Help with Holiday Ale

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morrissey1

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Hello everyone, This is my first brew and im a little anxious to get at it....The kit claims my OG shouldve been 1.074 mine turned out to be 1.06 at 85 degrees....my FG turned out to be 1.03 at 60 degrees...It fermented for 5 days however the airlock stopped bubbling after three days...the recipe is as follows......
Original Gravity = 1.070 - 1.078
Final Gravity:
1.010 - 1.016
Alcohol by Volume:
8.0% - 9.0%
Hop IBUs:
68 - 74
6.6 lbs.
Plain Light Malt Malt Extract
2 lbs.
Plain Light Dry Malt Extract
1 lb. 8 oz. Crushed Crystal Malt 80L
4 oz.
Crushed Chocolate
4 oz.
Crushed Black Patent
1 each
Spice Pack *
1 1/2 oz. Target Hops (Bittering)
1 oz.
Willamette Hops (Finishing) Last 15 min.
5 .oz
Priming Sugar
1 each
Beer Yeast

For some reason the 4oz of crushed black patent wasnt included?? My question is if this beer is gonna be okay and what ABV should I expect? Thanks for all your help!
 
Alright, a few things. Did you adjust your OG for the warm temp at the beginning? An OG at 85 degrees will not be the same at 65. I always check mine when I pitch the yeast so it's in the 60's. Also, you should ferment a little warmer, like around 65-68. I would bump your fermentation temp up and maybe gently rock the yeast back to life. Not sure what yeast you used, but that's a pretty big brew. You should have used a starter on it.
 
At 1.030 I'd say it is not done fermenting yet. You really need to leave it in the fermenter for at least another week, also maybe move it to a slightly warmer place so the yeast can finish their job. It should drop more, and it should turn out fine if you give it the time it needs.
 
At 1.030 I'd say it is not done fermenting yet. You really need to leave it in the fermenter for at least another week, also maybe move it to a slightly warmer place so the yeast can finish their job. It should drop more, and it should turn out fine if you give it the time it needs.

Well ummmmm....I bottled it...yikes. It did ferment at around 70 degrees for five days...after two days of no action in the airlock I figured it was done. The instructions say its ready to bottle after three to seven days of ferment..sooooo I went with it...hmmmm

Do I have 50 bottles of trash now or can I save it? Thanks for your time!
 
Well ummmmm....I bottled it...yikes. It did ferment at around 70 degrees for five days...after two days of no action in the airlock I figured it was done. The instructions say its ready to bottle after three to seven days of ferment..sooooo I went with it...hmmmm

Do I have 50 bottles of trash now or can I save it? Thanks for your time!

Just make sure those bottles are kept in a closet or something because if one or more blows up it could be dangerous.
 
Just make sure those bottles are kept in a closet or something because if one or more blows up it could be dangerous.

Yeah there in a closet in a bathroom thats never used....So what can I expect from the beer as far as ABV and taste? By the way I was just reading that Muntons kits finish early and their intructions do allow for bottling as soon as CO2 stops...Muntons products were in my kit..maybe a glimmer of hope....thanks again
 
Well if your numbers are correct I would say somewhere around 4% but you may want an opinion from someone more experienced on here. Also if you get scared of your bottles you could chill them to slow the fermentation after a little while. Plus I would refrigerate any bottles that make it to ensure that the yeast stops working. It may not end up bad, just sweeter than intended. You not getting some of the ingredients probably affected some of your gravity points.
 
OG-FG*131=ABV

1.060-1.030*131=3.93% ABV

You could always uncap the bottles and GENTLY pour them back into you fermenter for another week or two. If you do, try not to splash or glug or any crazy sh*t like that.
 
To check my math I use the simple formula:

OG - FG * 131 = ABV

So for you I did:

(1.060 - 1.030) .030 * 131 = approx 4% (3.93%)
 
4% that blows..It was suppose to be 7 to 8%...oh well

Thanks for all the info fellas...ill keep you posted!
 
Bottled after five days...yikes! You definitely could be in for some bottle bombs if that yeast decides to finish properly. I hope it turns out okay, but I would definitely put those bottles in a rubbermaid tub or in the tub/shower of that unused bathroom just in case.

The whole reason to use the hydrometer is to find out if it's finished fermenting...and when your reading was significantly higher than expected you should have waited. I don't bottle anything sooner than 3 weeks from pitching yeast. Those kits are not very realistic when it comes to time lines. Even if it were completely done after 5 days it will probably taste very green until it sits in bottles for a month or two.

You're certainly not alone - most of us rushed our first batch or two. I bottled my first batch after a week and it was not very good at all. I can tell you with absolute certainty that most beer tastes many times better if allowed to ferment for 3-4 weeks before bottling (including secondary if used) and then left for 3 weeks in the bottle before drinking. Heavier 7-8% beers usually take even longer to mellow out.
 
Like the others have said, your beer is going to be quite sweet, although that may not be a bad thing with a Holiday Ale. I also have never bottled/kegged a beer that wasn't in the carboy for at least 2 weeks. I would think that you may have some gushers when you do open them so be careful. The most important thing here.....lesson learned so next time you don't make these mistakes. Cheers!
 
Like the others have said, your beer is going to be quite sweet, although that may not be a bad thing with a Holiday Ale. I also have never bottled/kegged a beer that wasn't in the carboy for at least 2 weeks. I would think that you may have some gushers when you do open them so be careful. The most important thing here.....lesson learned so next time you don't make these mistakes. Cheers!

Well my patience is obviously very thin so I popped one today. I was expecting a very sweet, big bodied brew..To my suprise it was not too bad if anything it was a little dry..poured great, nice head retention and was pretty drinkable. If its only going to improve with time.. ill call it a success. Ive learned from my mistakes and im moving on to an Octoberfest...This one, I will allow to ferment to the right FG and I think a secondary fermentation will be in line as I want this beer to be very clear and clean....Thanks again!
 
Don't you hate those time frames given in kits?

My Coopers kits all say 4-7 days in the primary and two weeks in the bottle. That's all! Very misleading! :(

Luckily I joined this forum before messing with the primaries so I will wait until at least two weeks before bottling and then leave them in the bottles to condition.
 
If you are game empty the beer in a fermenter to finish the ferment. Do not wait. Do not even consider it will improve itself. Wear protective clothing and safety glasses. I am serious about this.

I had one bottle explode luckily in a shed. Must have double primed. The glass dented the metal of the shed in places. the beer went everywhere. I donned heavy clothing leather gloves and safety glasses and tipped the lot in the fermenter. It finally turned out ok. I should have called in our case the fire brigade but I was younger and I guess stupid.

If a bottle does explode call the bomb squad to handle them they have the necessary protective clothing. Please do not touch them without taking due care. A brew is not worth injury.

Remember safety first
 
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