Search results

Fair enough. Most of those numbers are calculated by the software I use, so I really just focus on measuring volumes, gravities, and ph. But if my numbers were way off, I agree conversion and efficiency are where I'd look.

Interesting. So maybe 2 pints. Still not sure what I would do with that info. I suppose shoot for a pint over 7 gallons for pre-boil if I really need exactly 7 gallons. (Though I don't really need to be that precise.) My wort pre-boil is around 150, give or take. If it's at 7 gallons, I...

I'd be curious to learn how some of those measurements really matter. My pre-boil is usually 7 gallons. And post boil I am happy with 6 gallons or so. How much could the temperature of either matter overall? Maybe for a big system, but at the homebrew level? An ounce or two? I am shooting...

A good puzzle... I am guessing your expected OG was around 1.060 or so, so getting 1.020 is indeed shockingly low. Seems the two most likely issues, as noted by others, are gravity measuring issues and the use of distilled water. Distilled water alone is not a great source for brewing water...

I think you should aspire to making one better than Duvel! Personally, I've had much tastier golden strongs. None have that foam, but who cares? I can't remember if you posted a recipe, but I bet folks would be willing to help tweak it. One tip I would share is to co-pitch with a Saison...

If you can warm it up over 70 that may help. Adding more sugar probably won't help at this point. What you might have needed if your beer was high ABV was more yeast at bottling, especially after sitting for two months. Take a look at CBC-1 bottling yeast for research. But at this point I...

Have you ever tried co-pitching with a Saison yeast? I do it for all my blonds, golden strongs, and tripels. Combined with low mash temps and lots of sugar, mine all finish under 1.005. Very dry. Regarding carbonation, I feel like Duvel is over the top. Yes, these beers need high...

I still don't feel like I have the fermentation schedules down for my Belgians. I have had success fermenting in the 60s and 70s, but wondering if I am missing more flavor I could get at higher temps. My goal is to have a ton of esters and phenols in my Belgians - the fruitier and spicier the...

I stumbled upon this old thread... That blond that attenuated to 1.000? I entered it in a competition and it won first place! It's funny looking back on this old thread. Now I pretty much use Saison yeast in all my Belgians. I made a golden strong today and pitched 3522 and 3711.

Thanks for reporting back. As I suspected. You had a neutral yeast, lots of sugar, low hops, and very little malt. There was just nothing to give it any flavor. It's a dumper, but hopefully a good learning experience. We've all dumped batches. Having a pound of light DME on hand is always...

The best advice I ever got was to subscribe to brewing magazines, read as many brewing books as you can, and brew brew brew. The only way to become good is to brew as often as you can. Personally, I brewed the same style over and over again for two years until I was satisfied it was as good or...

I use 3522 for mine, often with a Saison yeast also, to really dry it out.

Unfortunately, my best guess is you will have a highly alcoholic but mostly flavorless beer. Wheat doesn't have a ton of flavor to start with, and a 1.025 OG beer is always going to be a bit mild in flavor. It certainly won't be a hefeweizen, because 05 can't make that style. (It can't make a...

Thanks. It does have that pause after the initial souring, so it makes sense to pitch the second yeast then.

Turns out it did fully attenuate. It took 12 days, but it actually ended a few points BELOW my predicted FG. BUT I am not sure it soured the beer. I just used one packet for a 2.5 gallon batch, since you are supposed to use 2 packs per 5 gal. But I didn't get much sour after fermentation...

Update: it finally started moving... After two days of no signs of fermentation, I started seeing one point per day. I'm now within two points of predicted FG. Close enough, and I could still get there. I'm on day 8, and they say this yeast needs 10 days. My guess is this is normal for this...

Same. I trust the old school hydrometer the most. It can be maddening.. I take three readings for OG, using a refractometer, Tilt, and hydrometer. Of course none are the same... So I figure the hydrometer should be the most accurate... I take a hydrometer reading for the FG. I find the...

Using a Tilt, so the readings are always a bit suspect. But I do trust the drops in SG. My experience is the Tilt sucks at OG, but generally gets the FG pretty close. Mostly it helps to see how fermentation is going.

That's interesting. I suppose it's all just an estimate, so who knows... I finally got another gravity point, so maybe I'll just let it ride. If I can get another point or two I will be happy. I have never brewed such a low ABV beer, but the style tops out at 5%, and I am at 4.2, so getting...

Thank for these suggestions. I haven't tasted it yet. I like the idea of adding a little sugar to give it a boost... I add sugar all the time when I make Belgians. Any wild guess as to how much table sugar to add to a 2.5 gallon batch to get it from 1.014 to 1.007? Is there a calculator...