new to this, Painfully discouraged, extract brewer

[MadLemur]

I've made a few brews from my LHB store (not even remotely local (1.5 hours), and my success rate is terrible, but that's an issue for another post.

This particular brew is the NB Dry dock breakwater extract kit. On brew day all directions were followed to the T, things went swimmingly during fermentation in the primary storage(quite active and not short lived). But when I just transferred it to a secondary after twenty days (dry hopping in secondary is part of the directions) I took a sample to put in my hydrometer to compare to my initial reading. The result of this test was soul crushing, the difference in FG and OG puts my beer at non-alcoholic. I noticed just lightly malted water in my tasting with no hint of any flavor at all(I drank the test beer after measuring).

I don't know what I messed up on, I realize I've given minimal details here, but very literally, I followed the directions precisely and had no mishaps. The inital wort tasting ( I dunno if one should taste the hydro reading, but It felt right, so I did) had flavor and a distinct hoppy-ness. The beer bubbled madly during fermentation, but has no taste currently, and according to my numbers (FG 1.008! taken three times. OG 1.11, a thrice measured amount) it's not beer, and the measurement HAS to be wrong because it isn't an almost 14% beer. I must have done the hydrometer reading wrong, quite likely, on both occasions.

My question is this, what could have happened between an excellently bubbly fermentation and now?

 

[fuelish]

IThe result of this test was soul crushing, the difference in FG and OG puts my beer at non-alcoholic. I noticed just lightly malted water in my tasting with no hint of any flavor at all(I drank the test beer after measuring).

.....and according to my numbers (FG 1.008! taken three times. OG 1.11, a thrice measured amount) it's not beer, and the measurement HAS to be wrong because it isn't an almost 14% beer.

Have you ever checked to see if your hydrometer is reading properly @ 60 degrees F in water??? If so, were both your OF and FG samples read at 60 degrees F ??? has your hydrometer been compromised in a ny way (dropped???cracked???) are the numbers you posted correct???(any typos???) Not quite understanding, and in all fairness, am unfamiliar with the kit, so........what was expected OG and FG???

 

[jeff13]

It must be in an incorrect reading for your OG because 1.11 is way too high. Even 1.011 would be incorrect unless you forgot the extract or made a 5 gallon recipe into a 2 gallon. The 1.008 is where it should be. Don't be discouraged give it time and proceed normally. Tasting now is never a good example of the final product. It takes a really trained person to tell. I personally never taste until 3 weeks in bottle or 5 days in a keg


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[flars]

I looked up the recipe. OG is estimated at 1.049. If you used all the extract and the liquor volumes used were correct the OG is 1.049.
some questions to help figure out what happened.
Which yeast did you use? How much yeast did you use? What was the temperature of the wort during the first three days of the fermentation?

I do think it may be reading the hydrometer incorrectly. After dry hopping and bottle conditioning your beer will be a pale ale.

Here is a link to hydrometer use.
http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html

 

[smccarter]

Hmm... an extract beer brewed exactly to the instructions.

I'd say that either you didn't follow the instructions exactly, or your hydrometer is faulty.

The best advice that I can give is to wait until you've bottled and carbonated the beer - or kegged and carbonated the beer - then taste.. to make your judgement.

After you've carbonated and properly cooled the beer, drink 8 of them in rapid succession and see how you feel. If you're drunk off your azz, your hydrometer is wrong. If you're still sober, you really need to re-read your instructions.

Let us know.

 

[jeff13]

I think he read 11 Plato for his OG because that is about 1.045 SG and what he should be at for his OG. That makes the most sense

 

[Yooper]

I think he read 11 Plato for his OG because that is about 1.045 SG and what he should be at for his OG. That makes the most sense

Yes, that makes sense. Let's see, Og 1.045 (has to be, 1.045-1.049ish if the extract was added), and a FG of 1.008. That means 4.8% ABV, about right for that beer style.

I don't know why it has 'no taste' now- it should taste like thin flat beer. Carbonation and bottling will change it a lot, giving it body and mouthfeel, but it should still smell like beer and taste like (not-too-good) beer.

 

[brewkinger]

I have to agree with everything thus far.
OG reading is wonky.
What temp was the wort when you measured OG?

Are you interpreting the reading of 1.008 as "non alcoholic" because it is so close to the value of 1.000 which is water?
I think that the OP is making a mistake that I made early on and interpreting the potential alcohol level at my final gravity rather than subtracting it correctly from the PA of the original gravity.


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[Cyclman]

With kits, you really can ignore the hydrometer. If you ferment in the sixties for 3 weeks, and see active fermentation, you made beer. Bottle it, it may be good- sometimes carbonation makes a huge difference, young, green beer is also not as flavorful.

See if there's another homebrewer nearby, or a club, maybe having a partner in the hobby would be motivating

 

[Pie_Man]

Extract og is easy to calculate, I suggest reading howtobrew.com for instructions. If you added top up water, your readings are likely off. Temperature of the wort during the reading is also important. These seem to be the biggest og reading mistakes by brew brewers. User error and equipment error are possible causes as well

As for the flavor, it should taste like beer, but thinner and less lively, carbonation will help tremendously. Your initial pre-fermentation tasting was sweet. The sugars were not yet fermented. This likey gave the impression of more flavor. Wait until your beer is carbed before dismissing the flavor.

 

[green_giant43]

I agree with the others that you probably read off the Plato scale.

DWRHAHB. It'll turn out fine I'm sure. The beer itself right now will be thin and taste a bit watery I'm sure. Carbonation and bottle fermentation really helps wake it up.

As for being discouraged, it's easy to say but hard to do: relax and take it in stride. I just recently messed up my IPA extract kit and part of it is BECAUSE I followed directions to a T. Honestly, you'll find what works for you as you go on. I think that late malt additions for one were one of the best things I've done for my beer.

That knowledge of exactly what to do and how to make great beer will come in time (and I'm sure even the most season veterans here will say they're still learning with every batch.) But for now, RDWHAHB.

 

[MadLemur]

Wow, I have to say, you guys are awesome.
I took your advice and looking back on my process (I record it all in a notebook as I go) it's probably just a misread.
I've got to say, there has been more response and faster response to a newbie in freak-out mode here on this forum than in any other BB I've ever been a part of (from mortgage, to exercise and everywhere in between). You guys rock, were I not an unemployed accountant, I'd eat some shipping cost and mail you all a beer for being so awesome.
Thanks!
~Lemur

 

[unionrdr]

Well, that's why we're all here, to teach as well as learn. It'll be thanks enough that you get a good beer to enjoy...

 

[mrdail87]

The inital wort tasting ( I dunno if one should taste the hydro reading, but It felt right, so I did) had flavor and a distinct hoppy-ness. The beer bubbled madly during fermentation, but has no taste currently, ...

Keep in mind that you're tasting this warm, flat, and still relatively early. Samples never taste like the finished product, but after you've got enough experience under your belt, you'll be able to predict what it will taste like down the road.

Also, I always taste my hydro reading =P After enough time you'll get used to what to expect from them.

 

[dnslater]

When I brew extract I don't even take an OG measurement, because if you use all of the extract and 5 gallons of water, than you can't screw it up.