New brewer here, just completed my first batch and have questions.

[whoward]

This is a Belgian ale with 5.37 abv and target OG of 1.051.

I steeped my grains at 150 for 45 minutes and them spurged them with about 1.5 gallons of water (maybe a little more) and then started the boil and added my extracts and hops according to the instructions.

When I finished the boil and cooled down the wort I only had about 2.5 gallons of wort so I added a little less than two gallons of water and got it to about 4.25 gallons. The OG of my wort came out at 1.044, so I missed the mark in both volume (was supposed to yield 5 gallons) and OG.

I realize that I didn't account for enough boil off of the wort, so I'll know going forward to start with more water.

My questions....

Is missing my OG (target 1.051, actual 1.044) that big of a miss or is it close enough? I did check it at 3.5 gallons and was at a perfect 1.051, but added an extra .75 gallons to increase volume and that diluted it down. Did I screw up?
Should I went have gone ahead and filled the fermenter to 5 gallons and diluted the wort down even more and lowered the OG even more?

the powdered yeast said to mix it with with 4 ounces of 90 degree water and mix and then pitch it, but I read on forums after that some people just pour the powder directly into the wort and aerate. What's your method?

Appreciate any advice. I'm hoping I didn't screw this batch up, it was quite a bit of work.

 

[wtrfwlnut]

I'm not as experienced as a lot of guys on here but I believe you need about 1-1.25 qt of water for every pound of grain. Not sure how that converts when using extract. Adding your recipe to your post might help with getting some more advise also. I have had beers that missed the OG reading and turned out fine, just lower abv. Less sugars in the wort = less for the yeast to eat and convert to alcohol.

With dry yeast, I made a starter the first couple times I used it. Maybe not completely necessary but it helps them be healthy and numerous.

Good Luck man and congrats on your first brew!

 

[Special Hops]

It's hard to be way off OG with extract brewing. I think either your volume is off or you perhaps did not stir well before taking the gravity reading.

I would take another measurement and see if it comes out the same.

Regarding the yeast - I would hydrate. It's quick the the yeast will be healthier then just sprinkling dry.

 

[Kee]

You can either go with it, add some extract, or boil longer. I'd go with it and call it a session beer. It should be fine, just a low ABV beer.

It helps the yeast to rehydrate, but at that gravity and volume it won't make much difference since one pack of dry yeast will be more than enough.

 

[KC_Rockaholic]

I've done 4 extract batches. But how many gallons did you start off with in the boil?

I typically do 3 gallons in the kettle, and as long as your boil isn't overly aggressive you shouldn't lose too much liquid. After adding the extracts, I usually end up with exactly 5 gallons after adding the purified water in the carboy with the wort. Also, make sure you aerate before pitching the yeast. I've been pitching the dry yeast packet without a starter and haven't had a problem with that yet.

Also, make sure when adding the LME that you get as much of that good stuff as possible out of the container.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Edit: I see this was an extract batch. I don't see how you could miss your OG if you used all the ingredients and your final volume was correct, either through topping off or otherwise.

If it was an extract recipe of your own design, then you probably need to look at the calculations you used again. Perhaps there's something awry in your brewing software numbers.

 

[whoward]

It wasn't my own recipe, it was a box I purchased from a local home brew store that they had assembled. 3lbs of grains, 3lbs of extract, three hops, coriander, and orange peel.

I started with enough water to cover the grains and steeped them at 150. Then spurged with about 1.5 gallons of water.

So in total I had about 3.5 gallons of water in the pot when I began my boil and it boiled down to 2.5 gallons.

Was my problem that I didn't start with enough water?

 

[SlitheryDee]

It wasn't my own recipe, it was a box I purchased from a local home brew store that they had assembled. 3lbs of grains, 3lbs of extract, three hops, coriander, and orange peel.

I started with enough water to cover the grains and steeped them at 150. Then spurged with about 1.5 gallons of water.

So in total I had about 3.5 gallons of water in the pot when I began my boil and it boiled down to 2.5 gallons.

Was my problem that I didn't start with enough water?

Any way you could post the specifics of the recipe? Like what kinds of grains were in it and so on? I'm doing a sample recipe in beersmith, and for a 5 gallon batch I can't make 3 lbs of grains plus 3 lbs of extract get anywhere near 1.051. It actually works out if the batch size was supposed to be 3.5 gallons though.

 

[whoward]

Any way you could post the specifics of the recipe? Like what kinds of grains were in it and so on? I'm doing a sample recipe in beersmith, and for a 5 gallon batch I can't make 3 lbs of grains plus 3 lbs of extract get anywhere near 1.051. It actually works out if the batch size was supposed to be 3.5 gallons though.

3lb CBW Pilsen Light Liq Malt Ex
3lb Bavarian Wheat Liq Malt Ex
28oz Belgian Pils
1lb Rice Syrup
3.2oz oats flaked
1 oz Saaz
1oz coriander seed
1oz Orange Peel
.6oz tettnanger
0.5tsp Irish Moss
1oz Hallertauer Hersbucker

That's the ingredients. What does that tell you?

 

[NSMikeD]

It wasn't my own recipe, it was a box I purchased from a local home brew store that they had assembled. 3lbs of grains, 3lbs of extract, three hops, coriander, and orange peel.

I started with enough water to cover the grains and steeped them at 150. Then spurged with about 1.5 gallons of water.

So in total I had about 3.5 gallons of water in the pot when I began my boil and it boiled down to 2.5 gallons.

Was my problem that I didn't start with enough water?

3lb CBW Pilsen Light Liq Malt Ex
3lb Bavarian Wheat Liq Malt Ex
28oz Belgian Pils
1lb Rice Syrup
3.2oz oats flaked
1 oz Saaz
1oz coriander seed
1oz Orange Peel
.6oz tettnanger
0.5tsp Irish Moss
1oz Hallertauer Hersbucker

That's the ingredients. What does that tell you?

tells me you had 6lbs of extract, 1 lb of sugar (rice syrup) and 1.75 lbs of grain so steeping would not account for your OG. any chance a bottle/can of extract was missing from the kit?

 

[whoward]

tells me you had 6lbs of extract, 1 lb of sugar (rice syrup) and 1.75 lbs of grain so steeping would not account for your OG. any chance a bottle/can of extract was missing from the kit?

It says rice syrup, but there wasn't any rice syrup in the box. There were only two liquids, the large cans of extract. There was dried rice mixed into the oats.

 

[brewshki]

It says rice syrup, but there wasn't any rice syrup in the box. There were only two liquids, the large cans of extract. There was dried rice mixed into the oats.

based on this, it sounds like you are missing a can of syrup. steeping rice won't actually extract any sugar. you have to do much lengthier process. if this was the mix up, that could account for a good number of gravity points. when you took your OG reading, was the wort hot, or about room temperature?

 

[whoward]

based on this, it sounds like you are missing a can of syrup. steeping rice won't actually extract any sugar. you have to do much lengthier process. if this was the mix up, that could account for a good number of gravity points. when you took your OG reading, was the wort hot, or about room temperature?

It was room temp when I took it. I did taste it and it was pretty sweet tasting.

So how will this affect end product?

 

[NSMikeD]

I haven't plugged the number into beer smith, but with that much LME, I don't see a reason to be off (edit note: it can be calculated, I just haven't done so to see if 1lb rice syrup = 0.007 points for 5 gallons, it might - nevertheless, mention to the LHBS the kit did not match the instructions) . That being said, you aren't so far off to be concerned. While it may not be true to the style, 1.044 should result in a very good beer, and those adjuncts should make for good taste and mouthfeel.


I can never totally understand kit recipes, they don't take into consideration my equipment (especially boil rates and trub loss etc ). So I don't sweat the numbers. That doesn't mean I don't pat myself on the back when they are spot on.:rockin:

While it's an extract kit, that's not the easiest beer to brew for a first batch. I'll pass along some advice I found extremely useful - start with a very simple basic pale ale and do the same recipe (kit) two or three times to get your process down.

A note on dry yeast (I only use dry yeast). Look into pitch rates needed for the style and what your package is suppose to yield. There are online calculators. The packets are supposed to be fine for 5 gallon batches, but higher ABV beer will require more yeast and older yeast will yield less live cells. I tend to over pitch (my bad) rehydrating my yeast as a matter of SOP. I'd rather risk some off flavors from over pitching than deal with an undepicted brew. I brew 2.5 gallon batches. I don't think rehydrating will result in an over pitched beer for 5 gallons. I like to give those yeast cells and running start!!!

 

[brewshki]

It was room temp when I took it. I did taste it and it was pretty sweet tasting.

So how will this affect end product?

The sweet taste won't effect the end product. You created a big sweet batch of liquid, so that is normal. If you take a hydrometer reading at too high of a temperature, that can affect your reading. Hydrometers are calibrated for a specific temperature.

 

[whoward]

The sweet taste won't effect the end product. You created a big sweet batch of liquid, so that is normal. If you take a hydrometer reading at too high of a temperature, that can affect your reading. Hydrometers are calibrated for a specific temperature.

So if I'm understanding correctly... the taste will be fine, the only thing that will be off is the volume (4.25 gallons instead of 5) and the abv will be lower than the original recipe cited?

Other than those two factors everything will be fine (assuming no contamination of course)?

 

[brewshki]

So if I'm understanding correctly... the taste will be fine, the only thing that will be off is the volume (4.25 gallons instead of 5) and the abv will be lower than the original recipe cited?



Other than those two factors everything will be fine (assuming no contamination of course)?

Everything should be fine. As long as it isn't contaminated, you will get beer. And it will likely be delicious. It may not be the beer you were aiming for, but that happens. A lot. It is very hard to aim correctly and hit your targets when you start. That's why brewing to style and for competitions can be such a good thing. They offer an objective judge to indicate if you hit it.