Effect of missing target OG

[wlssox524]

Hello all,

Just finished my third all grain batch and had a few issues along the way that resulted in missing my target OG by a bit. I was brewing Midwest's Liberty Cream ale (7 lbs 2 row, 2 lbs flaked corn, 8 oz carapils) and got to an OG (this is post boil, pre fermentation, think I'm using the terminology right) of about 1.038 (target was 1.042-1.046). I think I was low because I forgot to preheat my mash tun and had trouble maintaining temp throughout the mash (had to add a few qyarts of water at 170F halfway through to get the temp above 145).

So my question is--will this beer turn out alright? I haven't been able to find much on here about what effect missing the target OG has on a beer--obviously it will be lower alcohol but will missing by just a few points have a big effect on the overall taste? Should I maintain hope for this beer?

 

[Mojzis]

It will turn out fine. I doubt it was the mash temp, more likely you added too much water (watered it down slightly by adjusting the mash temp) or your grain wasn't crushed for optimal efficiency. I honestly wouldn't worry about a few points lower, you wont be able to detect it.

One suggestion for the mash, add hotter mash water. Its much easier to drop the temp a few degrees than raise it. If I make it too hot, I either stir with the mash tun lid open to drop 1-2 degrees or add some cool water if its much too hot.

Keep going with the batch, it doesn't sound like there is anything wrong with it.

 

[bobeer]

My first 3 ag beers I miss the OG on and they came out ok. A little thinner than what I wanted but still very drinkable. I learned and now I've nailed it the last 3 times.
I did a christmas beer, I just bottled it last night, and I missed the OG on it by quite a bit (Supposed to be 1.071 and mine was 1.054) It called for .5 lb of honey and I put in that amount about 48 hrs into fermentation. In hindsight I should have put in less since I missed the og so now the beer is thinner than I expected. It still tastes good though. I'll just chalk it up as a learning experience so I'll nail it next year. I think your beer will be ok; you'll find some way to choke it down!

 

[duboman]

The temperature of the mash does not effect the OG but the attainable FG.


Either your water volumes were off, the quality of the crush of grains was poor or a combination of both is what affected your efficiency.

If the LhBS crushed your grains have them run them through twice next time for a finer crush, be spot on with your volumes and your efficiency will be much improved

 

[wlssox524]

The temperature of the mash does not effect the OG but the attainable FG.


Either your water volumes were off, the quality of the crush of grains was poor or a combination of both is what affected your efficiency.

If the LhBS crushed your grains have them run them through twice next time for a finer crush, be spot on with your volumes and your efficiency will be much improved

Can you elaborate on what you mean with water volume being off? I collected just about my target volume (7.2 gallons), by which point very little was coming out of my mash tun (chest cooler with a SS braid). If water volume was the issue would that mean I left some wort in the cooler and that brought the OG down?

 

[duboman]

Can you elaborate on what you mean with water volume being off? I collected just about my target volume (7.2 gallons), by which point very little was coming out of my mash tun (chest cooler with a SS braid). If water volume was the issue would that mean I left some wort in the cooler and that brought the OG down?

Not so much what you collected but what you put in primary. Yes you do not want to under or over sparge but you also need to collect the proper amount of pre-boil, boil off the proper amount and get the desired volume in primary.

Any difference in these values can affect the OG to some degree. For example: if you wanted 5.5g in primary and got 6, you did not boil off enough water so your OG would be lower than expected

 

[DonMagee]

Honestly, I've never hit my beersmith calculated OG. I've been over slightly, I've been under slightly, but I've always made great (to me) tasting beer.

I just don't worry about it. I try my best, but when that boil is done, if I'm not spot on I just let it go. I use the OG simply so I know what fermentation is happening when I check the gravity later, and so I can calculate my ABV.

 

[neko]

With a higher hopped beer the hops might come through too much if the beer was watered down (or whatever happened). I wouldn't worry about that on a cream ale though.