ESB-ish

[Nathan0062]

Posted about a week ago wondering if my hydrometer reading was correct or not... As it turns out it mellowed down from 15% abv to 13% abv

 

[JLem]

Not sure what you mean - ABV doesn't really go down and both those values are higher than even most of the biggest beers. I suspect you may be reading/interpreting the hydrometer incorrectly.

What was your recipe and what were your hydrometer readings?

 

[Nathan0062]

ESB

7 lbs. light malt extract
1/2 lbs. crystal 40 for :2l
1/2 lbs. biscuit/amber malt for :20
1oz. Cascade for :60
1oz. Centennial for :10
Windsor British style yeast

Hydrometer readings:
02/18/12: 15% 1.115
02/21/12: 9.90% 1.075

I have also inputed this recipe into my iBrewmaster app which gave me the 13.36%

 

[AgentHubcap]

You put 7lbs of LME into a 2 gallon batch and bottled it like that? No top off water?

 

[Nathan0062]

After the boil and cool down I was about 1.5 litters sort so I add water to the 2 gallon mark(8.5) litters

 

[FlyDoctor]

I'm no expert (barely a beginer) but I think you're reading the hydrometer incorrectly. The OG of 1.115 does not mean there IS 15% alcohol, but that is the potential alcohol if completely fermented. The actual alcohol is derived from subtracting the 1.115 from the final gravity (O.G.15% F.G.13%=2% ABV). Sorry if this is not what you meant.

Curious though, why did you keep it so concentrated? What style are you going for?

 

[JLem]

ESB

7 lbs. light malt extract
1/2 lbs. crystal 40 for :2l
1/2 lbs. biscuit/amber malt for :20
1oz. Cascade for :60
1oz. Centennial for :10
Windsor British style yeast

Hydrometer readings:
02/18/12: 15% 1.115
02/21/12: 9.90% 1.075

I have also inputed this recipe into my iBrewmaster app which gave me the 13.36%

Wow...that is a ton of extract for a 2 gallon batch! This is more barleywine than ESB. As mentioned above, the % on the hydrometer is alcohol potential and is only useful for wine or cider which tend to completely ferment out. For beer, which doesn't ferment completely out, you need to wait for you final gravity to calculate ABV.

ABV = (OG - FG) x 131

If you have a good fermentation with this beer, you will probably get an FG in the 1.020-1.025 range. Possibly as high as 1.030. So you're looking at an ABV over 10%. I am concerned however that fermentation will stall - this is a very big beer, which tend to have fermentation issues.

 

[Nathan0062]

So... I opened a bottle and it foams massively!
After the foam dissipates its a very tasty beer. I was told it might not have been finished fermenting. Should I empty all the bottles and and re-ferment with more yeast??

 

[igotsand]

Op..Did you take a final gravity before bottling?
Whats your bottling procedures?
Igotsand

 

[Chap]

When did you brew this?

 

[Nathan0062]

Final G was 13% abv
Bottling was 1/2 cup dextrose to 2 cups water added to fermenter lightly stirred

 

[Nathan0062]

Brewed 3 weeks ago

 

[JLem]

Final G was 13% abv
Bottling was 1/2 cup dextrose to 2 cups water added to fermenter lightly stirred

Final gravity is not a %. On the hydrometer there is should be a scale that reports specific gravity- 1.xxx (eg, 1.020). If you were reading the potential alcohol scale and you bottled it when it read 13%, you bottled WAY TOO EARLY and you are in danger of the bottles exploding. the potential alcohol scale tells you that there is still enough sugar in there to potentially reach that alcohol level. If yours read 13%, you still had a ton of sugar LEFT in the beer. Bottling with this much sugar would result in more carbonation than the bottles can hold.

Cam you figure out the specific gravity reading from your hydrometer?

 

[Nathan0062]

Looking at the hydrometer now, according to the scale that starts @ 1.000 my final gravity was 1.50

 

[veritas524]

Those beers are potential hand grenades... If you have family or roommates keep them away from them. I'm not an expert on pressure and glass, but popping the caps off might be your safest option.

 

[JLem]

Looking at the hydrometer now, according to the scale that starts @ 1.000 my final gravity was 1.50

I can't imagine it was actually 1.500. I assume you mean 1.050...and if so you bottled WAY too soon. BUT when I check out my hydrometer, my scales do not match up with yours. Matching up 13% on the potential alcohol scale on mine comes out to somewhere around 1.100. Honestly, I'm having a hard time interpreting what you have done/are doing. Regardless, I think you have a serious problem on your hands. Personally, I'd toss the bottles into a rubbermaid container and leave it alone for a while, And I would wear safety glasses and gloves when handling these beers.

I don't mean to be harsh, but it sounds like you need to take a step back and learn some basics - here is a good place to start - http://www.HowToBrew.com

Good luck.

 

[Nathan0062]

Been to the site and I have lots of other books as well. I'm not asking for step by step instructions on a forum site. I'm asking the occasional bit of advice.
My buddy at the local beer supply shop and I made this recipe on the fly while I was getting other supplies. I know very well that 7 lbs. of extract is meant for a 5 gallon batch. I wanted a higher gravity ESB style not an exact copy of someone else.
I will be un-bottling the remainder of the batch and pitching a new yeast to see what happens. If you have "advice" please feel free to share it with me.

 

[JLem]

Been to the site and I have lots of other books as well. I'm not asking for step by step instructions on a forum site. I'm asking the occasional bit of advice.
My buddy at the local beer supply shop and I made this recipe on the fly while I was getting other supplies. I know very well that 7 lbs. of extract is meant for a 5 gallon batch. I wanted a higher gravity ESB style not an exact copy of someone else.
I will be un-bottling the remainder of the batch and pitching a new yeast to see what happens. If you have "advice" please feel free to share it with me.

I didn't mean to offend (you "sound" offended). There is no issue with your recipe or what you set out to accomplish. But the manner in which you read your hydrometer and the fact that you seem to have bottled your beer much, much too early suggested to me that you needed some very basic, beginner advice and John Palmer's How to Brew is where to get that.

Good luck with this batch. Hope it turns out OK.

 

[onthekeg]

It's not an ESB if you grossly blow out the style. Also, many others have mentioned potential alc% previously. I won't repeat that, but you have issues with this beer. Wear gloves when you uncap them. Goggles too.