Help needed on my third brew

[NJfisher]

Hey Everyone,
I want to say this forum has been a huge help so far and I look forward to using it for the remainder of my homebrewing hobby!

I have an issue with a beer I brewed three weeks ago. It is the Brewers Best Summer ale, it is only my 3rd homebrew beer. I brewed it 3 weeks ago and had a somewhat low OG of 1.030. After brewing i had a hectic week and didn't have a chance to check the airlock much until the second week and saw no bubbling. I figured i had just missed it. Fast forward to today and I tested my gravity to find that it had gone from 1.030 to 1.015, by my math that is only about 2% ABV. Did I pitch bad yeast? And yes it was around 70 degrees when I pitched. With the fruit I expected a strong fermentation but didn't seem to get much. Anyway, is it a waste or should I try to pitch another thing of yeast to save the batch?

Thank you for your help!

 

[RM-MN]

This is an extract kit and it lists the OG at 1.044 to 1.046. Your kit called for boiling less than the full amount (partial boil, often done in kits) and then topping up with water in the fermenter. That should get you right at 4% ABV. It is incredibly difficult to get the dense wort to mix well with the top off water and many brewers then get a false reading for the OG, mostly low but a few really high.

 

[mgortel]

I second exactly what RM-MN said.....you are fine I am sure......your OG reading was off due to stratification of wort when you took OG reading. Your FG sounds slightly high...but it will be fine....bottle it!

 

[NJfisher]

I guess I should have specified I opted to do a full boil so the og was taken from a full boil. Would that make a difference?


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[uatuba]

You didn't properly check the gravity.

That's really the only explanation. The applicable (to you) variables that go into not properly checking the gravity are debatable, but your OG will be within a very narrow range when you are extract brewing.

OR you used way too much water and didn't boil enough off.

 

[NJfisher]

Started with about 6.5 actually ended with around 4 and didn't top off because of the low reading.


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[NJfisher]

I think I figured out my issue. I took the sample before the wort was fully cooled not realizing the temp could alter my reading. Sounds like I definitely just had a bad reading. Thanks for your help guys!


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[garcia]

What temp did you take the OG and FG? Remember most matter expands when heated.

 

[mgortel]

....and your OG should be after the boil.....after it cools to room temp (70F +/-).....in the condition it goes into your fermenter. Your good....just sounds like an incorrect measurement

 

[NJfisher]

This is going to sound aweful but i took it as soon as i cut the heat to the boil. I did it this way just in case i came up short and needed to add some sugar. The wort was more than likely 212ish.

 

[garcia]

http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/hydrometer.html?17047734

I input the #'s, and if you took 1.030 at 210f it adjusts to 1.070 at 60f (this won't be very accurate, but closer than 1.030.

 

[mgortel]

Lesson learned..... your beer will turn out as it is supposed to