How to salvage dry malt miscalculation

[rahkim]

I recently brewed a holiday brew from the Brew Master's Bible. After four days, I have still not seen any bubbling in the air lock. I realized today what my mistake was... Instead of using 6.6 pounds of premier unhopped pale malt extract, I used 6.6 pounds of dry malt extract. How can I salvage this batch?

Thanks!

 

[rodwha]

It will just have a higher gravity (more alcohol). Not a big issue.

Sometimes you don't see any bubbling as it's not quite air tight. The only way to know for sure is to either see kreusen or use a hydrometer.

 

[duboman]

It will just have a higher gravity (more alcohol). Not a big issue.

Sometimes you don't see any bubbling as it's not quite air tight. The only way to know for sure is to either see kreusen or use a hydrometer.

+1

6.6x45=297
297/5= OG: 1.059 assuming you are brewing a 5 gallon batch

Open the lid and check for krausen or take an hydrometer reading, it's most likely working assuming you pitched the yeast

 

[sweetcell]

I realized today what my mistake was... Instead of using 6.6 pounds of premier unhopped pale malt extract, I used 6.6 pounds of dry malt extract. How can I salvage this batch?

so instead of using liquid extract, you used dry extract? you haven't ruined anything. dry malt extract is denser than liquid, so your brew will have a higher gravity.

what yeast did you pitch? how much?

 

[Pappers_]

As everyone said above, your dry vs. liquid extract has nothing to do with the lack of airlock activity. It could be that there is fermentation going on but the lid on your bucket isn't tight or there is a leak somewhere so the CO2 is escaping there instead of your airlock. Another option is that the fermentation is just very slow to get going or you killed off your yeast somehow. What was the temperature of the wort when you pitched the yeast?

 

[rahkim]

I pitched the yeast at 72 degrees. I can't remember the type of yeast but the clerk said it was a California yeast that was equivalent to the Whitbread called for in the recipe. The yeast was liquid and bubbled over when I opened the lid to pitch. So I would assume it was active and ready to pitch. I'll check my pail as soon as I get my kids to bed and see if there is any activity.

 

[rahkim]

I opened the spout on the pail and took out a little for a reading - 1.025. I also opened the lid and saw a foamy top to it. So am I still in the safe zone? I noticed the airlock was a little loose, so perhaps that is why I did not see any fermentation?

 

[Yooper]

I opened the spout on the pail and took out a little for a reading - 1.025. I also opened the lid and saw a foamy top to it. So am I still in the safe zone? I noticed the airlock was a little loose, so perhaps that is why I did not see any fermentation?

Yes, it sounds like the beer is almost done.

It sounds right on track.

 

[rahkim]

That is good news! The directions say to ferment for 5 days and then transfer to a secondary for 8 days. Is that necessary?

 

[Snowden]

Most would say no, especially if there aren't other items going into the secondary with the beer (oak, fruit, etc.), as it is just another opportunity to introduce oxygen and potential infections during the tranfer. Probably could leave it in the primary for 2 weeks and you would be fine. Make sure to check your final gravity with your hydrometer to verify fermentation has stopped!

 

[rahkim]

I appreciate all the sound advice. This forum is a huge help to us newbies!

 

[rodwha]

Many people seem (me included) to go by the general rule of 3 weeks primary and 3 weeks conditioning with at least 3 days in the fridge.

I often give 4 weeks to condition and 7 days in the fridge.

 

[sweetcell]

I opened the spout on the pail and took out a little for a reading - 1.025. I also opened the lid and saw a foamy top to it. So am I still in the safe zone?

between the foam (krausen) on top and the drop in gravity, we can be certain that fermentation has taken off. congrats, you're making beer! your yeast has taken off and should out-compete any other organisms in there.

I noticed the airlock was a little loose, so perhaps that is why I did not see any fermentation?

that would be a likely explanation. easier for the CO2 to escape via a direct opening than force its way through the liquid in the air lock.

I can't remember the type of yeast but the clerk said it was a California yeast that was equivalent to the Whitbread called for in the recipe. The yeast was liquid and bubbled over when I opened the lid to pitch. So I would assume it was active and ready to pitch.

i'm wondering if you didn't underpitch, so the slow start was due to a long lag phase. if you did indeed add too little yeast, the cells spent a long time multiplying before they got around to fermenting.

if we assume you had 5 gallons of 1.059, a somewhat big beer, http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html recommends 2 vials of liquid yeast if the yeast is a week old (more if the vials are older). also, sounds like you might have lost some yeast due to the bubbling over so you might not have gotten a full vial's worth of yeast in there.

 

[bja]

that would be a likely explanation. easier for the CO2 to escape via a direct opening than force its way through the liquid in the air lock.



i'm wondering if you didn't underpitch, so the slow start was due to a long lag phase.

What makes you think there was a long lag phase?

 

[sweetcell]

What makes you think there was a long lag phase?

ah, right. i was still going on the OP's initial statement of "After four days, I have still not seen any bubbling in the air lock." now that the OP has stated that the air lock wasn't in tight, that's probably the cause of the lack of activity. a long lag isn't out of the question, but not the most likely explanation either.

pathetic that i addressed both points in the same reply but didn't connect them :smack: