Low OG help/question

[jgoodhart]

So, I brewed my recipe yesterday and came in really low on my OG (1.035??). Estimated OG was 1.046 using beersmith software. Beersmith gave me the mash volume of 3.7 gal. using the 1.25/lb of water/grain ratio and 5.6 gal. sparge water for 9.25lb grain bill. I used both volumes and measured to the T. My mash went okay as I was high at 154 at strike. I mixed my grains, stirred and got it down to my target mash temp of 152 within 5-10mins or so. I mashed as usual for 60 mins. Then I sparged the 5.6 gal. water at 180 degrees. Let the water sit for 10 min before, vorloufed and drained into kettle. I ended up with about 8 gals. pre-boil (which I thought was high being a 5 gal batch with a 60 min boil). Beersmith gave me a pre-boil volume of 7.37 gal. I ended up leaving some sparge water behind, but not much because I thought 8 gal was too much pre-boil. (Which could have contributed to low OG)?? I am thinking its due to a volume problem but I followed beersmith on my last AG batch and came in pretty close? Does anyone have any suggestions of what the problem could have been? Or if it is a volume problem, is there any other program/calculations I can use to be more accurate with my sparge water and overall pre-boil volume?

I also did not do a protein rest (as recommended) because reading up on it, it did not seem necessary in my case. Any help would be appreciated since I am new to the AG!



Recipe: All-Grain Wit Beer

5 gallon batch size
OG ?€“ 1.044 ?€“ 1.052
FG ?€“ 1.008 ?€“ 1.016
Color(SRM) ?€“ 2-4
IBUs ?€“ 10-20
ABV 4.5-5.5%

Grains: 3.25 lbs American 2row Pale
3.0 lbs German Wheat Malt (light)
3.0 lbs German White Wheat Malt (light)

Hops: 0.30 oz-hallertauer @ 60 mins.
0.70 oz-hallertauer @ 15 mins.

Specialty: 1.0 oz Coriander Seed (crushed) @ 15 mins
1.0 oz Bitter Orange Peel @ 15 mins
Whirfloc Tab @ 5 mins.

Yeast: Safbrew-#WB-06

Mash Schedule:

Protein rest at 120 degrees for 20-30 minutes is recommended.
Strike grains at 162 degrees.
Mash grains at 152 degrees for 60 minutes.
Sparge with 160-165 degree water.

 

[CarboyBoy]

Beersmith gave me the mash volume of 3.7 gal. using the 1.25/lb of water/grain ratio and 5.6 gal. sparge water for 9.25lb grain bill.

For 9.25 lbs of grain, you should have used 2.89 gallons of strike water for your mash (assuming no additional water for a deadspace). The grains will add about 0.74 gallons to the mash volume, leaving you with a total mash volume of 3.63 gallons - certainly in the neighborhood of Beersmith's 3.7 gallons.

If you mashed with 3.7 gallons of water and sparged with 5.6 gallons, you'd be around 8.2 gallons after 1.1 gallons of water absorbed by the grains.

Do you recall if you mashed with 3.7 gallons of strike water or 2.89?

 

[jgoodhart]

I mashed with 3.7 gallons. So why would it give me these numbers? And yes I wound up with 8 gallons in the kettle. Is there something I'm not putting into beersmith right? Like I said, I followed the numbers like I did on my previous batch and ended up pretty close on that one so i just figured the numbers were right and went with them on this one...didn't even think to do the math myself where 9.25lbs of grain would be 2.89 gal at 1.25/lb ratio. How do you get sparge volume (is there a formula) so I can do the math myself and double check my numbers from now on?

 

[jgoodhart]

My question now is, since it is already fermenting, can you add Light DME? If so, how much in boiled water to hit my OG of 1.046? (Didn't know yesterday that I could add DME)

 

[CarboyBoy]

On the Mash tab, toward the top where it lists the mash steps, it should say something like "Mash In with 11.6 quarts of water at x degrees." Down below, it will list the total mash volume - which includes both the water and the grains - so you know if your mash will fit into your mash tun.

Regarding whether to add DME or not, I personally would not as a matter of preference, but I think there are those around here who would say it's fine. My first AG was a SNPA clone and I missed the OG by 8 points. Turned out fine.

 

[jgoodhart]

Yeah, that would be my preference too but this was already a low abv beer. If my OG reading was accurate, I will most likely end up with a 2.3% beer. I'm not saying I need an alcohol bomb but 2.3 is very low. Hopefully I can still enjoy the beers taste but I would like to have some buzz properties too since I think that's part of the reason for making/drinking beer right? I also miss read the estimated OG and it should have been 1.051. I know one reason for the low OG was my volume, which I am mad about since that's the number beersmith gave me believe it or not but I still should have double checked the math! And I'm probably assuming my sparge volume was way off too judging from the mash volume beersmith "gave" me. Do you want to just make sure your sparge water equals your pre-boil volume you want...in other words, after you run your first runnings, should you adjust you sparge water to hit your pre-boil volume or will that mess up your sugar/wort ratio?

 

[CarboyBoy]

If your sanitization process are spot on, you could certainly try adding some DME now. Since you missed your target OG by 16 points, and since you have a 5-gallon batch, you want to add 80 points of sugars. DME ppg varies, but 42 is a good rule of thumb, so you'll want to look at adding 1.9 lbs of DME. With that much DME, you might boil it for 10 minutes or so in about a gallon of water. Of course, you'll then be adding a gallon to your fermenter ... call it 2 lbs of DME in a gallon of water, and expect to be close to 1.050.

Do you want to just make sure your sparge water equals your pre-boil volume you want...in other words, after you run your first runnings, should you adjust you sparge water to hit your pre-boil volume or will that mess up your sugar/wort ratio?

Yes, It's best to measure your first runnings and subtract that from your target preboil volume, and that'll be your sparge volume, regardless what Beersmith tells you. If you have all your numbers dialed in, Beersmith should be awfully close, but until then (and even after), you're the brewer, not Beersmith.

 

[beaksnbeer]

What was the crush like? Did you check your O.G at the calibrated temp? These will also mess with the readings my .02

 

[jgoodhart]

I will probably just leave it. I don't think I have enough room for an additional gallon in my primary and I can't do it today since I am at work. Do you think I could add 1# with 1/2 gal to get up in the 1.040's tomorrow when I get home (3 days later)?

I got my grains from a different LHBS this time and they seemed crushed really fine. I crushed them myself with their mill and I was kind of skeptical when I saw them but thats what they had. I thought a finer crush was okay and would ultimately give you a better efficiency anyway? Could crushing it too fine have any ill effects on the OG? I know it can mess with your lautering with stuck sparges but any other problems with them being too fine?

 

[jgoodhart]

I checked OG at 60* too

 

[CarboyBoy]

Do you think I could add 1# with 1/2 gal to get up in the 1.040's tomorrow when I get home (3 days later)?

I think it's worth a shot. Now I'm curious to hear how this turns out!

I thought a finer crush was okay and would ultimately give you a better efficiency anyway? Could crushing it too fine have any ill effects on the OG? I know it can mess with your lautering with stuck sparges but any other problems with them being too fine?

A finer crush will actually help your SG, but you're right, it could lead to a stuck sparge depending on how fine it is and what your lautering procedure is.

 

[jgoodhart]

I will let you know...thanks for the input!