Lawnmower/Summer Brew

[xfakex]

I was thinking of trying out the recipe below, and wanted to see if you guys think I would get a refreshing brew out of this.

For a 5gl batch

Steep 1.5lb Vienna malt and .5lb Carafoam malt for 20 min at 155 degrees

3lb Extra Light DME - 60min Boil
2lb Light DME - 60min Boil
1lb Rice Syrup Solids -60min Boil
1oz German Halletaur Hops - 60min Boil
1oz Check Saaz Hops - Last 15min boil

Feedback appreciated!

 

[kpr121]

Sure sounds like a nice refreshing grain and hop bill. What kind of yeast you planning on using?

 

[xfakex]

I was thinking Nottingham...

 

[kpr121]

Thats what I was going to suggest!

 

[xfakex]

I let this ferment for about 3 weeks, primed and bottled. I taste tested what was left and it was super sweet, leading me to believe it has not done fermenting. I took a gravity reading an it was 1.05, and I did not take any OG or anything. Do you think the 1.05 reading is being skewed by the priming solution? Should I pour the bottles back into the fermenter and add some more yeast? I'm at a loss and do not want exploding bottles.

Any help/suggestions are appreciated.

 

[gladius270]

I'm no doctor, but 1.05 seems pretty close to what the OG would have been. I feel like it needs more time. I'd be worried about bombs. Any senior members want to chime in on this?

 

[CGish]

Just plugging the grain bill into Beersmith, and assuming a 75% efficiency, I am showing an estimated O.G. of 1.061 for my BIAG system. Also showing an estimated F.G. of 1.015. Don't really know what to suggest to you, I have not had this particular problem yet. I have read on this forum that pouring the beer back into the fermenter oxidizes it. Maybe someone who has had a similar problem can give you some ideas. In the mean time, I wouldn't put those bottles near anything that can be destroyed by glass shrapnel. (Although you should have at least a few days before that is a problem.)

 

[Newbeerguy]

I let this ferment for about 3 weeks, primed and bottled. I taste tested what was left and it was super sweet, leading me to believe it has not done fermenting. I took a gravity reading an it was 1.05, and I did not take any OG or anything. Do you think the 1.05 reading is being skewed by the priming solution? Should I pour the bottles back into the fermenter and add some more yeast? I'm at a loss and do not want exploding bottles.

Any help/suggestions are appreciated.

Oh boy, first thing I'd do is stick then in the fridge like now! At 1.050 these will turn into bombs if left at room temp. How much priming sugar did you add? I'd also pop another bottle and take a reading on that to see where that one stands. If that one is at 1.050 too.....man that would be way too sweet to be drinkable. It's possible to uncap them all and pour them into a fermenter and let them finish ferment....but in all honesty, they probably will get oxidized and not that good. Whatever you do, be careful as exploding glass is no joke.

 

[bighorn_brew]

I would have to think the co2 dissolved into solution is skewing the reading but a easy way to check is taking a reading of a commercial beer to see what it reads....

 

[tonyc318]

U took a gravity reading after adding priming sugar? You're supposed to have your final gravity figured out before you bottle. Regardless of how many days you let it ferment. I would imagine that taking a reading with the priming sugar will give u an false reading.

 

[Newbeerguy]

I would have to think the co2 dissolved into solution is skewing the reading but a easy way to check is taking a reading of a commercial beer to see what it reads....

I really doubt it. Especially a reading like 1.050. Even most lagers you brew when you check them have around 1 vol of carb when you're checking the sample. Never have had it effect the reading like that. IIRC 5oz of priming sugar only adds like 2-3 gravity points.

 

[Newbeerguy]

U took a gravity reading after adding priming sugar? You're supposed to have your final gravity figured out before you bottle. Regardless of how many days you let it ferment. I would imagine that taking a reading with the priming sugar will give u an false reading.

You're right, but not that much. This looks like incomplete fermentation and bottled without a reading like you said.

 

[tonyc318]

You're right, but not that much. This looks like incomplete fermentation and bottled without a reading like you said.

I agree with u. FG should have been recorded and stable before bottling. Hey OP, how long was the beer in your fermenter before you bottle? Did u take gravity readings before bottling?

 

[xfakex]

I just opened 3 separate bottles from what I believed to be from the first, middle, and last bottles bottled. Each one consistently read 1.025 which is half of what I was getting before. What is going on? Do I still potentially have bombs on my hands? This is only my third batch, so I've obviously learned my lesson when it comes to utilizing my hydrometer. I appreciate all of the feedback, guys.

EDIT: The 1.050 reading was the only time I used my hydrometer before the above comments. It fermented for 3 weeks, and i used 4 oz of priming sugar.

 

[Newbeerguy]

I just opened 3 separate bottles from what I believed to be from the first, middle, and last bottles bottled. Each one consistently read 1.025 which is half of what I was getting before. What is going on? Do I still potentially have bombs on my hands? This is only my third batch, so I've obviously learned my lesson when it comes to utilizing my hydrometer. I appreciate all of the feedback, guys.

EDIT: The 1.050 reading was the only time I used my hydrometer before the above comments. It fermented for 3 weeks, and i used 4 oz of priming sugar.

It's still a possibility that you could have bottle bombs, yes. That is quite a difference in gravity readings. How did you mix your priming sugar in? Did you boil it in some water, cool then add to your bottling bucket?

What tempature is the beer when you're taking the hydro samples? The hydrometers are calibrated for 60 degrees and anything above or below that temp will need to be corrected.

Still not sure what is going on here....did your recipe change from your first post? What yeast did you use and how did you pitch it? Did you make a starter or hydrate? Did you shake the bucket/carboy to introduce oxygen when you pitched it?

 

[xfakex]

It's still a possibility that you could have bottle bombs, yes. That is quite a difference in gravity readings. How did you mix your priming sugar in? Did you boil it in some water, cool then add to your bottling bucket?

What tempature is the beer when you're taking the hydro samples? The hydrometers are calibrated for 60 degrees and anything above or below that temp will need to be corrected.

Still not sure what is going on here....did your recipe change from your first post? What yeast did you use and how did you pitch it? Did you make a starter or hydrate? Did you shake the bucket/carboy to introduce oxygen when you pitched it?

I boiled 4oz dextrose in 2 cups of water and cooled to room temp. I slowly added it to the bottling bucket and then siphoned my brew from the fermenter into the bottom of the bottling bucket.

Temp for the hydo sampling is room temp and my house is kept at roughly 70 degrees. All readings I have posted on here have been adjusted with a 1 point addition according to my hydrometer instructions.

The only thing that changed with my ingredients was Moutons yeast instead of the nottinghams (my HBS was out of the notty). The wort was shaken vigorously and again after the rest of the water was added. The yeast was hydrated and then pitched.

 

[bighorn_brew]

I really doubt it. Especially a reading like 1.050. Even most lagers you brew when you check them have around 1 vol of carb when you're checking the sample. Never have had it effect the reading like that. IIRC 5oz of priming sugar only adds like 2-3 gravity points.

I've never checked a gravity reading of a carbed beer.....did seem a bit high tho...

 

[Newbeerguy]

I boiled 4oz dextrose in 2 cups of water and cooled to room temp. I slowly added it to the bottling bucket and then siphoned my brew from the fermenter into the bottom of the bottling bucket.

Temp for the hydo sampling is room temp and my house is kept at roughly 70 degrees. All readings I have posted on here have been adjusted with a 1 point addition according to my hydrometer instructions.

The only thing that changed with my ingredients was Moutons yeast instead of the nottinghams (my HBS was out of the notty). The wort was shaken vigorously and again after the rest of the water was added. The yeast was hydrated and then pitched.

Seems like a pretty solid process. Did you happen to taste the bottles you opened that were 1.025? Did they taste sweet to you and how was the carbonation on them?

Plugging the numbers into Beersmith I get an anticipated FG of 1.016....I've seen alot of extract batches crap out at 1.020 but 1.025 is still pretty high. Here is what I'd do. I'd taste it, if it is carbonated enough for me and drinkable, I'd put them all in the fridge and chalk it up as a learning experience and check the SG before I bottle next time. If it is too sweet to drink, I'd leave them out for a bit, but check em daily to make sure there aren't any bombs or see if it is ferementing out any.

 

[xfakex]

I'm going to double bag the 6 packs in trash bags and just check one bottle daily for a few days to see where they're at. There's no question that they're sweet, but not undrinkable. Probably slightly sweeter than a Celebrator Dopplebock if I had to say.

I appreciate everyone's timely help on this.

 

[oze152]

As far as exploding bottles go, I have read on here that you will generally be able to tell before they get to that point if you check one bottle every few days. Before they get to the exploding point you will have foam over when you open a bottle. Did this happen when you opened your first couple of bottles that had the 1.025 gravity reading? If not, i would continue watching, but would think that you are safe from bombs for now. Anyone else have feedback about this?

 

[PistolaPete]

I could be way off here and I only ask to see if I am on the right track but maybe the amount of water he used for the boil could have influenced the hop utilization? Less water equals higher gravity boil which equals less bittering, right? And wouldn't we need to know the alpha acid % of the hops and whether he added all the ingredients at the beginning of the boil or only started with some and then waited until flame out to add the rest? I guess it's hard to tell what's really going on here without an OG and FG.