No alcohol

[delweaver]

Hey Im new to homebrewing made my first batch 12 days ago. A light american ale everything seemed fine after I placed the wort in the primary fermentor (carboy) I had about bubble every two seconds out of my airlock then on the third day in the fermentor no more bubbles. I bottled it tonight after 12 days in fermentor and my final gravity reading was 1.013 original gravity was 1.020 quick math .917 percent ABV. What went wrong?

 

[Yooper]

It's not really believeable that your OG was 1.020. That is way too low. What was your recipe?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Also what the temp when you took the OG?

 

[delweaver]

the recipe came from the kit I bought on line
6lbs Ultralight Malt
8oz Crystal 15L
.5oz Glacier Hops
1oz Amarillo Hops
4oz Corn Sugar
Whirfloc

 

[delweaver]

I didnt take a temp. reading unfortunately

 

[Schlenkerla]

I didnt take a temp. reading unfortunately

Guestimate the temp.

 

[Schlenkerla]

the recipe came from the kit I bought on line
6lbs Ultralight Malt
8oz Crystal 15L
.5oz Glacier Hops
1oz Amarillo Hops
4oz Corn Sugar
Whirfloc

I'm guessing this for 5 gallons.

 

[Yooper]

Well, your OG was approximately 1.052 with that recipe. I suspect that your first hydrometer sample was wrong. Maybe you boiled it with some water, and then added more water to get you to five gallons, and it didn't mix very well. Usually the wort that was boiled is heavier and will "sink" to the bottom of the fermenter, and you pull the sample off of the top. Not a problem at all- it happens every day. But it means your OG sample was wrong.

When you use extract, the sugars are THERE. They don't go anywhere, and there is a set amount in the extract. Unless you added 10 gallons of water to it, the OG should be more or less what the recipe predicts.

If that was your recipe, and your FG was 1.013, your beer is approx. 5.08% ABV.

 

[Schlenkerla]

If it is 5 gal it should be about these gravities

Liquid Malt Extract 1.047

Or

Dry Malt Extract 1.058


Assumes the cornsugar is for bottling???

 

[delweaver]

yes five gallons temp quess 68degrees

 

[delweaver]

I also placed my carboy on a wooden floor in my closet to ferment an the temp outside ranged from 40 to 60 I did not have a stick on thermometor on my carboy at the time so dont know temp during fermentation

 

[Schlenkerla]

Next Step - drink and tell us if there is only 1% ABV

You are probably in good shape.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I also placed my carboy on a wooden floor in my closet to ferment an the temp outside ranged from 40 to 60 I did not have a stick on thermometor on my carboy at the time so dont know temp during fermentation

When I asked about the temp I was talking when you did a gravity check. Its highly influenced by temperature. Hotter will make it lower.

Check out this website.

http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html

 

[delweaver]

Just and update I must of taken a wrong reading somewhere because my beer has plenty of alcohol and carbonation just after 1 week
thanks for the advise