Fermentation question

Hello all!

I set up my recipe using the hopville beer calculus feature and it said that I would have a starting gravity of 1.090 and a final gravity of 1.023. My forgetfulness forgot to take my starting gravity, but there is little to no bubbles in my fermenter after just 3 days. Just took a gravity reading and it was 1.010. I took a taste test and i can barely taste any alcohol. The beer calculus said I'd have a rough estimate of 8.9% abv when beer is final. Any suggestions?! Pitch new yeast?

You are saying that in 3 days you went from 1.090 to 1.010? That would be a VERY fast fermentation. Make sure your gravity readings are correct. What type yeast and what is the fermentation temperature?

It's a dark room and the room is always between 68-74 degrees. I used the safale us-05 dry yeast

all grain or extract?

I used 12 pounds of grain and 3 pounds of extract

I talked to my local home brew shop owner, and he said that it could be done fermenting already. But my question is why do I barely taste the alcohol when it's supposed to be around 8%? It is an ipa with 6 ounces of hops during my boil and I have 3 ounces for dry hopping.

If you fermented in a room between 68-74 my guess is fermentation actually occurred at the higher temp and went quick as 1.090 down to 1.010 in 3 days is really fast directly related to the heat. I will question your readings as well and the calibration of your hydrometer. Also you stated that you neglected to get an OG so that's a really big assumption that the beer was actually 1.090. My other guess is it's a bad assumption and it was actually less and therefore you are not at 8% but less, thus missing the alcohol taste, for all you know it's really a 5-6% beer

I just made a 4.8% Hefeweizen with 11 lbs of grain, how were you figuring on getting to 1.090? How big was the batch? Did you mash those grains?

Yea like you said my OG could've been much different I just went off of the statistics I was given since I forgot to get an OG . Even if it is done fermenting and only 5-6% abv I will be happy it tastes good!! Thanks for the help guys lesson learned always take an OG lol

spice41 said:

Yea like you said my OG could've been much different I just went off of the statistics I was given since I forgot to get an OG . Even if it is done fermenting and only 5-6% abv I will be happy it tastes good!! Thanks for the help guys lesson learned always take an OG lol

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Definitely, especially when all grain brewing. BTW, I plugged 12lbs 2-row and 3lbs Amber LME in brewsmith and only get a beer at 1.066

Well I did 10 pounds 2-row, 1 pound caramel 20L and 1 pound rye malt. Not that it makes a huge difference haha