HELP! I think I fubared my brew

[f0xtr0t]

Ok I am brewing an all grain kit pumpkin ale from AHS. I heated my mash water and placed the grain in my mash tun. I am batch sparging. I left the valve open and filled the mash tun. I went inside to grab the pumpkin and I didn't notice what I had done until I got back. All of the loose water drained out. Only the liquid that the grains aborbed stayed in the mash tun.

Is there a way to fix this? What should I expect for negative results?

 

[LVBen]

Ok I am brewing an all grain kit pumpkin ale from AHS. I heated my mash water and placed the grain in my mash tun. I am batch sparging. I left the valve open and filled the mash tun. I went inside to grab the pumpkin and I didn't notice what I had done until I got back. All of the loose water drained out. Only the liquid that the grains aborbed stayed in the mash tun.

Is there a way to fix this? What should I expect for negative results?

What is "loose water"?

 

[PoppinCaps]

I would say you'll get a lower OG overall if you add the mash water again, but there may be enough soaked in the grains to start the process. The temp will likely be lower, but maybe that could be your protein rest? Others will have better input, regarding estimating your final OG from the first runnings or after sparging if you decrease the overall volume of the boil. It will be a darker beer, but I'd say it's not a lost cause, only a different beer.

I say fill the tun up to the normal level and temp and continue. Would be interesting to hear the results of the mash and gravity lost.

 

[f0xtr0t]

loose water..you know water not absorbed by the grains

 

[Dan]

How long were you gone? I don't imagine much conversion would have taken place in the time it takes to walk into the house grab something and walk out. Some loss of gravity to be expected but nothing drastic, probably wasn't a whloe lot of sugars at that point to wash off. Then again I've never done that before (almost though) so have no experience with your predicament. Sorry

 

[prrriiide]

Well, the water didn't stay in the tun long enough to really extract any sugars, right? What it did do is wash out some of the grain dust (flour) component of the grist, and that can provide some of the sugar that gets extracted. But even that can be replaced with some DME if it look s like you're going to undershoot the OG.

When you replace the strike water you lost, it won't hurt anything to mash a little thin. That should help the efficiency as well. I'd heat the replacement water up to about 165-170* and add it until the temp equalizes with the grain.

I'd go ahead and mash it like you normally would and check the pre-boil grav to make sure you're going to have what you need going into the fermenter. If you're going to be low, toss a scoop of DME into the pot at about 15 left in the boil. Watch out for a boil over, though. That stuff will take off on you.

 

[f0xtr0t]

Well I didn't have a way to check the pre boil SG. I just added more strike water till it looked right. I then did my second sparge. I hit about 6.5 gallons mas or menos. I added a 14 oz mix of maltose and dextrose (the brewvint alcohol boost). I boiled down till 5 gals. The wort chiller is doing its thing now.