2 possible mistakes...?

[HarbourHops]

My wife and I purchased our starter kit yesterday and began our first batch last night. Not sure everything we did is right and there seem to be a WHOLE lot of factors that can mess things up sooooo. Couple questions,

1) Bought a bag with ingredients to make a 5 gallon batch. Directions said to steep the grains for 20 minutes at 70*? We got the water (purified) to 70 and just laid the bag of grains in the pot. It really didn't seem to accomplish anything? Watching You Tube this morning the guy on the video said to steep at 170*? He also swirled the water around with a large spoon and then pored warm water over the grain bag when he was done steeping it? Really changed the color of his water.

2) While doing the 60 minute rolling boil we really seemed to loose a lot of the water. ended up with probably closer to 3 gallons than 5. This morning after some debating we removed the airlock and added 2 gallons of room temperature purified water to the mix to bring the batch back up to 5 gallons. Just did check the airlock and it is bubbling.

Is there still a chance that everything will be o.k.?

Also I'm new to forums so if I'm doing something incorrectly here I apologize.

 

[unionrdr]

It sounds like the steep didn't go too well? What did you wind up with going into the boil? You could turn down the heat as I do from a blooping out of the kettle boil to a gently rolling one. This would lessen boil-off.

 

[gfinockio]

I'm only taking a shot in the dark here... but I'm guessing you mixed up Celsius and Fahrenheit?

 

[cooldood]

70 c = 158 which is just about right for steeping
I turn the heat down too. I used to do the raging boil thing but know I have my heat on just a enough to keep a mild boil going.

I would have added the water too.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Is there still a chance that everything will be o.k.?

There is a very good chance that all is fine, perhaps not ideal but you will get beer!

Next time steep at 150 - 160 F, and add top off water after boil before adding yeast.
Pitch yeast mid to low sixties F and try and keep that temp for several days through the period of active fermentation.

 

[HarbourHops]

Going into the boil the water still looked like regular water. Really couldn't tell were the steeping had done anything?

 

[HarbourHops]

Thank you all for the advice. Will definitely practice those tips on the next batch. Keeping my fingers crossed in the meantime that batch #1 is at least drinkable when the process is all said and done.

 

[unionrdr]

Going into the boil the water still looked like regular water. Really couldn't tell were the steeping had done anything?

??? did you use crushed grain or whole? the water shouldn't still look like water by boil time.

 

[chickypad]

Was there extract in this batch or was it an all grain batch and that was supposed to be your mash? If the latter then you probably do have pretty much water in the fermenter, I'd chuck it and start over. If those were just steeping grains and most of the fermentables came from extract then you will still make beer even without much contribution from the specialty grains.

 

[dkeller12]

Was there extract in this batch or was it an all grain batch and that was supposed to be your mash? If the latter then you probably do have pretty much water in the fermenter, I'd chuck it and start over. If those were just steeping grains and most of the fermentables came from extract then you will still make beer even without much contribution from the specialty grains.

Totally agree with the above.

If it looked like water, then it will most likely taste like water or bitter water after the hop additions. Unless you are anxious to get the next batch started, I would wait it out and see what you get. I am guessing you will probably end up dumping it. Also, did you happen to take a gravity reading? I assume no, but if you did, what was the reading?


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[Shaneoco1981]

Was there extract in this batch or was it an all grain batch and that was supposed to be your mash? If the latter then you probably do have pretty much water in the fermenter, I'd chuck it and start over. If those were just steeping grains and most of the fermentables came from extract then you will still make beer even without much contribution from the specialty grains.

You don't steep in an all grain recipe. Don't chuck until you know for sure that it a) has an infection or b) is undrinkable. Steeping normally gives most of the color and some flavor. If you messed up the steeping aspect of your first brew, you will be fine. You have fermentation going on as evidence by the air bubbles in your airlock. And adding your top up water is the right thing to do. What you did is essentially a partial boil, but without at least a 6.5 - 7 gallon pot, you can't do a full boil. The extract amount that you added has enough sugar for the estimated OG with 5 gallons of water. You are fine. Let the yeast do their thing, then bottle and enjoy. Cheers.

 

[HarbourHops]

We did take a reading before adding the top off. It was 1.085? I believe it was just steeping grains. (think they were whole grains) We added after the steep 6lbs. of CBW Golden Light (DME)? We have it fermenting in the closet in our room where it can stay dark. Looks like really muddy water and we could smell it last night.

 

[chickypad]

If there was 6 lb of extract then you are fine, as mentioned you may not have gotten much from your grains but that's okay. I was worried you had inadvertenly gotten an all grain kit and were trying to brew it based on extract instructions. Next time you'll know to steep more in the 150-170F range (also grains need to be crushed not whole).

 

[HarbourHops]

First batch turned out great!!! Going to try another one today. Pecan Porter. Seems a little more complex than the Sassy Blonde but hopefully all will go well. Thanks for all the help and reassurance,