So ive been waiting all winter for the first semi-warm weekend to get out and brew my 2nd batch. I brewed my first batch last summer and havent had time to brew again before winter. I spent my winter tweaking my keggle and other things and, i had my brewers best kit was ready to go. Everything was going great, my new immersion chiller was cooling my wert and i was ready to drain my keggle into the fermenter when i looked over and realized i forgot to add the dried malt extract at the beginning of my boil!!! ARGGGGHHH!!! I was soooo pissed. To make matters worse when i went to drain my keggle the new dip tube worked perfect. The highlight of my brew day were the 4 Great Lakes Burning Rivers i had!
Brew Day Gone Bad!!
- Thread starter clw2112
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I did that on my last batch as well, I hoping my yeast will stir it up for me
joetothemo
Well-Known Member
So your "wort" is hops and specialty grains? But you haven't pitched yeast yet?
I steeped the grains, then brought it up to a boil and added the liquid malt extract, being very careful to mix it very well and not allow any to burn. Then i forgot to add the dried malt extact, and then added the hops and finished brewing and was just ready to transfer from my keggle to the fermenter when i saw the bad of dried malt sitting there.
I figured it was a waste so i just dumped the whole batch.
The kicker is its supposed to rain/snow this weekend so i may have to wait 2 weeks until i get try again.
I figured it was a waste so i just dumped the whole batch.
The kicker is its supposed to rain/snow this weekend so i may have to wait 2 weeks until i get try again.
How many pounds of DME do you need to add?
Depending on that, I would take a minimal amount of water, heat with the DME and add it to the fermenter.
Really, it depends on the original recipe though, I would suggest posting it before taking action.
Depending on that, I would take a minimal amount of water, heat with the DME and add it to the fermenter.
Really, it depends on the original recipe though, I would suggest posting it before taking action.
joetothemo
Well-Known Member
[Facepalm]. You could have saved that batch.
My condolences.
My condolences.
In the future, don't dump your batch. This could have easily been fixed. You could have put the DME into water and boiled it separately then poured the DME/water combo in your fermenter.
YankeePicker
I'm Just This Guy
Sorry to hear of your loss.
One thing I have learned on this board that I will never forget is, you can almost always save your batch.
Best of luck on your next one though, it's bound to go better!
One thing I have learned on this board that I will never forget is, you can almost always save your batch.
Best of luck on your next one though, it's bound to go better!
Ziggybrew
Well-Known Member
Live and learn. Cool thing is there is another brewday in your future. Never dump a batch.
I know it may be hard to get an immediate answer in this forum; but try to find a local brew club and get to know someone you can call during a crisis.
I don't recommend sitting on a batch before adding yeast, but if you do your sanitation up to par, you can delay pitching yeast before you get an answer to your dilemma.
Always remember, even a beer with low alcohol content from missing sugars can still be a refreshing session beer. Never dump. If you don't get a timely answer then pitch yeast and see what happens anyway. My brew-partner and I have a saying; "We've f__ked up other batches and they still turned out awesome... RDWHAHB"
A bad brewday is a day you didn't brew.
I know it may be hard to get an immediate answer in this forum; but try to find a local brew club and get to know someone you can call during a crisis.
I don't recommend sitting on a batch before adding yeast, but if you do your sanitation up to par, you can delay pitching yeast before you get an answer to your dilemma.
Always remember, even a beer with low alcohol content from missing sugars can still be a refreshing session beer. Never dump. If you don't get a timely answer then pitch yeast and see what happens anyway. My brew-partner and I have a saying; "We've f__ked up other batches and they still turned out awesome... RDWHAHB"
A bad brewday is a day you didn't brew.
beergolf
Well-Known Member
That is exactly why I made up a brew day checklist with all of the steps and time on it with a spot to make a check mark after each step. If all of the check boxes are checked off I know I am good to go.
You could have easily fixed your beer.
You could have easily fixed your beer.
like others are saying, NEVER dump your batch!
when i brew with extract i always add a majority (if not all) of my extract at flameout so you would have had plenty of time to just stir in the lb of DME.
live and learn though
when i brew with extract i always add a majority (if not all) of my extract at flameout so you would have had plenty of time to just stir in the lb of DME.
live and learn though
ThePearsonFam
Well-Known Member
A moment of silence for our fallen beer batch.... so sad.
Others have (correctly) stated that you could've boiled the DME and added it in. I'll also add that you could've just left it 'as-is', let it ferment, drink and enjoy. It probably would've been a terrific session beer.
Others have (correctly) stated that you could've boiled the DME and added it in. I'll also add that you could've just left it 'as-is', let it ferment, drink and enjoy. It probably would've been a terrific session beer.
LostBavarianMan
Well-Known Member
MaltMonster
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it probably would have still tasted fine...just less alcohol.
Jaysus
Well-Known Member
Boy, I hate to tell you this now but I usually leave out the DME on purpose until flame out. It makes a better beer. In fact, I'd actually have reversed it- added the DME at the beginning and the LME at flame out. If you missed flame out, no biggie. Just dissolve the extract in a quart of boiling water.
If you've already dumped it, it's too late. But one pound of DME would have only added about .008 gravity points. The beer would have been absolutely fine without it.
That's like saying you dumped a whole batch of spaghetti sauce because you forgot to add salt at the beginning. Ouch!
ThePearsonFam
Well-Known Member
JonnyO
Well-Known Member
As much as I would love to, at this point in my brewing experience I fight the urge to drink and brew. Might not be a bad idea to wait to have those 4 beers until your beer is safely fermenting its way into wonderful homebrew.
Can you post your checklist? I think i need something like that for my nest time.
Believe me, the 4 beers i drank while brewing had nothing to do with me forgetting to add the DME
ThePearsonFam
Well-Known Member
Do you use brewing software? I use Bersmith and you can print out a Brew Sheet which is basically your checklist.
ThePearsonFam
Well-Known Member
This might be a good startnig point to build one that's tailored to your needs...
http://www.brewersfriend.com/checklist-extract/
http://www.brewersfriend.com/checklist-extract/
Stardust
Well-Known Member
Not to hijack this thread or anything but this definitely caught my attention.
Do you leave out all of the DME until flame out or half of it or a specific percentage? How does it make a better beer?
When you boil, your wort helps to extract the hop oils to make the bittering. You need at least some malt extract to get it done right but you don't need all of it. The longer you boil the malt extract, the darker it becomes so your beer ends up too dark for the style. By adding part of the extract late in the boil, you avoid this darkening and the flavor change that accompanies it.
maltoftheearth
Well-Known Member
If that was my second brew and I was in your situation I probably would have done the same thing -- dump it and walk away. Now I have f-ed up so many times I know there is a fix for a lot of the stupid things I have done while brewing. I encourage you to do some stupid things as well, it really increases your knowledge base rapidly!
So, sorry to hear about your brew but you'll know better next time.
So, sorry to hear about your brew but you'll know better next time.
Stardust
Well-Known Member
so the sugars carmelize...I know this applies to liquid malt extract, but does it also apply to dry malt extract?
