stupid noob question

[docmoran]

If I dont hit a reasonbly high SG on post boil check then would I expect only a weak alchohol content beer but still may be good or is it watery/weak etc?? What is expected realistically as end product provided all things went perfect on front side?? just curiious and anxious?? thanks, doc

 

[Displaced MassHole]

It all depends, we'd need the recipe and the actual SG to tell you more.

If you added a lot of adjuncts (plain sugar, rice syrup, etc.) then I wouldn't expect much flavor. If your recipe called for some darker, more robust tasting malts or extracts than you could reasonable expect a decent, but smaller beer.

 

[llazy_llama]

Ask yourself the following yes or no questions:

1: Is this an extract brew?
2: Is it a tried and true recipe, or a recipe kit?
3: Did you follow the instructions fairly well?
4: Did you use all of the ingredients provided by the kit or listed in the recipe?
5: Are you fairly new to homebrewing?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you didn't mix your wort and water thoroughly enough to get an accurate OG reading. Don't worry, fermentation will mix things up and you'll hit your FG when the yeast are done. It's pretty hard to really botch an extract recipe, it generally takes some serious tweaking to a recipe to change up the OG enough to make a difference. RDWHAHB, and all will be fine in the end.

If you answered no to all of those questions, I can't help you.

 

[brewt00l]

1: Is this an extract brew?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you didn't mix your wort and water thoroughly enough to get an accurate OG reading.

Just recording my prediction.

relax crack a homebrew and all that jazz

 

[docmoran]

The beer was a Midwest Supply Autumn Ale all grain with 2 vials of White Lab California Ale yeast. Could have gone a stray any number of places as first AG. Just hoping that if I sacrifice ABV will still have a bodied beer and not watery thin stuff??

 

[brewt00l]

The beer was a Midwest Supply Autumn Ale all grain with 2 vials of White Lab California Ale yeast. Could have gone a stray any number of places as first AG. Just hoping that if I sacrifice ABV will still have a bodied beer and not watery thin stuff??

well, I was totally off...What was your anticipated SG and measured SG?
recipe?

 

[docmoran]

Also forgot to add that I did an infusion sparge divided in two volume additions and they were quite thick -- indeed maybe I didnt mix well enough or leave long enough ( whats good ??) to extract what I needed in the 2nd and third runnings.

 

[docmoran]

anticipate or company predicted SG was in high 1.04 range and I only hit about mid 1.03 range. Fermented out real early/fast and is about 4 days out now with no action.

 

[brewt00l]

The decrease in gravity shouldn't necessarily translate into a thin bodied beer because there are a number of other variables in the mix like the recipe itself, mash vol, sac rest temps and your resulting FG & yeast selection. You're prb going to lose about 1% abv or so but hopefully you'll still wind up with a decently tasty brew.