Chestnut beer - Zero reading on hydrometer

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Shweta

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I am doing an experimental beer. I don't know lot of things about brewing.
I did 2 batches of chestnut beer. I used roasted chestnuts and potatoes. I added sugar before bottling. With both batches, there was no alcohol after fermentation. There is fizz and taste and flavor is good. But I can't figure out why there is no alcohol forming.
suggestions please
P.S. There was no foam or activity which indicated fermentation in first 2 weeks. hydroscope showed 0 reading after the first fermentation. I bottled it anyway. After 2 weeks, there was almost a pop like a champagne bottle when opened the bottle. Hydroscope reading still 0 but there was lot of fizz inside.

[EDIT, Merged 2 threads, continued in post #3 -Mod]
 
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[EDIT, Merged 2 threads -Mod]
I made the chestnut beer. With potatos and chestnuts. I tried 2 batches before this and there was no alcohol in the beer.

I just finished the boil and tried to take hydrometer reading. It shows 0

Also it's very bitter in taste. Almost unedited. I used bittering hops perle. Is it possible that I added to much hops?
 
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I cooked potatoes, made a mash. then i started with 5 lt of water. boiled the potatoes and roasted chestnuts at 60 degrees for 20 min. then i increased the temp to 66 degrees. boiled for 1 hour between 65 - 68 degrees. took out the mash. sparged. the boiled hops for one hour. Ended up with approximately 4 lt of the liquid. added extra sugar because i believed alcohol didn't form because of less sugar in previous batches. lowered the temp to 23 degrees and added yeast
 
I wasn't even aware potatoes had diastatic power, but if you actually cooked them you've destroyed the enzymes you need for starch to sugar conversion.
 
I wasn't even aware potatoes had diastatic power, but if you actually cooked them you've destroyed the enzymes you need for starch to sugar conversion.
But I read in my research that potatoes need to be cooked before and turned into a mash.
 
But I read in my research that potatoes need to be cooked before and turned into a mash.
How are you cooking them? The enzymes that convert starches to sugar denature(go bye bye) at 170 or 180 degrees F. Obviously you're getting no conversion since there's no fermentation activity and your beer has no alcohol. You didn't mention yeast but I'm assuming you're pitching yeast? Do all potatoes have the same diastatic power or are some much better than others? Sorry, I do not know a lot about this method of brewing.
 
How are you cooking them? The enzymes that convert starches to sugar denature(go bye bye) at 170 or 180 degrees F. Obviously you're getting no conversion since there's no fermentation activity and your beer has no alcohol. You didn't mention yeast but I'm assuming you're pitching yeast? Do all potatoes have the same diastatic power or are some much better than others? Sorry, I do not know a lot about this method of brewing.
I used this recipe and several other recipes for reference to use potatoes
https://milehidistilling.com/how-to-make-vodka/
I added yeast but i took hydrometer reading before adding the yeast.
 
I cooked potatoes, made a mash. then i started with 5 lt of water. boiled the potatoes and roasted chestnuts at 60 degrees for 20 min. then i increased the temp to 66 degrees. boiled for 1 hour between 65 - 68 degrees. [...]
"cooked potatoes, made a mash"
How did you "cook" them, to what temperature, and for how long?

Simply mashing potatoes (pulverizing them into a paste) is not the same as making an "enzymatic mash based on potatoes."
How did you make the mash? Did you add anything else to the mash, such as enzymes? Enzymes can convert potato starches into fermentable sugars.

"boiled for 1 hour between 65 - 68 degrees."
Boiling would be at 100°C, not 65-68°C.
Did you mean you kept it heated for 1 hour between 65 - 68C?
 
I used this recipe and several other recipes for reference to use potatoes
https://milehidistilling.com/how-to-make-vodka/
I added yeast but i took hydrometer reading before adding the yeast.
So in the recipe they're using potatoes(25 pounds) and malted barley(5 pounds). And they boiling the potatoes but not the barley and only adding that back when the correct mash temperature is achieved so as to not destroy the enzymes. Are you doing that? Your potatoes will not convert starches to sugar by themselves and need the diastatic power of the barley.
 
"cooked potatoes, made a mash"
How did you "cook" them, to what temperature, and for how long?

Simply mashing potatoes (pulverizing them into a paste) is not the same as making an "enzymatic mash based on potatoes."
How did you make the mash? Did you add anything else to the mash, such as enzymes? Enzymes can convert potato starches into fermentable sugars.

"boiled for 1 hour between 65 - 68 degrees."
Boiling would be at 100°C, not 65-68°C.
Did you mean you kept it heated for 1 hour between 65 - 68C?
Thank you so much for spotting my language mistakes.
I diced the potatoes and boiled them in minimum water I could until they were tender. I didn't add any enzymes since I didn't find any information on that. the research I did only mentioned to boil the potatoes and crush them after tender. And yes, i tried to hold the temp fo water with the mash and chestnuts between 65-68 degrees.
 
So in the recipe they're using potatoes(25 pounds) and malted barley(5 pounds). And they boiling the potatoes but not the barley and only adding that back when the correct mash temperature is achieved so as to not destroy the enzymes. Are you doing that? Your potatoes will not convert starches to sugar by themselves and need the diastatic power of the barley.
i was aiming to make a gluten-free beer. That's why i didn't add barley to it. is there any other way to achieve the conversion of starches to sugar?
 
i was aiming to make a gluten-free beer. That's why i didn't add barley to it. is there any other way to achieve the conversion of starches to sugar?
Yeah, you could add the enzymes separately I would think. You definitely need something to help the starches convert though. And make sure you're holding the correct mash temp long enough for the conversion to take place.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/amylase-enzyme.html
 
Thank you so much for spotting my language mistakes.
I diced the potatoes and boiled them in minimum water I could until they were tender. I didn't add any enzymes since I didn't find any information on that. the research I did only mentioned to boil the potatoes and crush them after tender. And yes, i tried to hold the temp fo water with the mash and chestnuts between 65-68 degrees.
Considering English is not your first language, you're doing very well explaining your process. We're just trying to understand exactly what you did, and how you did it, so we can point to where something may have been missed or overlooked.

Here's the recipe from your link:

Mash Procedure
  1. Scrub potatoes with a produce brush to remove residual dirt.
  2. Cut potatoes up into cubes to increase surface area.
  3. Boil Potatoes for 20 minutes in 7 gallons of water.
  4. Mash potatoes by hand or by using an immersion blender.
  5. Transfer the mash to your mash pot and add water to reach 7 gallons of total volume.
  6. Raise the heat of your mash to 140 °F. Stir mixture continuously until desired temperature is reached.
  7. Add 5 pounds of crushed malted barley, continue to stir while adding barley.
  8. Hold mash at 140 °F for 20 minutes. Stir for 30 seconds every 4 minutes during this time.
  9. Raise temperature to 152 °F and hold for 1 hour. Stir for 30 seconds every 10 minutes.
  10. Take a gravity reading. If it is below 1.065, add sugar to reach 1.065.
  11. Cool mash to 75 °F. If time allows, cool overnight to give barley enzymes more time to break down potato starches.

In 7. Did you add any crushed malted barley? They would provide the necessary enzymes for conversion of the potato (and chestnut) starches.
 
Considering English is not your first language, you're doing very well explaining your process. We're just trying to understand exactly what you did, and how you did it, so we can point to where something may have been missed or overlooked.

Here's the recipe from your link:

Mash Procedure
  1. Scrub potatoes with a produce brush to remove residual dirt.
  2. Cut potatoes up into cubes to increase surface area.
  3. Boil Potatoes for 20 minutes in 7 gallons of water.
  4. Mash potatoes by hand or by using an immersion blender.
  5. Transfer the mash to your mash pot and add water to reach 7 gallons of total volume.
  6. Raise the heat of your mash to 140 °F. Stir mixture continuously until desired temperature is reached.
  7. Add 5 pounds of crushed malted barley, continue to stir while adding barley.
  8. Hold mash at 140 °F for 20 minutes. Stir for 30 seconds every 4 minutes during this time.
  9. Raise temperature to 152 °F and hold for 1 hour. Stir for 30 seconds every 10 minutes.
  10. Take a gravity reading. If it is below 1.065, add sugar to reach 1.065.
  11. Cool mash to 75 °F. If time allows, cool overnight to give barley enzymes more time to break down potato starches.

In 7. Did you add any crushed malted barley? They would provide the necessary enzymes for conversion of the potato (and chestnut) starches.
for 7, no. I didn't add barley. wanted to make a gluten free beer. can i add the enzyme in any other way?
 
for 7, no. I didn't add barley. wanted to make a gluten free beer. can i add the enzyme in any other way?
Yes, as @VirginiaHops1 said:
Yeah, you could add the enzymes separately I would think. You definitely need something to help the starches convert though. And make sure you're holding the correct mash temp long enough for the conversion to take place.

https://www.morebeer.com/products/amylase-enzyme.html
Now the enzymes in his link above are alpha amylase enzymes only. Not 100% sure if beta amylase needs to be added too, as those are also typically found in barley. Since you're in a different country, you should buy the enzymes there of course. ;)

The essence is to keep the enzymatic mash warm at 140F and then at 152F for times specified and ensure the mash has totally converted.

Don't forget, that recipe is for a distilling mash, not a brewing mash. For brewing you would not add sugar to the mash, you would add it to the wort after the boil, and only if needed or wanted. Sugar tends to thin out the beer, which is not always desirable.
 
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Yes, as @VirginiaHops1 said:

Now the enzymes in his link above are alpha amylase enzymes only. Not 100% sure if beta amylase needs to be added too, as those are also typically found in barley. Since you're in a different country, you should buy the enzymes there of course. ;)

The essence is to keep the enzymatic mash warm at 140F and then at 152F for times specified and ensure the mash has totally converted.

Don't forget, that recipe is for a distilling mash, not a brewing mash. For brewing you would not add sugar to the mash, you would add it to the wort after the boil, and only if needed or wanted. Sugar tends to thin out the beer, which is not always desirable.
okay. that's very helpful. Thank you so much.
 
OK, now you're making headway to the conversion of starches from potatoes (and chestnuts) to fermentable sugars.
Once you add the yeast it will eat the sugars and make yummy alcohol and CO2.

What yeast are you pitching?
 
You said you sparged the mash.
How did you lauter (drain) and sparge (rinse) the mash? Through a sieve?
Was that to remove the chestnuts? I bet the potatoes were all watery mush by then.
After straining, how much was left over and not boiled with the hops?

What did the resulting liquid look like?
It must have been pretty dense and similar to glue.

How about the chestnuts? After roasting did you chop them, finely, before adding to the mash?
I think they may need to be boiled too, before adding the mash, to get anything out of them.
Maybe someone else would know?
 
You said you sparged the mash.
How did you lauter (drain) and sparge (rinse) the mash? Through a sieve?
Was that to remove the chestnuts? I bet the potatoes were all watery mush by then.
After straining, how much was left over and not boiled with the hops?

What did the resulting liquid look like?
It must have been pretty dense and similar to glue.

How about the chestnuts? After roasting did you chop them, finely, before adding to the mash?
I think they may need to be boiled too, before adding the mash, to get anything out of them.
Maybe someone else would know?
i used a muslin cloth so i don't have to filter the liquid. i tied the cloth with mash inside and then rinsed over it.
Potatoes were mushy.
i don't understand what you mean by this: After straining, how much was left over and not boiled with the hops?

liquid was a little cloudy but very dark in color. not dense or glue like.
I blend the chestnuts roughly before roasting them.
I added them where i was supposed to add barley. the flavour and smell from them was very significant and strong.
but i think i added too much hops. because at the end liquid was way too bitter.
 
OK, now you're making headway to the conversion of starches from potatoes (and chestnuts) to fermentable sugars.
Once you add the yeast it will eat the sugars and make yummy alcohol and CO2.

What yeast are you pitching?
i threw away my yeast packaging so no idea what yeast i was using. I am open to suggestions if you have any.
 
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