1st brew forgot hydro

[ivanavich]

Hi all, 5 days into my La saison Noire from NB (first batch). 1st off I made an error by brewwing all of the ingregients in a full boil. to compensate I added another gallon to the boil making it it a total of 6 after I chilled it. Yeast began working in less than 8 hours violently so i'm happy bout that. Now I realize I didn't even get a hydrometer reading. I know what its supposed to be but that could be off due to the added ingredients and water. Instructions call for a hot 1st week in primary and a regular 3 weeks in 2ndary.

Should I bother taking a reading when I transfer to 2ndary? Or should I just take a reading after 3 weeks in 2ndary and hope its close to what is required for FG??

 

[Loup]

Check it before transferring to your secondary, and I would say check it, wait a couple of day and check it again to make sure the gravity isn't still dropping. You really don't want to transfer to secondary until after the beer has fully fermented.

The primary is for fermenting, the secondary is for clearing the beer.

 

[nickhead]

If you are lazy like myself, you can just let the beer sit in secondary to the point where there is no way it is still fermenting. Yea, I don't know the alcohol levels of my brews, but that's OK.

 

[ivanavich]

i guess what i'l do is check it anyway at transfer but leave it an extra week in 2ndary since it can only make it better.

 

[brewt00l]

Check it before transferring to your secondary, and I would say check it, wait a couple of day and check it again to make sure the gravity isn't still dropping. You really don't want to transfer to secondary until after the beer has fully fermented.

The primary is for fermenting, the secondary is for clearing the beer.

Zatcly...as long as it's not massively high, you're good to go when it stabilizes over a few days.

The only problem with missing your SG in this circumstance is not being able to figure out your ABV. Knowing your volume and fermentable content will let you calculate it close enough though.

 

[climateboy]

I made this recipe twice, and as I remember, everything does go into the boil for the full 60 minutes. Unless you boiled your yeast, you should be fine.

 

[climateboy]

Oh, and that Saison yeast is a vigorous, hardy fermenter. I'd leave it in the primary for at least two weeks, maybe three. I'm racking my second batch on monday after three weeks in the primary.

 

[ivanavich]

hey climateboy, the instructions it came with assumed it would be 2 gal water boil with 3 previously boiled gallons to make 5. It also suggests subtracting certain abounts of ingredients if you intend to do a full 5 gallon boil. I wonder if one of us is mistaken or we have different instructions.

 

[Christian]

Yea, I don't know the alcohol levels of my brews, but that's OK.

As long as i tastes good who cares what the ABV is.

I often forget to take a hydrometer reading before pitching but i'm patient and confident in my brewing that i know it's fully fermented before racking and that it's going to have plenty of alcohol.

 

[budbo]

If you are lazy like myself, you can just let the beer sit in secondary to the point where there is no way it is still fermenting. Yea, I don't know the alcohol levels of my brews, but that's OK

Great attitude, I quit using a hydrometer years ago

 

[ivanavich]

One more question on this batch. I was supposed to use 15-25% less hops for a full boil. I didn't. Is there anything I can do to compensate? It is currently in the seconday for 11 days now. Maybe to late but if theres a way to make it sweeter I'd like to know. Thanks

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

If your already over by one gal, don't make any more adjustments now. Just give it time to ferment, and enjoy it.
Learn now to prevent mistakes in the future, now is the time to let your beer develop and see how it taste, you just might love it as it is.

 

[njnear76]

Great attitude, I quit using a hydrometer years ago

I'm thinking of quitting the hydro step myself and I do AG. Once you got your efficiency down, it no longer matters.

I never bothered taking hydrometer readings when I was an extract brewer.

 

[tetrylone]

1st brew, didn't take OG, who cares- relax, don't stress, and enjoy your brewing experience.

My first brew I did the exact same thing and it turned out great so don't worry about it man.

Relax, have a home-brew- Papazian