Siphon Slipped Very Low SG

[wildestripe]

Hi All... new to the forums but have been reading lots as I learn the hobby. I read through a bunch of the sticky'd "did I ruin it" post but maybe I'm missing the fundamentals to see the answer for my situation.

This is my 2nd extract batch. Everything was going well and I was transferring the wort to my primary fermenter. It was only about 15L volume. My target volume was 18.9L so I started adding water. I didn't pay attention and the siphon filled the bucket to with in a inch of the top of the bucket (about 23.1L I estimate). My SG read 1.034.

Move forward 24hrs to now. I'm getting very slow bubbles in the airlock but I can tell some of the wort is getting in there as well (water is discolored).

a) Should I open up the pail and dump out a couple liters to give some room at the top?
b) Should I add a 1.5lbs of melted dextrose to try and get the SG back up to to 1.05 (my target ABV was 5%)
c) Should I just leave it alone?

Thanks

Wildestripe

 

[mrgrimm101]

a.) No, do not open it at all at this point. Do not dump out any of your beer. If it's getting a bit aggressive/explosive, you can rig up a blowoff tube. If it's a 3 piece airlock, you can either take out the top and middle piece of the airlock and attach a length of tubing onto the airlock. OR, take out the airlock entirely and feed the tubing into the carboy bung or bucket grommet. Either way, place the other end of the tubing into a container with some sanitizer. This way, the krausen will just flow into the container and won't fill your airlock.

b.) Honestly, I would leave this one alone and chalk it up to a lesson learned. Fermentation has started and I personally wouldn't want to interrupt the yeasties at this point. Someone else could have a different answer here.

c.) I would leave it be.

I don't know the size of your brew kettle, but typically with a 5 gallon (18.9L) extract batch, you will be doing a partial boil and topping up with water after your wort has chilled and been transferred to your primary. With my extract batches in my 5 gallon kettle, I typically boil about 4 gallons, which boils down to about 3 gallons. Then I top up with water to get up to my full volume.

 

[wildestripe]

Thank you for the response. So much new info to take in with this hobby. Unfortunately I panic'd later in the evening (before your reply) and removed the cover and took out some of the wort. Then I melted the dextrose and added it in but I'm not sure if I let it cool enough. Mixed everything around and covered the lid. Now today no activity in the airlock Thank you for the info on the blow-tube I'm going to have that ready for the next batch I attempt. I knew I should have tried harder at chemistry back in the day

 

[zam216]

This is just asking for contamination. In the future if your volumes are not right just take it as is. Do not try to change anything once everything has been sanitized. I agree mrgrimm and just take it as a lesson learned.