140 mash temp with OG of 1.042??

[Gavin C]

I am referring to fly sparging, not batch sparging. The OP used fly sparging. His issue sounds exactly like mine minus the low mash temp..

Good stuff balloonknot.

I'm not seeing where the OP talks about the sparging method but I assume you know he/she flysparged some other way I'm not seeing/reading. No worries.

 

[Balloonknot]

Good stuff balloonknot.

I'm not seeing where the OP talks about the sparging method but I assume you know he/she flysparged some other way I'm not seeing/reading. No worries.

I made an assumption based on my experience with local homebrewers. I didnt know until he mentioned it in a follow up post, but you still blasted me for my advice even though it followed the post where he describes his sparge method.

Yes, I should have specified the sparge method that my advice would work for. Sorry. Lets try not to negatively correct others here and analyze his issue...(which is obvious, but there are other means of getting a low OG as well such as I described, and you described better - Channeling is correct)

 

[Dfinnegan]

Does temp affect the gravity reading? The wort was about 90 degrees when I took te first reading

 

[doug293cz]

Does temp affect the gravity reading? The wort was about 90 degrees when I took te first reading

Yes, the gravity goes down as temperature increases from the calibration temperature of the hydrometer. You can find a temperature correction calculator here.

Brew on

 

[Rhaop]

Yeah you need to correct gravity reading it will read lower at higher temps, should be a calculator online, also should check your hydrometer for calibration

 

[user 141939]

If you haven't already. You might also try calibrating it by reading water. Should be 1.000.

 

[Dfinnegan]

Much to learn I do have...

 

[donk5]

actually its very true. Until you make the mistake and ask where did all my sugars go? You don't know.

Not according to Denny Conn. http://www.hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew. He states "quick draining is a benefit, not a requirement, of batch sparging. I recommend you start the recirculation with the valve just cracked open, to set the grain bed correctly. After you return the vorlaufed portion to the mash tun, you can open the valve whatever amount works for your system), and an addition of sparge water is added. This is stirred into the mash, and after recirculation is once more drained as quickly as the system will allow."

 

[Balloonknot]

Not according to Denny Conn. http://www.hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew. He states "quick draining is a benefit, not a requirement, of batch sparging. I recommend you start the recirculation with the valve just cracked open, to set the grain bed correctly. After you return the vorlaufed portion to the mash tun, you can open the valve whatever amount works for your system), and an addition of sparge water is added. This is stirred into the mash, and after recirculation is once more drained as quickly as the system will allow."

let me describe to you what happened to me during my Fly Sparge. Resting mash temp was 156*F for 75 minutes. ~7 gallons of 170*C heated water was added to 24 Ibs of various grain to accomplish this. The goal of this brew was to make a little over 10 gallons post-boil. This would require a pre-boil volume of ~12.5 gallons based on my evaporation rate. The total amount of water needed for sparging was around 15 gallons to accomplish all of this.

My target OG was 1.056 for a Kona Firerock Pale ale clone I was doing. After the 75 min resting mash, I opened the 1/2" valve to full flow (after setting grain bed) and the flow was as if there was no grainbed at all. Very fast flow rate. I added my remaining ~8 gallons via fly sparge method never letting the the mash line dip below the grain bed. I manage to drain the entire ~12.5 - 13 gallons of wort in 15 minutes. I might as well have just poured the 8 gallons directly into the boiling kettle.... My pre-boil OG was 1.034 corrected. The beer turned out light but was still pretty good surprisingly. low ABV like 4% but it worked.

Now that I have clearly given you the picture, do you understand what I was saying in my original comment...

 

[donk5]

Ok. Fly sparging. Sure. As I said or at least meant to say in my first post, batch sparging does not require draining slow. Cheers.

 

[Dfinnegan]

I let the wurt flow into my boil kettle very slowly. A touch more than just a trikle.

 

[Dfinnegan]

A little off topic, but how many of you guys use 5.2 ph stabilizer?

 

[Dfinnegan]

So I transferred the brew into the secondary for some dry hopping. I took a sample, tasted just fine for a room temperature non carbonated IPA. I'll take another gravity reading tomorrow and see where it's at.

 

[user 141939]

I've read a lot on this forum that the stabilizer does not work that well.

I started using brun' water spreadsheet when i switched to all-grain so had no reason to try the stabilizer myself.

Using brun' water was easy for me from the start but i have city water that is consistent throughout the year and access to the water reports so I know exactly what I am dealing with. I'd check out the brewing water primer in the brew science section. Seems to be a good place to start. Or try out the bru'n water spreadsheet and see if it makes sense to you.

 

[Gavin C]

A little off topic, but how many of you guys use 5.2 ph stabilizer?

It's mentioned in the potential water pitfalls thread.

Using it is a common pitfall.

Many novices and folks who Know no better use it. (I am formerly including myself in that group)

Now I know better and the local landfill's pH was somewhat buffered as a result.

 

[doug293cz]

It's mentioned in the potential water pitfalls thread.

Using it is a common pitfall.

Many novices and folks who Know no better use it. (I am formerly including myself in that group)

Now I know better and the local landfill's pH was somewhat buffered as a result.

I buffered the wastewater treatment plant

Brew on

 

[Dfinnegan]

I'm about to bottle the brew tonight. I'll take a final gravity reading and let y'all know how it turns out

 

[Dfinnegan]

Well my FG was 1.010 and if I do the calculation.... 1.042-1.010 x 131.25= 4.2. Looks like I took a big IPA and made a session IPA out of it. Oh well it still tastes good.... At least the sample I just took did.

 

[NOGO302]

This gives me hope, I did something similar today I was shocked to see 1.042 gravity reading. I hope mine turns out like yours. Mine was my first AG batch and it was biab at that. The great thing about this hobby is you don't waste much money on grains if you dump it and you won't kill anyone if you mess up brewing

 

[Dfinnegan]

@nogo302. Have no fear I opened a bottle last night a little early and it's tastes wonderful!

 

[Dfinnegan]

Now at 18 days in the bottles, how cow does this taste good! It my be lower in the ABV dept. but still is wonderful to drink

 

[Jim311]

Think of it as a super sessionable beer