Weak Brews (1.030 OG)

I'm on my fourth brew with Mini Monster 1 gallon kits, and all have been consistently weak. This one, a Mini Monster America Wheat, at an OG of 1.030 (brewed yesterday) is typical. Fermenting was vigorous for the first 20 hours or so and has quieted-down now.

One thing I'm probably doing wrong is covering the pot during the boil. I guess I've been scared of boiling it away, but this time I ended up with probably an extra pint, which means it is diluted. So next time I won't.

In the meantime, is there anything that can be done to bulk this one up? Maybe adding some sugar?

Add sugar where? (Fermenter is full.)

One option is to brew a strong beer and blend.

Thanks. I figure I could get a couple of cups in if it would help.

russ_watters said:

Thanks. I figure I could get a couple of cups in if it would help.

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Certainly, a cup or 2 of sugar would be my choice at this point.

Eight ounces of sugar would add 23 gravity points. This would bring the OG up to 1.053. The ABV will be boosted, but will give the beer a drier finish and thinner body.

Handy chart to have on hand for malts and adjuncts like sugar.
http://beersmith.com/grain-list/

Looks like your fermentor is on the kitchen counter. Is it protected from sources of ultraviolet light? After hops are added to the wort UV will cause skunking.

flars said:

Eight ounces of sugar would add 23 gravity points. This would bring the OG up to 1.053. The ABV will be boosted, but will give the beer a drier finish and thinner body.

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Thanks -- I think I may do that. I'll need to figure out why I'm making them so light though...

Looks like your fermentor is on the kitchen counter. Is it protected from sources of ultraviolet light? After hops are added to the wort UV will cause skunking.

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I just left it there overnight so I could leave the tube in while it was fermenting vigorously. I just transferred it to a dark closet. But yeah, except for a CFL bulb overhead that has a diffuser on it, it should have been away from UV today.

1.030 is a perfectly fine gravity for a beer, just saying. I target 1.032-1.036 for a LOT of my beers. Some are even down in the 1.028-1.030 range Then again, I like the session beers.

From a quick googling, these are all-grain kits, no? If so, probably something in the process (I would look first to grain crush) that's causing the low gravity. Adding sugar will beef it up, at the cost of body and flavor. Adding some DME may be a better option. But I'd say the best choice, as already suggesting, is blending with a stronger beer.

don't boil with a cover, it will hold the sulfur compounds that give a "cabbage" flavour in the beer instead of boiling them off.

Got to be something in your process. Wrong mash temp, not long enough mash time. Bad thermometers happen. Like someone else said, grain crush could be too coarse.


All the Best,
D. White