Another First Batch -True Brew Irish Stout

All seemed to go well except when I tested the gravity (before pitching the yeast) it was 1.034-036 when the kit says it should be 1.043-045. Is this a problem? When I put it in the tube the color wasn't black like I expected, it was more brown and see through. Just wondering how serious these issues are? Will this beer be weak? I was hoping for a nice strong stout.

Is this an extract brew? If so, something has definately gone wrong.

Yeah extract

If you used one of the Coopers single can kits you need to add more suger to get the og up. It will still make good beer just not have as much alcahol

Tell us what was in the kit?

OK, here are the ingredients that the kit came with

Hopped Dark Malt Extract – 1 can

Dark Dried Malt Extract – 2 lbs

Crystal Grain – 6 oz

Roast Barley Grain – 4 oz

Grain Steeping Bag

Hop Pellets – 2 oz

Ale Yeast – 1 pack

Priming Sugar – 5 oz

Bottle Caps

Unless you forgot to add some ingredients, this is almost certainly the standard failure to fully mix before taking your gravity reading. No big deal.

OK, beersmith says for a 5 gallon batch that recipe should give you a OG of 1.045, and a SRM of 17.2 which is a darkish brown.

Sounds like the color is right, did you end up with 5 gallons? Or more?

McGarnigle said:

Unless you forgot to add some ingredients, this is almost certainly the standard failure to fully mix before taking your gravity reading. No big deal.

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+1, forgot about that, haven't done extract in a coons age, it happens.

RRRR, I don't think I really mixed it. I guess I got all nervous about putting anything into the wort and rushed through that part. I had 2 gallons I boiled first in the fermenter then the wort must have ended up somewhere between 1.5 to 2 gallons. Whatever it was I topped it off with tap water and I didn't mix it. So I must have just skimmed the sample off of the fresh water I just put in huh?

COLObrewer said:

OK, beersmith says for a 5 gallon batch that recipe should give you a OG of 1.045, and a SRM of 17.2 which is a darkish brown.

Sounds like the color is right, did you end up with 5 gallons? Or more?

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Yeah, I filled it to the 5 gallon mark.

Bruce_W said:

Yeah, I filled it to the 5 gallon mark.

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OK, it's simply that it wasn't mixed, no worries, there is virtually no way to miss the target gravity by much when doing extract if your volumes are correct.

A good habit to get into after you add the topoff water is to shake the piss out of it so that you get some aeration, then check the gravity, then pitch yeast.

Thanks for the help. I don't know if I missed it or it wasn't in the videos I watched or the stuff I read but from now on - stir the piss out of it when everything is added to reach 5 gallons! Should have known anyway, just common sense. Thanks again

Hey I just got done conditioning this exact kit I think I can help out with this one. #1 I don't see if you mentioned the temperature when you took your OG. Remember if it is above 60 degrees you need to be adding points. see your hydrometer instructions to do this. or use beersmith or beermate and they have correction calcs. #2 yes it will be a amber color when you first put it into the primary there's no doubt about it this is ok. Some kind of magic happens after you bottle somehow because I am looking at the finished product as I write this and it's like midnight in a glass. Please note this is a DRY STOUT it tastes awesome when finished but very dry ( at least for me ). Hope this helps / eases your concern sounds like you got nothing to worry about. RDWHAHB.