efficiency, if I can get that down to 1.012 or 1.013 that will get me 6.6 % APA, still a little high for what I was going for. I will also dryhop for aroma. I guess I have to stop being so efficient!

Eastside
 
Eastside, I wish I had the problem of being too efficient.
One other option is to make a strong tea from bittering hops to adjust the bitterness and then add that. Best done after primary fermentation is over so the yeast does not dilute it, and not too much.
 
Oh no, an APA with too much alcohol. :D

I'd probably just leave it, but BM's suggestion of dry hopping is a good one as well.
 
You might consider boiling some hops in the extra water, otherwise your IBU/ABV ratio won't change. Aim for 46 IBU in the water, shouldn't take more than 1/2 oz of some high AA hop.
 
Well I added 2 gallon and got it down to 1.061, I didn't see the idea of hops in time but I did put acid in water to get the ph down to 5.2. I probly should have left it alone, but I already have an 8.3% IIPA in the keggerator and I just wanted a lawnmower beer for summer. We will have to wait and see????

Thanks for all of your input.

Eastside.......
 
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