overshot strike - scrap the batch?

I have some problems today. I overshot my strike by 6 degrees and cooled it down to the right temp. the problem is; did I screw up my weighing of the grain at the LHBS? i was in hurry and can't be sure. I was weighing in 3LB increments and dumping in bag. I might have missed one. i hate to waste all those good hops. i wonder if i should start over. I'm just not AG experienced enough to deal with this ****. Too many things at once. Is there an emergency AG panic section here?

Well, how high did it get? If your target wasn't very high to begin with then you're likely fine, and even if it was, you're probably still fine as long as you fixed it rather quickly.

As far as weighing your grains... I don't think ther'es any way we can answer that one for you... if you've had good luck hitting strike temps with a given calculator and procedure before, then the total grain weight may be suspect as the cause for the higher temp this time, but if you're not entirely confident of your calc/procedure then there are plenty of variables at play.

Do you have iodine on hand to test for starch conversion? It's a great tool for peace of mind when you're worried about the performance of your mash.

Fermentables or not, you've got lots of flavor. Take an OG reading and add some LME or DME to bring it up to where you want it. Odds are, the beer will be great.

I had my cellphone to my ear while weighing. Everything about this beer was rushed from the get go. I guess I will do all the pre-boil and see where I am at.

The enzymes do not de-nature instantly. Even the beta can handle 160F for a few minutes.

When you get a chance give the brewing session specifics. We can figure out if you missed some grain and if you did what you will be making without it.
Go for it and chock it up to experience. I've learned the hard way that you really have to pay attention when weighing grains at the LHBS.
Let us know.

david_42 said:

The enzymes do not de-nature instantly. Even the beta can handle 160F for a few minutes.

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That's about where I was at. Thanks for the post.

RichBrewer said:

When you get a chance give the brewing session specifics. We can figure out if you missed some grain and if you did what you will be making without it.
Go for it and chock it up to experience. I've learned the hard way that you really have to pay attention when weighing grains at the LHBS.
Let us know.

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I will do that as soon as I am able. Going to Mash-Out now and see where I am at. Will get back soon. Thanks to the board for all your help.

KD

I have overshot my target on large batches of grist and brought the temp down in 5 to 10 min with little effect on the brew. Let us know how it turned out!!

Ok, my pre-boil came out to 1.033. should be 1.044 according to Pro-Mash. I'm thinking my weigh-in was off at this pint. Looked a little low in the cooler when I doughed in too, and mash was slightly thin.

You can boil longer and through evaporation get your FG where it should be. It will be less yield or just add DME if you have it.

Chris_Dog said:

You can boil longer and through evaporation get your FG where it should be. It will be less yield or just add DME if you have it.

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I have 2 lbs. of DME on hand, but I am trying to get away from this fix if possible. I guess I will just gamble and see where I end up. I have been getting better than expected post-boil numbers anyway. Will report.

1.056 into the fermenter (right on). Full batch. I can't figure out how this seems to work out in the end. I hope the mash temp was ok for the recipe. Thanks for the help.

KD

Is it possible that your wort was stratified when you took your pre-boil gravity? I always take it twice to make sure, once from the valve, and once by dunking from the top.

Also, how long do you wait after stiring to measure your mash temp? Sometimes, it takes about 5 minutes for the temps to stabilize.

No shame in using DME to fix misses in pre-boil gravity - it's done all of the time.

Bearcat Brewmeister said:

Is it possible that your wort was stratified when you took your pre-boil gravity? I always take it twice to make sure, once from the valve, and once by dunking from the top.

Also, how long do you wait after stiring to measure your mash temp? Sometimes, it takes about 5 minutes for the temps to stabilize.

No shame in using DME to fix misses in pre-boil gravity - it's done all of the time.

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To tell you the truth Bearcat, this is my biggest problem in brewing. I cannot get consistent readings in the mash no matter what I do. I use several thermometers, and place them everywhere. It seems you are absolutely correct in saying that it takes time for temperatures to stabilize in the mash. The problem I have, is that is seems to take 15+ minutes, at which point I am totally frustrated. I thoroughly stir the mash with an adequate paddle, but still see lots of variance in temperature around the mash tun. I am very excited about switching to a recirculating, direct fire system in the near future. I just feel out of control with this system, though I know most every homebrewer produces wonderful beers with the cooler/infusion method (myself included!). I am still learning and enjoying every minute of this wonderful hobby. I will likely look back at this and laugh at myself. Such is any endeavor with a learning curve, steep or not. Thanks for your input.