first-timer angst

[SchenckBrews]

Hi Everyone!

After some lurking on the boards and furious Googling, I finally got up the nerves to try my first home brew today. I brewed from a kit (starting from scratch was way too overwhelming for me) using the True Brew All Malt Oktoberfest. I was pretty militant about sanitation, careful to cool down in an ice bath and rehydrate my yeast, and THOUGHT everything went well... until I took my beginning SG. The kit states a range from 1.040 - 1.042, but my wort landed at 1.050. Should I worry? What do you all think?

 

[DynamechGT]

I just got my first brew into primary with an og 10 points higher than the kit stated. I think I could have added more water before sealing the fermenter. I don't think its any big deal, just that fermentation may take longer and the beer may have a slightly thicker mouthfeel. Though, some yeasts change their flavor profile a little depending on wort density. Also, obviously a higher OG means a higher potential ABV%.

I think you'll be fine.

 

[Gfei]

You'll have more alcohol than you planned on, but it should be just fine.

Was this an extract kit?

Sent from my FroyoEris using Home Brew Talk

 

[jafo28]

If you used top off water to bring the batch volume up to 5 gallons, than it probably wasn't mixed that well. Don't worry about it, you still made beer.

 

[dpittard]

This could be because the sampled you pulled wasn't a proper mixture. As
long as you have the correct amount of water in the fermenter, don't worry about it.

 

[nebben]

Hi Everyone!

After some lurking on the boards and furious Googling, I finally got up the nerves to try my first home brew today. I brewed from a kit (starting from scratch was way too overwhelming for me) using the True Brew All Malt Oktoberfest. I was pretty militant about sanitation, careful to cool down in an ice bath and rehydrate my yeast, and THOUGHT everything went well... until I took my beginning SG. The kit states a range from 1.040 - 1.042, but my wort landed at 1.050. Should I worry? What do you all think?

Welcome!

As has already been mentioned, if you did a partial boil (maybe 3 gallons), then added water to top off when you put it into the fermenter, you probably didn't mix well enough when you took your reading. If you ended up with less than 5 gallons in the fermenter when you took your reading, this would explain it too.

The reality of it is that the kit you used is designed for a five gallon batch. Using the extract in the kit, it can be calculated rather precisely what the finishing gravity will be before even brewing. Malt extract has a known points per pound per gallon of gravity, thus allowing one to arrive at this calculation, even if your measurement was because of improperly mixed wort.

 

[SchenckBrews]

Thank you for all of your help! I did top the water off to 5 gallons, and I'm thinking it was an issue of not mixing the wort/water properly, as some of you mentioned. And yes, it was a malt extract kit. I took your advice, had a local microbrew, and relaxed.

I was very excited this morning when I checked my fermenter to see the airlock happily bubbling away, so I must have done something at least partially right.

We were hit with 3 inches of wet snow here in Albany, NY yesterday. As a result, the power went out and it got pretty cold in our house last night... however, the thermometer on the bucket reads a happy 65 F degrees, so we are doing well. I'll keep you all posted when I take my final SG reading and begin bottling for the first time - thank you for your support!!

 

[drainbamage]

Even with a suggested range of 1.040-1.042, you're still in the ballpark. If it was, say, 1.010 or 1.070 there might be some cause for confusion. You can always take a hydrometer reading during fermentation to see how things are progressing. It may take a little longer to ferment to completion if the OG was truly higher and not just a result of the wort not being mixed enough, but either way, no cause for worry. Welcome and stay warm up there!

 

[subliminalurge]

Yeah, you were pretty close. No need to panic. If the OG is higher than intended there are two main things that can "go wrong". First is you're beer will have a bit more alcohol than the recipe specifies. Second is it will have the same alcohol but taste a little sweeter than what was intended. Either way, it'll still be beer, and most likely damn good beer. It's your first batch, so I'm guessing you're not planning to send bottle of it off to competitions just yet. When you do get to that point, then you can panic about things like this, but really it's not a big deal. We're talking about very small differences in the flavor of the finished product, not a disaster that will cause you to have to pour anything down the drain.

Having said all that, your problem is most likely that you didn't get quite enough water into the fermentor. Easy to do since most stuff made for measuring liquids is miscalibrated to one degree or another. That little "5 gallon" mark on your bottling bucket? Guess what, it's a good ways off from an actual 5 gallons.

What I did was take one of my wife's good measuring cups that measures up to a quart, fill it with water and dump it into an ice cream bucket. 4 quarts makes a gallon, so I dumped in 4, let the water settle, and marked the level with a piece of electrical tape.

Now I have a "reasonably" accurate 1 gallon measuring cup. I then went through my carboys and poured in 1 gallon at a time, letting the water settle and marking each level with tape as I went. My carboys now have markings for all the way from 1 to 6 gallons.

Are they "laboratory" accurate? Of course not. But they're "close enough for beer" accurate, and a LOT more accurate than the markings that come on the side of those plastic Ale Pales....

Since you're a first timer, I'll also throw in this little piece of advice. Beer is pretty hard to **** up. Even when you know you've made mistakes, and are just positive that you wasted $40 on ingredients, if you ride it out then 9 times out of 10 you'll still have something that's better than what you can buy in the store.

 

[StophJS]

Nothing to worry about at all. Your beer will likely end up with a tad bit higher abv, but really not even enough that it could bother you.

 

[birvine]

Have no angst. Ye shall prevail.

 

[SchenckBrews]

Here's my next update: the airlock seems to have stopped bubbling ... should I worry? This means the yeast was really only active for about 3 days. My plan is to give it a full 7 days from brewing anyway (Saturday) to take my next SG to see where we are. What do you think?

 

[birvine]

Not to worry. Even if there is no bubbling it does not mean the yeast is not working away. Wait til Saturday to check the gravity, but really, you could leave the primary for 3-4 weeks and then check it before bottling if things are stable.

B

 

[Tim_Kreitz]

Here's my next update: the airlock seems to have stopped bubbling ... should I worry? This means the yeast was really only active for about 3 days. My plan is to give it a full 7 days from brewing anyway (Saturday) to take my next SG to see where we are. What do you think?

It's likely fine. With the higher than expected SG, it probably went quickly. I've had some recipes finish in 36 or so hours.

Since it's an extract kit (I gather), I'd leave it alone for two or three weeks and then bottle/keg it from primary. Should be awesome. Good luck.

 

[kh54s10]

As said, don't rush it. Leave it in primary for 3-4 weeks then take a gravity reading over a few days. It the numbers don't change the fermentation is finished and you can bottle. Then let it bottle condition for 2+ weeks before expecting it to be finished.

It is fairly hard to kill an extract kit. I tried. I let one ferment quite warm and it still turned out very good.

 

[SchenckBrews]

Thanks guys! I'll do just that!!

 

[SchenckBrews]

Just thought I'd drop by with a quick update, for those of you who are curious. I bottled today, which for my first attempt, went surprisingly well. More importantly, my first brew smells - and tastes - like beer. I did it! FG landed around 1.015 (so glad I left it in the primary for a little longer than planned) so the ABV is a little higher than the kit estimated, but that certainly won't cause me to cry myself to sleep tonight.

I am officially hooked, thanks to all of you and your support. Next brew is on deck, and I've got plans for a hard cider in the works for my non-beer drinking friends. I'll give a full review of this batch when it's ready to drink.

Cheers!


(random question: are there any female brewers on this site, or am I the only one? I'm thinking of naming my beer Shebrew, in honor of the few and the proud chick brewers).

 

[tennesseean_87]

Yooper