One gallon short on water, 20 hours in: Add water or no?

[Hellosluggo]

Hey everybody, first-timer here with a Cooper's Irish Stout extract, OG reading of 1.046 at about 70˚...

I had meant to top-up my fermenter with my final gallon of purified water for a total of 5 gallons, but in the heat of the moment, I forgot to add it. I'm about 20 hours in on fermentation now. Can I gently add the remaining water at this point?

I'm completely aware that the beer will be fine, just slightly stronger. But the reason I'm asking is that I wanted to do the recipe by the book (so to speak) this time around, then do it again later, tweaking it with added DME and priming with brown sugar so that I could get an apples-to-apples comparison. Anyone?

 

[kwingert]

I would just leave it alone. Do it the next time by the book and then a third time to tweak it. Then you will have three samples to compare instead of two; i.e. more beer to drink. Just pay attention to how much beer is in your bottling bucket before you prime it with sugar. This way you can compensate and not have a box of bottling bombs.

 

[kh54s10]

1.046 sounds like the gravity I would expect for the full batch. Adding a gallon would lower that significantly.

I would leave it alone. Both because of the timing and also because of the present OG.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Actually, my mistake: it was about 1.041... But I'm leaning toward leaving it. kwingert's comment, "more beer to drink" has a certain persuasive effect

Still, would love to hear anyone else's input.

Now, on the topic of priming/bottling... A little worried about that. If you were usually dissolving the priming sugar in 2 cups of water, what would be the best method of avoiding the bottle bombs?

 

[Sardoman]

1.041 is a decent gravity for a dry stout. Let it ferment out and then at bottling time you can decide if it tastes too strong or too roasty; you can add some water then. You would only have to boil your priming sugar in whatever volume you want to dilute the batch down with. Adding a whole gallon would bring you down to the bottom end of the style range for ABV.

 

[Calder]

You can add water at any time. Just remember that if you add it after fermentation has started, you need to boil and cool it first. You boil it to get rid of the O2 that is naturally found dissolved in water. Doesn't matter if it is tap or bottled, it needs to be boiled. 5 minutes should be sufficient.

 

[jonmohno]

It would probably be better at that gravity anyway.I would leave it.Although its usually better to stick to the recipe. It wont hurt to add the water either.Yeast need oxygen upon starting so i dont see why you really need to boil off the oxygen unless the yeast is at the point where they already took in the oxygen? I always think its better to just leave it though.Especially with that low gravity it may even make it better.Just remember to prime with the right amount of sugar for the volume.

 

[user 4295]

Yeast need oxygen upon starting so i dont see why you really need to boil off the oxygen unless the yeast is at the point where they already took in the oxygen?

He stated that it's been fermenting for 20 hours, so the yeast are probably out of the adaptive phase of fermentation and already used up all the O2. Adding any O2 now is not a good idea.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Just remember to prime with the right amount of sugar for the volume.

This is where my concern is at this point. My LHBS's "Beer Kit Add Pack" came with 4.5 oz of priming sugar, so assuming I would dilute that in 2 cups of water for a 5 gallon batch, would it be as simple as using four-fifths of the resulting ~2 cups of priming solution? (Sorry, this is one of those things I guess I need to "sound out" and get confirmation from an experienced soul on) :cross:

 

[jonmohno]

You can use a priming calc like TasteyBrew has to figure your co2 volumes for the style of beer you have for what you want but assuming you have 4 gal to bottle i would use under 4 oz corn sugar around 3- 3.5 0z maybe.

 

[Calder]

I would suggest you go and check a calculator and weigh the sugar, but yes; you could just use 4/5ths of the sugar. Don't worry about the water volume, 1-cup, or 2-cups, (or 4/5ths of 2-cups) makes no difference; it is the amount of sugar that is important.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Thanks, talked to one of the guys at my LHBS this afternoon. He pretty much said the same thing, so I'll just be cutting back to just under 4 oz priming sugar. I'm actually looking forward to the somewhat "heavier" brew. Should be good!

 

[Hellosluggo]

So at one week, I'm reading about 1.014 from an OG of about 1.041 (see photo and please, correct me if I'm wrong!). Does that sound correct, and if not, what is the best course of action at this point? My original plan is to leave in the fermenter for at least two weeks... Should I see a big difference in gravity in another week?

 

[jonmohno]

It probably wont drop if much at all,if its at this FG again bottle it.I would wait a few more weeks then bottle it thats just my preference,but your hydrometer will tell you if it is done or not by not dropping anymore. Looks like a 3.5%er so far.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Yeah, I was slightly disappointed at the 3.5%, but what the hell, first time around. Next time, I'll use 3lbs+ DME and see what happens.

 

[Brulosopher]

Haha! Been brewing for years and I just overshot the water on my ESB by a gallon today... still beer!!

 

[MrBrewEsq]

Hellosluggo...

Looks like you have yourself a good session beer there.. As far as leaving a couple more weeks in hopes it will ferment down a little more.. I don’t think it will. Check it for a couple of days, if the gravity doesn't move, you’re at terminal. You didn't say what yeast you used, but an average attenuation is about 74%. 1.041 to 1.014 is about right. Besides you want some residual sweetness anyway. Regroup and chalk it up to experience. I'm sure it will taste just fine.

Keep the faith.

 

[Calder]

So at one week, I'm reading about 1.014 from an OG of about 1.041 (see photo and please, correct me if I'm wrong!). Does that sound correct, and if not, what is the best course of action at this point? My original plan is to leave in the fermenter for at least two weeks... Should I see a big difference in gravity in another week?

That looks higher than 1.014. The reading should be taken in line with the lowest point of the water surface. The liquid wicks up at the edge (by the hydrometer and the jar). Did you also correct for temperature. That beer could be at 1.017/1.018.

I suggest leaving it for a week and seeing if it moves anymore.

How did you get the hydrometer to sit nicely in the middle of the jar. I have 2 hydrometers, and 2 jars. They always want to stick to the edge of the jar, and, of course, the gravity scale is always on the side where I can't read it.

 

[unionrdr]

I was seeing the same thing,calder. It does indeed look like 1.017,reading at the meniscus. Def give it another week,it can drop a couple more points. The key word in this hobby is PATIENCE! Don't push to git-r-done. Beer is like pit bbq...it's done when it's done.

 

[Hellosluggo]

It's gonna be sitting until at least Saturday anyway, 'cos I just don't have time during the week to bottle. I am going to take another reading probably on Thursday or Friday to see. I'm not expecting much change as I'm not seeing any airlock activity to speak of, and the krausen is pretty much cleared up on top. I know those aren't straightforward indicators, but very much roundabout ballpark pointers.

I realize my hydrometer reading skills may not be just right yet, that's why I posted the photo! Either way around it, it's gonna be beer, so I think I've done okay.

As far as the hydrometer sitting pretty, it was just a fluke, I guess. Maybe I found the sweet spot on my desk for hydro reading.

 

[unionrdr]

It can still drop,without producing one damn thing you can see. The yeasties are microscopic to begin with. Trust your hydrometer,not your senses.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Oh, by the way MrBrewEsq, I used the Cooper's kit yeast. Came on like gangbusters after about 12 hours or so, got quiet after another 36. No blowoff due to the fact that I cut the water short by a gallon on top off, plus it's sitting in a 6.5 gal carboy, so plenty of space to rage.

 

[MrBrewEsq]

Hellosluggo,

A quick google seach gave me the following:

Cooper's Ale (Cooper's) All-purpose dry ale yeast. It produces a complex woody, fruity beer at warm temperatures. More heat tolerant than other strains, 65-75¡F; recommended for summer brewing. Medium attenuation and flocculation.

Sounds like it got busy, did it's job and ran out of fermentables. Has your gravity dropped over the weekend?

 

[Hellosluggo]

That last check was on Saturday, and I'll be checking it again late in the week. Pretty sure at this point I'll be bottling this weekend.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Looked in tonight and I'll be damned if there ain't some slow churn coming out of the airlock. Crazy.

 

[Hellosluggo]

Tiny bit of a change... Half a point less, maybe? Bottling on Saturday.

 

[Hellosluggo]

In the words of Jackie Gleason: "And awaAAy we go!"

 

[Hellosluggo]

The still-labeled bottles were some emergency standbys I had to wash/sanitize at the last moment 'cos I actually ended up with a bit more than I thought I was going to have. The two with single X's are coming up on the end of the run, and the XX bottle is the last and probably has the most sediment in it, so those three bottles will be my testers in about a month.