How on god's green earth did I do this?

[banesong]

I just brewed Jamil's Belgian Golden Strong Ale from Brewing Classic Styles. Basic recipe is 11lbs pilsener, 3lbs table sugar and 37ibs of Saaz hops (3oz @3aa for this batch, a bit low).

My question is, how on god's green earth is my OG 1.130? I measured on a refractometer and hydrometer to confirm. What the heck?

T

Details below:

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.48 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Estimated OG: 1.087 SG
Estimated Color: 3.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 27.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 87.9 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
176.00 oz Pilsen (Dingemans) (1.6 SRM) Grain 1 78.6 %
48.00 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 2 21.4 %
3.00 oz Saaz [3.00 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 3 27.3 IBUs
2.0 pkg Belgian Strong Ale (Wyeast Labs #1388) [ Yeast 4 -


Mash Schedule: 149* - Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out - 90 minutes
Total Grain Weight: 224.00 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 13.75 qt of water at 160.2 F 149.0 F 90 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 5.61 gal water at 168.0 F
Notes:
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Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
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[Thunder_Chicken]

Was the wort stirred evenly and at ~ 68F? If you did the you either didn't measure your water, grains, or sugar properly.

 

[aeviaanah]

Not sure. Are you sure you have the volume of wort correct?

Hopefully this was pre boil and not post boil. You should learn to measure pre boil gravity and convert to post boil. This way if something is off you can make the corrections such as adding more water and hops.

 

[aeviaanah]

Was the wort stirred evenly and at ~ 68F? If you did the you either didn't measure your water, grains, or sugar properly.

+1 stir the wort then draw sample. Does a refractometer need to be at 68f?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

+1 stir the wort then draw sample. Does a refractometer need to be at 68f?

True, probably doesn't matter for a refractometer as the sample would cool, but it would matter if you put a hydrometer in hot wort. You need to apply a temperature correction for that.

 

[aeviaanah]

True, probably doesn't matter for a refractometer as the sample would cool, but it would matter if you put a hydrometer in hot wort. You need to apply a temperature correction for that.

Right OP stated he used both refractometer and hydrometer to measure gravity.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I recommend a good stir and another gravity check. If you are truly that far over gravity, start adding a bit of makeup water, then stir it in, check gravity...lather, rinse, repeat, until you are close to your expected OG.

As long as you are cooled to pitching temp. mixing in a little oxygen won't hurt (it's actually beneficial at this stage, stir away!).

If you already pitched yeast, make sure that your make-up water is about the same temperature as the wort. Your yeasts are probably freaking out about being tossed in 1.130 wort, so try to not give them a temperature shock. If you get your gravity down and give them a good aeration they will cope just fine.

 

[banesong]

It was measured post boil. Pre Boil (mid first runnings) was 1.075.

Seems like it isn't possible, given the ingredients.

I will restir and remeasure.

 

[banesong]

Okay. The answer is at hand.

Apparently.... It was a 10 lb container of sugar, not the 4 lb bag that I thought it was.

This will be an..... Interesting.... beer.

1.130 is pretty much where 9 lbs of sugar should put it.

Dang. ::banana::

 

[masskrug]

LOL! You might want to age that "barley wine" for a year before serving.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Ummm...that "beer" is going to taste like flaming alcohol for a *long* time and will give you hangovers that will make you wish you were a teetotaler, even assuming that the yeast can chew through it.

I'd try to dilute it to a more manageable beer gravity. Maybe do a second batch just mashing the Pilsner, then combining it all into a double batch at reduced gravity.

Also...buy a kitchen ingredient scale and use it in future batches.

 

[banesong]

In fairness... I was dealing with a 3yo and a neighbors at the same time. I did a delta measure.... Subtracted 1lb from the supposed 4lb bag. I am boiling water right now to dilute.

 

[banesong]

Correction... SWMBO wants to experiment and let it ride. We are now planning to pitch Wlp099 in a couple of weeks... And then aging it for next years Winter Warmer competition in December.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Just diluting the sugar water that you have now to the OG will leave you with a really thin, dry beer. Not the end of the world, but you might consider letting it ferment out, then tasting it. It might be OK. If not, you can then brew another batch later using just the Pilsner grains and hops, fermenting that out, and then blending.

You should have about 97 gallons of excellent beer at the end of the process. Prost!

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Correction... SWMBO wants to experiment and let it rife

Well then, SWMBO must be obeyed. Just tell her that she must drink every. last. drop. of the final product. That'll fix her wagon, assuming she survives the 2-year hangover.

 

[banesong]

Okay... Asking the general public... Should I pitch the smack pack of trappist high gravity wyeast I have to help handle the gravity? Oh and add a second aeration session tomorrow?

Irony of the whole thing... I don't usually brew above 3-4 percent beers.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Okay... Asking the general public... Should I pitch the smack pack of trappist high gravity wyeast I have to below handle the gravity?

I'd save the smack pack and brew another batch of decent beer. This current batch is going to be a brutal beer.

Oh and add a sexing aeration session tomorrow?

Sounds good. Post pictures!

Irony of the whole thing... I don't usually brew above 3-4 percent beers.

This will be above 3-4%, but I'm not sure you'll be calling it "beer" when you taste it.

 

[banesong]

Ahem. Autocorrect corrected.

That being said.... Skip the extra yeast pitch? How about the extra aeration?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Ahem. Autocorrect corrected.

Booo...no fun.

That being said.... Skip the extra yeast pitch? How about the extra aeration?

My opinion is that you will be wasting a good smack pack on fermenting sugar water. It's going to be pretty hoochy even if it does ferment. If you want it to ferment out you can try throwing a cheap wine yeast in there, but I wouldn't waste more than $0.75 on it, and I wouldn't do this unless the ferment actually stalls on you. Let it ride for now.

If you want to aerate the heck out of it (sexing or no), that is probably not a bad idea for the first couple of days of the ferment. The yeast will need all the oxygen they can get, and getting CO2 out of suspension will help as well. But after the krausen starts to subside leave it alone or you will oxidize the beer.

 

[DrWill]

Okay. The answer is at hand.

Apparently.... It was a 10 lb container of sugar, not the 4 lb bag that I thought it was.

This will be an..... Interesting.... beer.

1.130 is pretty much where 9 lbs of sugar should put it.

Dang. ::banana::

I am laughing hysterically only because that completely sounds like something I would do.

 

[banesong]

If you want to aerate the heck out of it (sexing or no), that is probably not a bad idea for the first couple of days of the ferment. The yeast will need all the oxygen they can get, and getting CO2 out of suspension will help as well. But after the krausen starts to subside leave it alone or you will oxidize the beer.

Hehe... I will give it a shot. Nothing but a smack pack cost in the future. I have Montrachet yeast in the fridge at the moment.

Funny thing, the Trappist yeast is for a patersbier.... At a whopping 4%

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Hehe... I will give it a shot. Nothing but a smack pack cost in the future. I have Montrachet yeast in the fridge at the moment.

Funny thing, the Trappist yeast is for a patersbier.... At a whopping 4%

It's your call, but I'd save the Trappist yeast for the patersbier and would try to do that one right.

I think your cane sugar bomb is going to be a rough batch, to say the least. Prison hooch is probably closer to the mark. I really think diluting it some and adding back some grain and hops later might give you something drinkable, possibly even good.

Fermenting out a slurry of sugar water isn't going to taste good, no matter what yeast you throw in there.

 

[banesong]

It's your call, but I'd save the Trappist yeast for the patersbier and would try to do that one right.

I think your cane sugar bomb is going to be a rough batch, to say the least. Prison hooch is probably closer to the mark. I really think diluting it some and adding back some grain and hops later might give you something drinkable, possibly even good.

Fermenting out a slurry of sugar water isn't going to taste good, no matter what yeast you throw in there.

Well... Maybe I can freeze it and make an ice beer. try and see high we can go!

Heating mash water for a 2.5% apa right now.

 

[banesong]

So... The beer has come down from 1.13 to 1.036. I plan to pitch champaign yeast, but have not done so before. I assume I need a starter. Should I treat it like beer yeast?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

You don't need a starter. You can just hydrate per the package instructions and add the champagne yeast. Assuming that the remaining fermentables are mostly sugars, this might get you down into the mid teens for gravity (~1.015). Champagne yeast is good to about 15% or so ABV.

 

[banesong]

You don't need a starter. You can just hydrate per the package instructions and add the champagne yeast. Assuming that the remaining fermentables are mostly sugars, this might get you down into the mid teens for gravity (~1.015). Champagne yeast is good to about 15% or so ABV.

Great, thanks!