Stupidest....Mistake.....Ever!!

Well, it's taken me a week to get up the nerve to post this. Last weekend was to be the inagural brewday over at my new place. I was to brew the "Dog's Bollocks" IPA in my sig. Incedentally, this was also to be my first beer for competition.

So, I got off work, and got started. All my gear was packed away in the shed. I was in a rush to get started, so we wouldn't be out there all night. So, I decided to get mashed in, then take care of everything else.

I heated my strike water, and popped open my pre-packaged grains. I was to use some nice Golden Promise two-row in this. So, I start mashing in, alternating between mixing my water and grains. I get about 75% of my grains in, and realize I have a problem. THEY'RE NOT CRUSHED!!!

I always order them crushed, because I don't have a mill yet. At this point, I don't know if the mistake was mine, or the online HBS I ordered from. It's a moot point, because in my haste, I'd failed to notice. I mashed for about 2 hours at 151F, and batch sparged it.

Long story short, I lightly hopped it and came up with a SG in the fermenter of 1.038 (it was supposed to be about 1.064). It fermented, but it was weak. I need to check my gravity to see how it attenuated.

Lesson learned.....don't get in too big a rush!

Ahh, bummer. Sounds like something I might do Hopefully you got some fermentables out of it. Did you taste the wort before you pitched at all?

Bummer, indeed! Hope it works out in some way. I'll add it to my list of mistakes I should try to avoid!

Yeah, the wort was pretty damn sweet. It fermented, but only put on about a 1 1/2" kreautsen. If it didn't attenuate well, it'll have to get flushed. I'll probably take a reading when I get home later. If it does, it might turn out to be a pretty decent mild ale!

Nothing wrong with a Mild, the hard way. Certainly a one-time error.

My worst had to have been when my brewing buddy put four pounds of rye in a batch that called for four oz. Had to toss the tarball, all 18 pounds of it!

I don't think it is going to be a big issue.
We know we got sugar out of the grains because the wort tasted normal.
Kudos to Sam for some quick thinking and coming up with a pretty decent recipe (I think it will be anyway) for the mild. he had a bunch of different hops laying around and made it work!

We had a damn good time brewing it too though! My bro-in-law is still raving about that night!

Steak, beer, brewing, does it get any better than that?

Can't forget to mention 2 of the biggest dogs I've ever seen too!!!!!!

bummer Sam, i know that was like a kick in the gut. no problems, live and learn right? like someone above said, ebter it into a mild category and you just may be suprised.

way to think on the fly!

Steak, beer, brewing, does it get any better than that?

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New York Style Hot Italian sausage smoked with apple wood! Can't find any in Oregon.

Thanks fellas! I think I'll be ordering the stuff for that batch again, making for CERTAIN they get crushed this time. With luck, ORRELSE and I will be doing a dual brewday at his place this weekend.

Sam75 said:

Thanks fellas! I think I'll be ordering the stuff for that batch again, making for CERTAIN they get crushed this time. With luck, ORRELSE and I will be doing a dual brewday at his place this weekend.

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Yep! I'm going to attempt the "North to Alaska Porter". Need to figure out how to smoke grains before Saturday. I already ordered the ingredients from HBA.

We might have a special guest too! Huleoo might come!