Forgot to add my malt extract!

[jcarlson2]

I was distracted while brewing an IPA yesterday, and completely forgot to add my malt extract. Ugh. I didn't notice until I had already cooled the wort. So the hops and adjunct grains boiled by themselves for an hour.

I wasn't sure what to do at that point, so I simply poured the malt into the cooled wort and stirred it vigorously until it looked to be mixed in.

As of today, it's fermenting normally so I'll just let it finish and see what it tastes like.

Any guesses on what it will taste like?

 

[JonM]

Wait - what actually made it into the boil kettle? Just steeped grains and hops?

 

[jcarlson2]

Yes, only steeped grains and hops boiled for an hour. No malt whatsoever. I know, stupid! It's a learning experience I guess - don't be distracted while brewing.

 

[JonM]

Distracted like?

But seriously - you might be able to make a concentrated extract and water mixture, boil it long enough to sterilize it and then add that to the fermenter. (Might have to take some liquid out first.) right now there ain't nothin' to ferment in there.

 

[SlitheryDee]

As long as you didn't introduce an infection with the malt extract it should be beer at least. I'm guessing your hop flavors aren't going to be quite right either because you won't get full utilization with just steeped grains and water. It may not be bad at all in terms of drinkability, but it probably won't be what you intended either.

 

[cubalz]

Well, this is a new kind of accident I have never heard of before. I think that it will not be nearly as good as it could have been but it will be beer.

 

[flars]

Did you boil the grains or only the liquor the grains had been steeped in? Boiling grains will extract tannins.

 

[enkamania]

I did this once. While I was chilling my wort, I look over and see some extract. Then it hit me, I never put it in. So I panicked, chucked it in the cool wort. I got to say the fermentation took off like a rocket and it produced good beer.

 

[Jawbox0]

Personally, I'd dissolve the extract in a minimal amount of water and add it into the main fermenter. If you use heat to dissolve the extract, let it cool so you don't kill yeast.

Basically, you'd only lose a few gravity points if you did it this way due to the extra water. If you don't add them, you are probably going to mostly have hop tea. Steeped grains don't add much for gravity generally. In fact, if you had a little extra extract, you'd could be perfectly on target.

I wouldn't even worry much about oxygenation, as you'll restart fermentation. Think of your existing beer as a starter, and adding the extract as pitching the starter into your beer!

 

[jcarlson2]

To the earlier question, I boiled the grain. (about 1/2lb Crystal 60 and 1/2lb dextrin).

I'm encouraged to hear someone else did this and it was still drinkable. I'm sure the hops will be way off unfortunately. It seems to be fermenting correctly, so I don't think I'd want to add anything else to the fermenter.

I'll update this thread down the road when I tap and taste it.

 

[GrogNerd]

my last batch was extract and I didn't add it until near the end of the boil

started heating the crystal/caramel with a little bit of Munich the recipe called for in room temp water. once it hit 150°, held it there for about 15-20 minutes then raised it to boil.

added hops according to schedule, then DME with 15 minutes left in the boil.

after the boil, chilled (why bother with adding the immersion chiller at 15 minutes... it's gonna interrupt the boil and you have to wait to get it started again. adding it at the end of the boil helps cool the wort a bit & sanitizes just fine in the time it takes from boiling to 170° or whatever is needed for sanitation.)

it was, in opinions other than mine, the best beer I have brewed so far

 

[kev211]

Did you boil the grains or only the liquor the grains had been steeped in? Boiling grains will extract tannins.

To the earlier question, I boiled the grain. (about 1/2lb Crystal 60 and 1/2lb dextrin).

I'm encouraged to hear someone else did this and it was still drinkable. I'm sure the hops will be way off unfortunately. It seems to be fermenting correctly, so I don't think I'd want to add anything else to the fermenter.

I'll update this thread down the road when I tap and taste it.

Flars is right. Those steeped grains only want to be in the water for about 20 minutes or so (in an extract batch) at around 160-180. Never boil grains. Thats how you get tannins. Tannins are for wine haha. FWIW call it a learning experience but Im afraid this batch may be no good. Who knows though? Maybe itll turn out great and you can call it a "session" IPA.

 

[Kent88]

But seriously - you might be able to make a concentrated extract and water mixture, boil it long enough to sterilize it and then add that to the fermenter. (Might have to take some liquid out first.) right now there ain't nothin' to ferment in there.

Props for the Animal House reference. I know when I see a friend chug a bottle of whiskey, I call it "pulling a Belushi".

The original post said that he mixed the malt extract with the cooled "wort". There is something to ferment in there now, it just didn't get added at the right time.

As long as you didn't introduce an infection with the malt extract it should be beer at least. I'm guessing your hop flavors aren't going to be quite right either because you won't get full utilization with just steeped grains and water. It may not be bad at all in terms of drinkability, but it probably won't be what you intended either.

Aren't hop acids better extracted/utilized in low-gravity wort? That said I have no idea what would happen if you boiled hops in plain water that was used to top off wort...

I'm with you on the prediction that the hop flavors probably wont be what was intended.

To the earlier question, I boiled the grain. (about 1/2lb Crystal 60 and 1/2lb dextrin).

...

I'll update this thread down the road when I tap and taste it.

As @kev211 said, the grains themselves are supposed to only be steeped in warm (below 170F) water for a while and then removed.

Please do keep us updated.

 

[kh54s10]

He made something. I don't thing tannins are going to be an issue since decoction mashing boils grains. The hop utilization is going to be off. The "decoction" is going to change things. The addition of the extract to cooled wort is going to change things.

It will be beer! It will probably be drinkable. It might even be great. What it will not be is what it was supposed to be.

 

[Kent88]

@kh54s10

I've wondered about boiling grains myself. I've read from sources I believe to be reliable that when doing a decoction mash you don't get tannins because you're boiling just the thick mash, not the whole thing. Not sure why that would make a difference, but I've been working under that assumption for a while now.

 

[Jawbox0]

Yeah, sorry, I should have mentioned this, I boil grains all the time when I decoct a mash. You won't get tannins unless you've got Ph issues.

Also, I missed that you DID add the extract already. It'll turn out fine as long as you sanitized well. Lots of people don't add much extract until really late, often the last few minutes of the boil.

 

[EarthwormJim]

From reading, not from expeience, I think boiling a decoction is ok because the grist will lower the ph in the mash. It takes high temps and high ph to extract the tannins. In this case, there were probably not enough grains to lower the ph to a "safe" level. There were likely tannins extacted but was it enough to do serious damage? Only one way to find out.

 

[jcarlson2]

I thought I'd circle back and give an update on the finished beer. As you recall, I completely forgot to add the malt extract during the boil. I simply boiled the hops and adjunct grains for an hour! ugh. I had already cooled the hop water, poured it into the fermenter and pitched the yeast. I didn't know what to do, so I simply dumped the malt extract into the fermenter and stirred vigorously for a few minutes until it looked mixed.

Well, it turns out the beer is totally drinkable! It tastes a little too hop-forward and thin, it's hard to describe. But I expected to pour it down the drain and instead I have a batch that I can learn from and still drink!

 

[GrogNerd]

WOOHOO!

that's what so great about this hobby/obsession... even mistakes turn out to be beer.

remember: RDWHAHB is not just a slogan, it's a guiding principle

 

[bscott626]

What would the cost be of just buying new hops and new grains and then starting fresh? It might be worth looking into.

 

[Mothman]

What would the cost be of just buying new hops and new grains and then starting fresh? It might be worth looking into.

I think that's what he'll do... for the next brew, because he's already drinking this one.

 

[kev211]

What would the cost be of just buying new hops and new grains and then starting fresh? It might be worth looking into.

Didnt bother to read the thread did we? As Mothman said... he just posted an update... On how the finished product tastes.



@jcarlson2 good to hear that it turned out! Chalk it up as a learning experience. Thats the nice thing about being a homebrewer, you can experiment and try new things. Worst case scenario, you dump 5 gallons. You screw up a 20+ barrel batch (pro brewers) and you're talking serious $$. As the age old saying goes... RDWAHAHB

 

[cwwillmon]

And then I got high, and then I got high, and then I got highhhhhh. Sorry.

 

[RM-MN]

I thought I'd circle back and give an update on the finished beer. As you recall, I completely forgot to add the malt extract during the boil. I simply boiled the hops and adjunct grains for an hour! ugh. I had already cooled the hop water, poured it into the fermenter and pitched the yeast. I didn't know what to do, so I simply dumped the malt extract into the fermenter and stirred vigorously for a few minutes until it looked mixed.

Well, it turns out the beer is totally drinkable! It tastes a little too hop-forward and thin, it's hard to describe. But I expected to pour it down the drain and instead I have a batch that I can learn from and still drink!

Given another couple weeks this beer may come around and be much better depending on what style it is. My porters often are a bit thin for the first couple months.

 

[jcarlson2]

Given another couple weeks this beer may come around and be much better depending on what style it is. My porters often are a bit thin for the first couple months.

Thanks RM-MN, I do plan on letting this one sit a bit longer before drinking more of it. I usually notice a big difference with another month of rest.

By the way, I'm originally from MN and have relatives up in Bemidji. It's a nice area. I've been out in Seattle for a while now though. The Pacific Northwest is a great area if you happen to like IPAs. (that's about 75% of the beers out here!)

 

[balrog]

The Pacific Northwest is a great area if you happen to like IPAs. (that's about 75% of the beers out here!)

I *WISH* it was 75%. Here in NE it's hard to find anything but hop juice.


carry on

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks RM-MN, I do plan on letting this one sit a bit longer before drinking more of it. I usually notice a big difference with another month of rest.

By the way, I'm originally from MN and have relatives up in Bemidji. It's a nice area. I've been out in Seattle for a while now though. The Pacific Northwest is a great area if you happen to like IPAs. (that's about 75% of the beers out here!)

Small world indeed. I have a daughter in Monroe, WA. When we come out to visit I usually try to hit at least one brew pub.

 

[ForReal]

Thanks RM-MN, I do plan on letting this one sit a bit longer before drinking more of it. I usually notice a big difference with another month of rest.

By the way, I'm originally from MN and have relatives up in Bemidji. It's a nice area. I've been out in Seattle for a while now though. The Pacific Northwest is a great area if you happen to like IPAs. (that's about 75% of the beers out here!)

I thought I'd circle back and give an update on the finished beer. As you recall, I completely forgot to add the malt extract during the boil. I simply boiled the hops and adjunct grains for an hour! ugh. I had already cooled the hop water, poured it into the fermenter and pitched the yeast. I didn't know what to do, so I simply dumped the malt extract into the fermenter and stirred vigorously for a few minutes until it looked mixed.

Well, it turns out the beer is totally drinkable! It tastes a little too hop-forward and thin, it's hard to describe. But I expected to pour it down the drain and instead I have a batch that I can learn from and still drink!

Hi there,
Yesterday I brewed and forgot to add the late extract addition at flame out.I realized this when the worth was in the fermentor and I was ready to pitch-I ended up putting the dey extract directly into the fermentor, stirring and pitching.

no need to say I’m worrried about infection, but made me more relax about my mystake.

thanks for sharing!