Biggest mistake ever

[rewster451]

So my roommate was out of town getting an emergency surgical procedure done (not that big of a deal), and told us to brew his recipe without him. However, he forgot to mention the FOUR POUNDS of pale malt. I kept looking at it and thinking "where's the base malt in this?" But it was his recipe, and I wanted to stay true to it, so the Belgian Dubbel is not really a Dubbel at all. I don't know what it'll be. It only rang in at 1.06 or so. We have everything we need to try again except the yeast and the candi sugar, and I think we should do it again. It would make a good surprise gift for him I think. He isn't visibly upset, but I think he thinks we're morons. How could it not have a base malt?

 

[SwAMi75]

Well, the gravity doesn't sound bad. I mean, you obviously got conversion, so ferment it and see what comes out.

And here's a trick: instead of candi sugar, use plain old table sugar.

 

[Walker]

so, what was the recipe that you actually brewed that day?

-walker

 

[Dude]

And here's a trick: instead of candi sugar, use plain old table sugar.

Just dump in table sugar or do you have to cook it down first?

 

[SwAMi75]

From what I've read, just dump it in. For setups like ours, I'd probably dissolve it in some water first, to avoid carmelization (since we've got stuff in our kettles that the sugar can get trapped under before it's stirred in). If you've got a plain bottom kettle, I'd just stir it in like extract.

 

[rewster451]

It was supposed to be a partial mash, so all that gravity came from the extracts and the sugar. We used the candi because we wanted it to be "authentic." It was supposed to be a huge beer, like 1.100.
We used 9 pounds of extract, half a pound of aromatic, 10 oz. of caramunich, 2oz. of Cara red, and 6 oz. of special B.

 

[SwAMi75]

You used 9lbs of extract, and had an OG od 1.060? What volume are we talking here?

Plugging this into Promash, 9 lbs of DME and 1lb of candi sugar should yield an OG of around 1.092 for a 5 gallon batch.

So it sounds to me like you made some serious mistakes beyond not doing a partial mash with 4lbs of grain.

Secondly, I don't see how that would be a dubbel.

 

[cweston]

Secondly, I don't see how that would be a dubbel.

Right: the gravity they did get (1.060) is just about smack in the middle of the range for the dubbel style, IIRC.

 

[cowain]

And here's a trick: instead of candi sugar, use plain old table sugar.

Do you think the heat alone will invert the sugar and turn the sucrose into glucose or do you not care?

I make candi sugar to be sure that the sugar has been inverted by giving it an acidic environment and heat.

 

[rewster451]

It was six pounds of liquid pale extract, and three pounds of dry laaglander amber extract. As for whether it's a dubbel, it isn't my recipe. I really hadn't looked into it at all, but when my roommate had to go to the hospital I told him I'd brew it for him. I really can't think of any mistakes that would make extract not come out to what it's supposed to unless you put it in promash wrong. It was a five gallon batch. I'm guessing lme, since it has water in it already, doesn't boost gravity the way dme does. Also, I bet a lot of it gets hung up straining it out. I do rinse it heavily with warm water, but we throw a lot of stuff out. It can't all be hop pellets.

 

[budbo]

I've been told raw sugar ferments better than processed sugar.

 

[Walker]

It was six pounds of liquid pale extract, and three pounds of dry laaglander amber extract. <snip> I really can't think of any mistakes that would make extract not come out to what it's supposed to unless you put it in promash wrong. It was a five gallon batch.

Something might be off with the hydrometer you used, or the reading you took. 9 lbs of extract is definately going to be over 1.06 for a 5 gallon batch. The recipator (on-line recipe tool) shows that 6 lbs LME + 3 lbs DME will give you a gravity of 1.095 for 5 gallons.

I'm guessing lme, since it has water in it already, doesn't boost gravity the way dme does.

Not sure I follow you here. Both will cause gravity to increase because they are adding sugar to the solution.

Also, I bet a lot of it gets hung up straining it out. I do rinse it heavily with warm water, but we throw a lot of stuff out. It can't all be hop pellets.

Not sure I follow that either. (I've had a few beers :cross but 'what' gets hung up straining it out?

-walker

 

[rewster451]

I've been wondering about my hydrometer, but the thing is, it reads really high at bottling time, like 1.03, which may be because of a lot of unfermentables. I don't really know what I'm talking about with getting hung up in straining, but what I mean is that when I strain out the hops, although I try to rinse them well, I don't know if sometimes sugars get caught in there. Maybe I'll buy a new hydrometer though. Thanks all for the input.

 

[Walker]

I've been wondering about my hydrometer, but the thing is, it reads really high at bottling time, like 1.03, which may be because of a lot of unfermentables.

You can test to see if your hydrometer is off by putting it into plain old water (at whatever temp you hydrometer is calibrated for... usually 60 or 70°F, I think). It should read a flat 1.000.

I don't really know what I'm talking about with getting hung up in straining, but what I mean is that when I strain out the hops, although I try to rinse them well, I don't know if sometimes sugars get caught in there. Maybe I'll buy a new hydrometer though. Thanks all for the input.

Yeah, the hops will have soaked up some wort, but not very much. Sugar loss due to hop absorbtion can probably be safely assuled to be 0%.

FYI: this is why I hate hydrometers and don't own one. they only give you things to worry about.

-walker

 

[rewster451]

Well, according to that method of testing, which I've performed before but decided to try again anyway, gave 1.000, maybe 1.001. I'm more confused than ever. Where'd the gravity go???

Probably gravity gremlins. That's what I'm blaming, for now.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

according to my calculations 6 lbs. lme + 3 lbs. dme + 1lbs. sugar= 1.078 o.g.

i use dave millers sugar calculus which gives dme a value of 45 for 1 lbs. and lme a value of 36 for 1 lbs. and 40 for 1 lbs. sugar so 6X36+3X45+40=391 divided by 5 = 1.078

to get 1.095 you would need 10.5 lbs dme or 13.25 lbs lme

 

[rewster451]

according to my calculations 6 lbs. lme + 3 lbs. dme = 1.070 o.g.

i use dave millers sugar calculus which gives dme a value of 45 for 1 lbs. and lme a value of 36 for 1 lbs. so 6X36+3X45=351 divided by 5 = 1.0702

to get 1.095 you would need 10.5 lbs dme or 13.25 lbs lme

I don't like math, but your calculations make me feel better/less confused.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

now if you were a good roomate and didnt forget the 4 lbs. 2-row, the gravity would have got bumped up another 19 points @ 70 percent effiency, giving you an og of 1.097 or so, which is even bigger than a triple, and more a belgian strong ale...

 

[rewster451]

Now I feel worse... Thanks a lot. But remember, he forgot to put it in his recipe. I just followed what he said. Still, I like belgian strong ales too. I wish we would have done it the way he wanted.

 

[phisig137]

I also agree, 6# liquid and 3# dry should yeild a lot more than 1.060. As others have said check your hydrometer. If in PLAIN water it reads 1.000, your fine, if not, you can smack the hydrometer gently against your hand until the paper inside moves to the proper position.

Finally.... If indeed for some reason your OG was actually that low, you still have options. Personally, I would make a thick reduction of malt, LME, raisons and prunes on the stove in a little bit of water. Once this syrup has cooled, pitch it into the secondary with a bit more yeast and wait. Added body, flavor, and alcohol are hard to argue with.....