Help!! I screwed it up

[Juan Strauss]

In my eagerness to brew my own beer I made a number of school boy errors and was hoping any of you more experienced brewers can help me out with some advice...

I bought a home brew kit (Mangrove Jack’s). Things I did wrong so far:
1. Filled up too much water initially... recipe calls for 23 liters- somehow I managed to fill 27 liters
2. Didn’t take the OG reading
3. today is day 7 of the fermentation and I have not seen bubbles appear in the airlock for the past 12 hours. Suspecting the time is right for bottling I tested the SG which is 1.009. Tasted the beer and it tasted very light. Originally I thought it was the extra 4 liters water but then I discovered 1.2kg liquid enhancer from the kit that I somehow missed. I feel like an idiot.

It feels like a complete disaster. Is it too late to add the enhancer to the liquid? I can kick myself :-(

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

1. Filled up too much water initially... recipe calls for 23 liters- somehow I managed to fill 27 liters
This will result in lower ABV and less overall flavor and body, you can always boil off excess water in the future

2. Didn’t take the OG reading
Don't sweat it just try to remember next time this will not impact your beer

3. today is day 7 of the fermentation and I have not seen bubbles appear in the airlock for the past 12 hours. Suspecting the time is right for bottling I tested the SG which is 1.009.

Check it again on day 10 and verify the reading remains the same if so your done


It's not a complete disaster you learned from your experience that's a success in my book

 

[Juan Strauss]

suppose you are right!

So no point in adding enhancer now then? Risk of introducing O2 and potential infections I guess would be the problem here.

 

[RM-MN]

In my eagerness to brew my own beer I made a number of school boy errors and was hoping any of you more experienced brewers can help me out with some advice...

I bought a home brew kit (Mangrove Jack’s). Things I did wrong so far:
1. Filled up too much water initially... recipe calls for 23 liters- somehow I managed to fill 27 liters
2. Didn’t take the OG reading
3. today is day 7 of the fermentation and I have not seen bubbles appear in the airlock for the past 12 hours. Suspecting the time is right for bottling I tested the SG which is 1.009. Tasted the beer and it tasted very light. Originally I thought it was the extra 4 liters water but then I discovered 1.2kg liquid enhancer from the kit that I somehow missed. I feel like an idiot.

It feels like a complete disaster. Is it too late to add the enhancer to the liquid? I can kick myself :-(

1. No problem. Your beer will be a little lower on alcohol but you will have more beer. Seems like a reasonable trade off.
2. I recommend that you don't take an OG reading on an extract batch. Too many times people get the wrong reading from incomplete mixing and stress about something that isn't a problem.
3. Carefully open the fermenter just enough to add the enhancer. You have plenty of yeast there to ferment out the sugar. That may get the airlock bubbling for a day too. It won't matter if it doesn't, the hydrometer reading is what counts.

 

[Juan Strauss]

1. No problem. Your beer will be a little lower on alcohol but you will have more beer. Seems like a reasonable trade off.
2. I recommend that you don't take an OG reading on an extract batch. Too many times people get the wrong reading from incomplete mixing and stress about something that isn't a problem.
3. Carefully open the fermenter just enough to add the enhancer. You have plenty of yeast there to ferment out the sugar. That may get the airlock bubbling for a day too. It won't matter if it doesn't, the hydrometer reading is what counts.

thanks for the advice and encouragement! I decided to warm up the enhancer in the bag a little and added it to the brew without opening the lid. I took out the grommet holding the airlock and used its hole.... figured it probably the most hygiene way to get the enhancer into the brew. I didnt stir the liquid, hoping the the yeast will get to the most enhancer.

 

[RM-MN]

The yeast in your beer have eaten all the sugars that you had put in when you started and they are hungry little b*******. They will find it.

 

[bracconiere]

this is like my first batch, which is why i went all-grain afterwards....it SHOULD be beer, just wait till you bottle, and you'll be on to kegging!

 

[Kharnynb]

You'll be fine, wait a week, then test the gravity again, It'll be a bit more watery than you wanted, but not too big a deal.
One thing I found with kit beers, is that instead of adding sugar/brew enhancer, adding a similar amount of dry malt extract gives a much tastier beer.

 

[Juan Strauss]

Okay, must say I feel a bit better now. A mere 30 minutes after adding the enhancer and the airlock is bubbling away once more. Those little yeasties sure were hungry- poor souls. Now the wait continues

 

[bracconiere]

Okay, must say I feel a bit better now. A mere 30 minutes after adding the enhancer and the airlock is bubbling away once more. Those little yeasties sure were hungry- poor souls. Now the wait continues

their breath is our life blood! lol, they use sugar for oxygen, and give use alternative fuel...7 cals a gram!