I started my first brew - Irish red ale. I added the wert to the primary fermenter bucket and after a week I have transferred over to a Carboy. Now, the part I screwed up, I did not add water after dumping into the primary fermenter. I only have about 2.5-3 gallons in the fermenter. If I add a gallon or two of water, will I ruin the batch? It's been about a week and a half of fermenting
Adding water after primary fermentation
- Thread starter browdy06
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helibrewer
Well-Known Member
What are you gravity readings....seems you'd have very high gravity wort if you didn't add water to the primary.
That can't be right. Do you mean when you first put it in the fermenter after brewing it was 1.092? If so, did you take another reading later on?
helibrewer
Well-Known Member
You might consider using a brew day checklist, I use one for every batch no matter how simple I think it is because you will always have distractions, especially when just starting out.
I write down exactly what I plan on doing- including water temperatures- hop schedules, additions- I even write down HYDRO READING! Because I will forget. Its really important to write down a check list so you dont end up with 2 1/2 gallons of wort for a 5 gallon batch
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TheZymurgist
Well-Known Member
Why did you transfer it to the secondary if the gravity was so high? Come to think of it, why did you transfer it to a secondary at all?
ReverseApacheMaster
Well-Known Member
Add water and put it all back in the bucket because it hasn't fermented yet and diluting it should kick off fermentation.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
Your first reading was 1.054 and your second reading was 1.092 after fermentation??? maybe your yeasties are not eating sugar but actually vomitating it.
Ha! Well it almost black and it's supposed to be a darker red. I did take a huge sample when I first made a reading and didn't return it to the bucket, In a coffee thermos ( poured) because I didn't know any better at the time. And not positive if the hydrometer was off the bottom. I am going to add water to see what happens. It does have a very strong alcohol odor.
It's just not possible that your reading is correct. Take a another reading now, and report back with the actual reading. Then give us the recipe, and we can figure out exactly what's going on.
I will take another reading here in a bit. Question on that - after sanitizing and rinsing, should I let it dry or is it ok to make contact with the wort when my thief and hydrometer is wet? The recipe was a kit from Midwest supplies for Irish red ale.
First steeped grains for 30 min at 155 degrees. Then malt extract added. Once boil started 1 oz of cascade bittering hops added and boiled for 60 min. 1oz of Fuggle hops added for last two minutes of boil. At this point I cooled down to below 80 degrees poured into primary fermenter ( forgot to add water at this point). I stirred up the wort then added dry yeast into bucket ( direct - not rehydrated). It did bubble for a day or two then stopped. Been sitting in my closet ever since at about 72 degrees. Going on nearly 2 weeks. I took the reading that read 1.092 on Monday. It's sitting at about 2.5 to 3 gallons. Recipe is for 5. As I'm looking the initial SG is supposed to be around 1.042-1.046 initial and FG at 1.010-1.012
First steeped grains for 30 min at 155 degrees. Then malt extract added. Once boil started 1 oz of cascade bittering hops added and boiled for 60 min. 1oz of Fuggle hops added for last two minutes of boil. At this point I cooled down to below 80 degrees poured into primary fermenter ( forgot to add water at this point). I stirred up the wort then added dry yeast into bucket ( direct - not rehydrated). It did bubble for a day or two then stopped. Been sitting in my closet ever since at about 72 degrees. Going on nearly 2 weeks. I took the reading that read 1.092 on Monday. It's sitting at about 2.5 to 3 gallons. Recipe is for 5. As I'm looking the initial SG is supposed to be around 1.042-1.046 initial and FG at 1.010-1.012
Having the sanitized item wet is good.
How many pounds of extract did you use? Liquid or dry?
Ok. Do you have any idea on your fermenter where 5 gallons should be? What are you using for a fermenter?
I'd taste that sample. It sounds pretty good, actually, so I'd be inclined to leave it.
Do you want to take a picture of it, and we can see what the level looks like? is it a 6 gallon better bottle or a 5 gallon better bottle? If it's a 6 gallon, 5 gallons is a long way from the top and even in a 5 gallon BB, 5 gallons is below where it curves in at the top. You may not be all that low, unless it's like half full.
How's it taste?
It won't screw up the yeast.
You could try pulling out a sample, measure it, and then add water, to simulate adding a gallon (or whatever). See if it's better. If not, leave it alone. It'll just be what it is at this point, but if it tastes ok, I might be inclined to leave it alone.
hoptualBrew
Well-Known Member
Optimistically, you've made something unique.. Irish Black Ale? Couldn't be an Irish Stout due to lack of roasted malt, but still! If it tastes good, that's what its all about.
Update to this thread. I bottled the beer about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I added priming sugar with a full pot of water boiled, cooled, and bottled. Refrigerated one bottle today and tried it. Hard to pour without creating a ton of head. Tasted like a darker red ale. Not bad. Any reason as to why it's creating so much head? It wouldn't go down either.
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