Stout measurement question

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tgrier

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2007
Messages
310
Reaction score
1
Location
Austin, Texas
Hello.

I made a dry stout using a mini mash.
I used the steeping method.

here were my measurements.
OG 1.048 - I was supposed to hit 1.053
1 week primary
1 week secondary
I ending was 1.012 It was supposed to be 1.015

Soooo I did the basic calculation 1.048 - 1.012 = .036 x 131 = 4.716

So does that mean my % alcohol is 4.7%?
Also .. I tasted it and it tastes fine. a little watery ..perhaps. but not that strong of alcohol flavor... I dunno...
I am going to keg it this week-end.

thoughts?
Did I miss my numbers too much?
As a newbie I have no relation as to how much is off is really really bad ...

Thanks
T
 
If you added water at the end to make up volume then your numbers( OG) may be a bit off due to inadequate mixing. Your calculations however, are correct.

Also, the wateryness ( is that a word?) will go away when you carbonate. Carbonation can do wonders for mouthfeel
 
If you aren't brewing competition beer, numbers aren't too important. They can matter at times, but, for just getting started, be excited that you made good beer.

Once you get a feel for things the numbers will start to make more sense and you will have a better idea of where they should end up.
 
Looks to me like your OG was only off by a few points, this could be due to inadequate mixing, not getting all the extract out of the container, or too much top-off water (if the recipe was for 5 gallons and you topped off to 5.5 gallons for example). The lower FG is likely due to the fact that you had a lower OG.

I wouldn't worry about the watery taste; all my beers seem watery until they are carbed. Sounds to me like you should be fine.
 
Your numbers are nominal. A strong alcohol taste almost always means fusel alcohols and is a really bad thing, not something one wants in homebrew. Even high ABV beers, the alcohol should not be a major flavor.

You'll have better mouthfeel once it is carbonated.
 
Looks pretty reasonable to me. Dry stouts aren't necessarily huge beers anyway, I think you'll have a pretty good drinking beer.
 
Back
Top