New Brew - high OG?

[DrVertebrae]

Well I'm not sure about this one. I just checked the OG and it's a whopping 1.062.

It was made with the following:
1. Mountmellick Malt Extraxt - Hopped Export Ale
2. 2lbs of Munton Plain Amber Ale powdered malt extract
3. One bag of Mr Beers Booster (not entirely fermentable and thus contributory to the
high OG.
4. 1/2 oz Willamette pelleted hops and then boiled 15 min.
5. At 15 min added 1/2 oz of Sterling Pelleted Hops and bioled for an additional 5min.
6. The yeast (unknown variety) was rehydrated and added at 85F.
7. The entire mix was aerated with vigorous shaking both prior to and after the addition of the
yeast.
8. Vol to 5 gal. But I never get 5 gal out of a 5 gal batch.

3/13/2012 - Fermentation started. OG = 1.062

It smelled great as it boiled

I'm a bit concerned about the high OG.

 

[LuxAeterna]

I think your OG will be fine. If I remember correctly, pushing 1.08+ is where yeast might start to need a little help and you may want to consider to pitching more (either through a good starter or a second yeast addition) or adding some nutrients. But as is, I think you're safe.

 

[bmasyga]

I am really new to this home brew. Why is it a big deal if the og is high?

 

[LuxAeterna]

I am really new to this home brew. Why is it a big deal if the og is high?

Well first off, you know that a higher OG means more sugar present in the wort, yes? Meaning, more potential for a higher alcohol content when it is all done fermenting. But, not all yeasts are the same. A beer yeast doesn't have as much tolerance as, say, a wine yeast. With a high enough original gravity, a beer yeast straight from the package might not be strong enough to gain a good foothold, resulting in a stuck fermentation and zero progress. In order to avoid this, it is advised that with a big OG you should make a starter to get a good and healthy colony of yeast growing. Also, adding nutrients and making sure the wort is oxidized enough might be a good idea to ensure a strong fermentation.

 

[DrVertebrae]

I didn't add nutrients. It should start up. I didn't dry pitch and it was well aerated. I'll let you know.

 

[Screech]

I kind of posted the same scenario except my OG was 1.085. It is still on the front page under "Fermentation Time?"

I didn't get too many responses in my thread, however, from what I gathered, longer time is needed to ferment, since the yeast have a harder time once the alcohol percentage gets higher. From what I was told maybe 4 to 6 weeks in primary, then roughly 6 weeks in bottle?

I used both a liquid and dry yeast with a small amount of time as a yeast starter, and a yeast fuel. Hopefully I will be alright also.

Kevin

 

[DrVertebrae]

Nothing going on this morning but its only been about 8 hours. I won't get to see it again until tomorrow evening so I'm hoping I'll come home to some good activity.

 

[Kingfish]

6. The yeast (unknown variety) was rehydrated and added at 85F.

What was the temp of the OG sample? Most hydrometers are calibrated for 60F.

 

[Shooter]

Nothing going on this morning but its only been about 8 hours. I won't get to see it again until tomorrow evening so I'm hoping I'll come home to some good activity.

Yeah, don't sweat it at eight hours. I am a little concerned about the description of this "unknown" yeast. However, if it was properly hydrated you should be okay. Also, massive amounts of oxygen are probably not as important for dry yeasts. When I pitch dry yeast I do try to splash the wort going into the fermenter and then stir it vigorously for a few minutes, but that's about it. I reserve the oxygen tank for really high gravity beers (particularly with liquid yeast) and lagers. I do usually add a tsp of nutrient as well to all of my batches. My latest batch with dry yeast was off and running in about 12-14 hours.

 

[DrVertebrae]

Good point that I forgot about the hydrometer. The temp was around 75F so the initial reading was probably more in the 1.052 or 54 range.

The yeast was the yeast that came with the extract but it was not labeled in any form or fashion, thus, unkown yeast.

I had to make a quick run to the house at lunch and glanced at it. It is beginning to produce CO2. It produced a bubble in about 30 to 40 seconds. I suspect it will be rather active by the next time I see it.

 

[DrVertebrae]

I got that wrong. Starting OG when adjusted for temp would actually be slightly higher. 1.062 at 75F actually would translate to about 1.064.

 

[Kingfish]

I just popped this into Beersmith. OG of 1.046 before the "booster"... 1.059 after.

This is assuming the "Mountmellick Malt Extraxt" was a 4 pound can.

So, you used:
4 pounds of Liquid extract
2 pounds of Dried extract
1 bag of "booster" (which gives +1.3%abv)

No other sugars? Only one can of LME?

 

[DrVertebrae]

Yes but it was not quite 5 gallons. The bottle is not marked and I don't want to over fill and risk a blowout. That's why actually measuring the SG is important. I usually get about 4 to 41/2 gallons of finished beer from the 5 gal kits. All have been totally awesome thus far but I really should mark the bottle.

 

[Kingfish]

8. Vol to 5 gal.

Yes but it was not quite 5 gallons. The bottle is not marked and I don't want to over fill and risk a blowout. That's why actually measuring the SG is important. I usually get about 4 to 41/2 gallons of finished beer from the 5 gal kits. All have been totally awesome thus far but I really should mark the bottle.

Well then, that make a big difference.

At 4.5gal you should be around 1.066....Right at what you got.

 

[DrVertebrae]

Yup.

 

[Kingfish]

I am really new to this home brew. Why is it a big deal if the og is high?

1. Not everyone brews high octane beer.
2. Having an OG that is higher than you expected indicated something is off in your calculations (as the OP was with the volume.) He can now plan his next brew with 4.5 gallons as his batch size.
3. The higher the OG the more yeast needs to be added. You need to be able to plan your OG to know if you need to make a starter for your yeast.
4. OG affects FG. A low FG (or a high one) can mess with your planned bitterness level.
Those are but just a few examples.

 

[beerman0001]

I got that wrong. Starting OG when adjusted for temp would actually be slightly higher. 1.062 at 75F actually would translate to about 1.064.

I hope you are still not at 75 deg.

 

[DrVertebrae]

Currently ar 68F. Its been warm here and my girls like to use the A/C. A bit cool for mead but works well with the beer.

This one should end up about 6% or so. I'm not sure if I'd call it high octane when I read about percentages from 7 to 10%. I like'em a bit hopped up just a bit and with more mouth feel. It seems the higher ABV works well with it as well. I've noticed the craft breweries for the most part brew their brews in the 6 - 7% range although I did see one at about 4.6%.

in fact, right now I'm drinking an Amber Ale Lager from Rahr and sons. Its 4.5%. A very nice beer indeed. It reminds me of the West Coast Ale I first brewed from Mr Beer.

 

[DrVertebrae]

And bubbling away I might add. Just a bit slow on the start.