Problems with a Brewhouse Hack

[mattfdc]

So I decided to rekindle my homebrew hobby, and do up a pumpkin stout for a Halloween party. I've had great success in the past with the Brewhouse kit hacks, so I figured I would do an Irish Stout from the Munich Lager kit.

- Munich lager kit
- 12 oz roast barley
- 8oz flaked barley
- 1 oz Noerthern brewer hops
- Wyeast 1084
- pumpkin puree
- spices&cinnamon sticks

Anyway, I boiled up the barley, pumpkin, spices, added hops, boiled an additional 20 minutes, and crash cooled. Added yeast, kit ingredients (less the coopers yeast).

It was at this point I dropped my hydrometer and smashed it. No problem I thought, take a SG reading 7 days in wen I got a new one and see where we are. Set my primary in a room at 22°C, and away I went.

Bought a new hydrometer today, and I am getting a reading of 1.12.....which seems REALLY high to me.

Can anyone give me some insight here? I sampled the beer and it seems hoppy (normal) but not off.

Has my pumpkin addition done something? Or is this normal? Did I not pitch the Wyeast properly (they recommend 3 hours after breaking the inside bladder, I only left it an hour). Any other beer I have done is in the 1.04 range after a week or two, so now I'm concerned my ABV is way too low.

Please help!

 

[jwalk4]

Is there a Krausen ring around the inside of your primary vessel? Did you calibrate your hydrometer with water, and are reading it right?

 

[beergolf]

Are you sure it is not 1.012. That would make more sense after a week.

The that stuck out to me was this...

Anyway, I boiled up the barley, pumpkin, spices, added hops, boiled an additional 20 minutes,

I hope you did not boil the barley and only steeped it before the boil.

 

[mattfdc]

There was a Krausen for about 3 or 4 days, but definitely not as big as I was expecting after reading results on the net from others that did this recipe.

Yes, I calibrated it in water and I just checked. Rookie mistake, it's 1.012. Obviously it's been a while since I've done this

And you now what, I did boil it. I just re-read my instructions and it called for 170°F for 20 minutes, remove grain bag, add hops and boil 20 minutes. I boiled the whole dang thing for 20.

So is it a lost cause? I sampled it and it's bitter, but I was expecting that from the hops.