How badly did I mess up today?

[drummerguy]

Well, I'm happy to say I have finished my second round of brewing (a hefeweizen). And while I did a better job with some things (rolling boil, chilling), I still feel as though I may have messed up in a couple of ways. I built an immersion chiller for this brew, but the first time I boiled the chiller was today when I added it to the wort with 10 minutes left in the boil. After the boil was over, the chiller was much shinier than it was when I put it in. Will everything that boiled off just hangout in my beer? Did I completely mess up this batch.

My other issue is that my OG was much higher than expected. It was 1.064, but Brewer's Friend said it should be 1.056. I used only DME for this brew, and added 1 pound of Bavarian wheat and 1 pound of pilsner at the very beginning. I then added 4 pounds of wheat and 1 pound of pilsner with 20 minutes remaining in the boil. After cooling the wort, I added 1.5 gallons of water to reach my final amount. The wort was 84 degrees when I added the water and 66 degrees after mixing it in. I thought maybe the water didn't mix in very well, but the drop in temperature made me think it did. Also, there is quite a bit of sediment in the bottom of the hydrometer. Did I wait too late to add the final amounts of extract? Will this sediment be eaten by the yeast during fermentation? I am really concerned I won't be able to get the FG down low enough. And if I do, the ABV will be very high for this type of beer.

 

[surffisher2a]

You will be fine. your High OG was likely due to not having the wort mixed well enough. Its hard to overshoot OG using extracts.

Don't worry about the shine on the copper, that is fairly normal as well. As long as it wasn't real cruddy when you put it in.

Enjoy your beer.

 

[smccarter]

I say yes...

Yes, you screwed up.

Lol... just kidding.

 

[Wolfbrau]

I'm happy to say I have finished my second round of brewing (a hefeweizen).

So am I. More brewers means better beer for everyone. Keep it up!

And while I did a better job with some things (rolling boil, chilling), I still feel as though I may have messed up in a couple of ways. I built an immersion chiller for this brew, but the first time I boiled the chiller was today when I added it to the wort with 10 minutes left in the boil. After the boil was over, the chiller was much shinier than it was when I put it in. Will everything that boiled off just hangout in my beer? Did I completely mess up this batch.

No, you did not mess up your batch. Wort is slightly acidic and will dissolve any oxides that naturally form on the exterior of your chiller. Is it the best thing ever for your beer? No. But I haven't ever had a batch that was ruined by the oxides being dissolved. In the future, when your chiller gets dull, just soak it in a mild vinegar solution for 15 minutes.

My other issue is that my OG was much higher than expected. ... I used only DME for this brew.

Think of it this way. You basically added a certain amount of stuff in a certain volume of liquid. You're not going to end up with more than you put in. So it's either a problem measuring volume (a problem even very experienced brewers have!) or admixture. Either way, try another gravity soon, and never hesitate to take time to get your volumes calibrated.

 

[drummerguy]

These responses certainly make me feel better. The OG is probably a result of a poor mixture, and I'll just have to do better next time. Either way, it is now bubbling away (quite vigorously) in a swamp cooler in the basement. I was quite happy that it started fermenting in less than 12 hours.