spice pack query.

[dancphotog]

So, I'm doing my 2nd brew in a bit(water's on now). It's a Belgium Wit with a spice pack to add 15 min before end of cooking. My question is this. Do I need to strain the wort while pouring into primary? Do I just leave it in there for the duration? Please advise.
Thanks in advance.

 

[shecky]

You can do either. It will drop if you keep it in.

 

[marubozo]

Yep, either way is fine. Some like to strain, others just dump all their junk right into the fermenter. Hop particles, trub, everything, and just let it settle out. If you give the beer enough time it will drop out eventually.

The one thing about straining though is that it is an easy way to get a little extra oxygen into the beer before you pitch the yeast. It isn't as effective as an air stone, but it's better than no aeration at all.

So it's your call, and either way you do it you'll make great beer.

 

[dancphotog]

Excellent! Thanks for the advice, guys.

 

[dancphotog]

How bout this, the literature said the target sg should be 1.053. I gotta 1.046. Do you think this is because I did strain it? I let as much orange peel and corriander through as possible. My tap water measured just below 1, so that might make up .002 of it. Any ideas?

 

[WickedLB]

How bout this, the literature said the target sg should be 1.053. I gotta 1.046. Do you think this is because I did strain it? I let as much orange peel and corriander through as possible. My tap water measured just below 1, so that might make up .002 of it. Any ideas?

I doubt straining would impact gravity. I can't see how you would drain out sugars.

Was it a partial boil extract batch? If so, you most likely have an incomplete mix of the water and concentrated wort. I always found it really hard to take an accurate OG with partial boil. I would take the OG of the concentrated wort and then calculate the diluted gravity.

If it is not a partial boil extract batch tell us your recipe and process.

 

[bknifefight]

If this was an extract batch, you followed the recipe correctly and didn't up the water in it (it called for 5 gallons and you used 5.5), the OG should be right on. In this case, I would say it was not mixed up enough when you checked your OG. I am an extract brewer and do not check OG because I know what it will be based on my recipe.

 

[dancphotog]

It is an extract batch. The instructions said to add h20 until I hit the 5.25 gallon mark. I feel like I should have done hydro readings after each bit of h20 I added. I made sure it was well mixed before the hydro test. I think I just put too much h20 in there. Will this make the beer watered down after all is said and done?

 

[Zamial]

I hate to say it but RDWHAHB!!!

A bit of water is ok, I would not go out of my way to ad any extra in. but think about this... the major breweries have been diluting beer FOREVER. You ever see a can of M!773r 64??? 64 calories....do you know HOW they did that? Water and changed the ABV% to say something like: "Up To 4.5% by volume" that means if it is 1.5% it actually still qualifies because the "UP to", Internet service providers do the same thing with speed...."Up to...."


You may have a slightly (and I mean minor) "thinner taste" but I do not think it is anything to loose sleep over.

 

[dancphotog]

That makes sense, Zamial. Thanks for the words of comfort. I might just RDWHAHB.