Low SG on a Big Beer

[kinkothecarp]

Last night I did a partial mash Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. We started the partial and realized that our pot was wayyyyyy too small, so we ended up loosing (through a lot of mishmash that I don't want to explain) a lot of of the mash. The SG that Beer Calculus gave me was 1.064 and the FG was 1.016. We ended up with 1.042 as the SG and the FG has yet to be announced. It still had potential for 5.5% ABV, but we're wondering if it'll taste like an oatmeal stout, or if it'll taste watery. And, is there any way to fix what we could have messed up? Adding sugar?

 

[Vuarra]

Adding sugar might bring up the alcohol, but not necessarily the flavours. I would have just went with a smaller batch, keeping as much of the flavour as I could.

 

[ChshreCat]

I'm guessing it won't be watery, just lower in alcohol and possibly more on the bitter side since you lost some maltyness but used the same hops.

 

[kinkothecarp]

I'm guessing it won't be watery, just lower in alcohol and possibly more on the bitter side since you lost some maltyness but used the same hops.

Ah, you responded to the recipe I posted =). Can I counter the hops with more lactose?

 

[ChshreCat]

I don't think it'll be that much of a difference. I certainly wouldn't change anything until you get a chance to taste it before bottling.

 

[SmugMug]

It's completely ruined. Send it to me for proper disposal.

/seriously

 

[kinkothecarp]

I just didn't know if the SG related in any form to viscosity or the actual flavor. I knew we'd have a drinkable beer, but I'm still a little confused on the exact meaning of the SG beyond what I learned in my college chemistry class. Will a bigger beer literally be thicker? Or does that viscous feeling depend on the amount of other proteins and waxes that end up in the beer?

 

[BrothersBrewing]

Wait and see what it tastes like. Then go buy a bigger pot.

The worst that happens; you mite not like it or i doesn't taste right. You learn from it. That's what its all about.

 

[ChshreCat]

When people say "big beer" on here they're generally talking about the OG of the wort and ABV of the end product. That doesn't have bearing on mouthfeel. The increased mouthfeel you're going for is provided by the oatmeal, not the gravity. In fact, many things people to to make a beer "bigger", such as sugar additions, thin out the beer and reduce mouthfeel.