Earlier I posted about a watery tasting batch. It's been in primary for 2 weeks. I took a hydrometer reading today and it said it was 1.015. And it says it's 2.5%alc. does that sound right? And will it get stronger or am I out of luck? This is also the batch that only got 75% of its yeast.....any suggestions?
Have I lost this batch?!?
- Thread starter BadMitten
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
MotorcycleMatt
Well-Known Member
dont go by the potential acl scale, use og-fg x 131. As said before what was your og?
this^. that scale is for distillers, it's worthless in beer. ABV=OG-FG*131.25
The 2.5% on the scale is really not useful for beers. That scale is generally used for wines, ciders, and other beverages that tend to ferment out completely and is used pre-fermentation to give a rough idea of where the ABV could end up (so, if a wine maker began a wine with a 1.015 gravity, he could expect only a 2.5% ABV wine).
Since you are 1) making beer, which does not ferment out completely, and 2) are taking a reading post-fermentation, this scale tells you nothing.
As mentioned above, you need to know the OG and the FG to get ABV:
(OG - FG) x 131
If you don't have an actual OG, you can probably estimate it from the recipe.
emccarthy25
Well-Known Member
assuming that the temps you took you measurements at were at 60 degrees F, with an OG of 1.070 and a FG of 1.015 the ABV should be 7.3%. The only reason I can think of for it to be 'watery' feeling at this point would be if you used a lot of table sugar when you brewed it(adjuncts like table sugar or corn sugar that ferment completely lend to a drier, lighter taste/mouth feel). With an FG of 1.015 I would guess that you probably did not use lots of table sugar, and probably have a tasty beer with a good amount of body to it
1.070 down to 1.015 is excellent - as stated above right around 7.2% ABV. If it is "watery" then I agree that it could be too much simple sugars in the recipe. Or it could just be warm, young, flat beer. Give it enough time to come into its own and you'll probably have a fine beer.
(did you use a lot of non-malt sugars in this recipe?)
(did you use a lot of non-malt sugars in this recipe?)
Similar threads
