First batch in 16 years...

[Due51]

Hi. The itch to brew again finally became too much and I got back in the game after a 16 year break. I'm doing an all-grain Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone. I got the recipe from Brew Your Own's 250 classic recipe. I bought all my ingredients from a local supply shop in Waterford MI.

Anyway, I knew I'd experience an issue after being away so long, and here it is: My OG is 1.070, potential alcohol 9%, and sugars 17%. I think I know what my problem but it might be too late. I did a full boil with 5 gallons of spring water and forgot to compensate for water loss due to steam. I probably should have added more boiled water to the fermenter before pitching the yeast, but didn't think of it it was too late.

So, is there anything I can do now?

Thanks

 

[ido50]

Wow, 16 years. Good luck.

Didn't quite understand what your problem is. You fear you're gonna have a beer with too much alcohol in it?

 

[K5MOW]

Good luck. Welcome back.

Roger

 

[RM-MN]

If your yeast haven't taken off yet you could add a little top off water to the fermenter. Not the best but it will work.

If you already have action from the yeast, let it go and have a beer with higher alcohol.

 

[hercher]

You don't indicate how much you lost to evaporation, but one possible solution would be, if your beer is still fermenting, to add some lower gravity wort to get up to 5 gallons.

 

[Due51]

Thanks for the replies everyone. As far as the suggestions go...
1) it wasn't the elevated alcohol content I was worried about, but the flavor being off due to a "concentrated" wort
2) I thought about adding some boiled and cooled water but the yeast had already started doing its thing
3) adding a lower OG wort is an interesting idea but I'm not sure how to execute it. I don't have any ingredients left. Would I have to go back and purchase a small amount of all the ingredients and brew a 1 gallon batch?

 

[EineProsit]

Thanks for the replies everyone. As far as the suggestions go...
1) it wasn't the elevated alcohol content I was worried about, but the flavor being off due to a "concentrated" wort
2) I thought about adding some boiled and cooled water but the yeast had already started doing its thing
3) adding a lower OG wort is an interesting idea but I'm not sure how to execute it. I don't have any ingredients left. Would I have to go back and purchase a small amount of all the ingredients and brew a 1 gallon batch?

I think the boiled and cooled water will bring down the gravity. If the yeast are still very active the introduction should help relieve some yeast stress they are currently coping with from the higher gravity. Do It!

 

[Pappers_]

Yup, top it off up to five gallons and you'll be fine. Or leave it as is and call it an "Imperial" Two Hearted!

 

[GrogNerd]

welcome back to the obsession!

I took a 17 year hiatus, so I know how it feels

 

[Yooper]

Yup, top it off up to five gallons and you'll be fine. Or leave it as is and call it an "Imperial" Two Hearted!

Yep, I agree!

You can add some boiled and cooled water to get to the 5 gallon level, and have the beer be perfectly balanced according to the recipe.

or, you can have a thicker higher ABV beer if you don't.

Whichever you prefer.

 

[Due51]

Thanks everyone

 

[Due51]

It's been 3 full days since I boiled the wort and pitched the yeast. Fermentation was vigorous on day 2 but has slowed down to 1 percolation every 4 seconds. There's a frothy head on the top but not much has settled on the bottom. The brew has not started to cleat at all. It sort of looks like a carboy full of pea soup. I was supposed to pitch the last 2/3oz of hops today but I think I'll hold off until there's no more activity and I transfer to the secondary fermenter.

 

[MindenMan]

Once I topped off after the yeast had started, and I had the oddest "luck" the yeast attenuated to the O.G. is seemed, not the S.G., after I added the top off water. I believe it was supposed to be a 1.040-1.050 O.G. beer, but the yeast got busy, and even though it was only a few days as I remember, I ended up with 5 gallons of accidental session beer. Not a terrible thing, but it really seemed like the yeast had made up their minds to attenuate the original sugar level and not the diluted one.

 

[tallahasseegreys]

My first batch since 1996 is in the primary waiting for me to find time to bottle. 17 years is a long time!! A few things have changed, but I got the bug again!!

 

[Due51]

I racked to the secondary fermenter after 1 week, and pitched the last 2/3oz of the hops. There are no bumbles percolating from the air lock, but my temperature reading is 60 degrees on the carboy. I moved it to another utility room in the basement near the furnace and wrapped it in 3 towels. Is 60degrees too cold?

 

[Due51]

I'm coming up on 2 weeks in the secondary. The beer has cleared fairly well other than some flakes of hops on top from when I pitched when racking. I plan on bottling this week. I'm leery that it will taste anything like Two Hearted but thats ok. I'm sure I'll enjoy it. It smells good.

 

[Due51]

It's been 2 weeks in the secondary. I felt it was a little cloudy so I'm attempting to cold crash by putting the carboy in the fridge until Sunday when I'll bottle.
OG was 1.070 (recipe said it should have been 1.058). I forgot to compensate for evaporation so I don't have 5 gallons. I suspect that is contributing to the difference.
FG is 1.018. Recipe says it should be 1.012
ABV is 5.25%. Recipe says it should be 5.9%. I don't know why this is off other than I may have racked to the secondary a bit early.
I tasted a sample and it seems fine by me. I plan on doing a blind taste test for a couple guys from my office after the bottles have had a chance to carbonate.

All in all, not a bad effort for my first time in a long time.

 

[GrogNerd]

some extract users see their batches stall around 1.020. the 1.020 CURSE!

so, when's the next brewday? gotta get that pipeline going, keep yourself stocked with homebrew!

glad this batch is turning out well. good luck with future brews!

 

[Due51]

I've had my first bottle after its been conditioning for 2 weeks. I'm pleased with the outcome. It's got the hoppiness I like, but a shade too bitter on the finish. All in all, I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10. I'm glad I got back in the game. I also have a Weihenstephaner a week in the primary and I did a New Castle Brown Ale recipe tonight that I just finished pitching.

Hooray beer.

 

[tallahasseegreys]

I got the Weihenstephaner clone from AHS bottled 2 days ago. Can't wait!!! Bananorama!!!!

 

[Due51]

Well, I don't know how it compares to the original 2 Hearted, but it tastes pretty darn good to me.

 

[hercher]

It looks good too.