Too Little Wort Water

[werb]

Greetings all :fro:

Quick newbie questions about boil water amount. I, like many first-timers I think, wanted to get moving on my first brew ASAP. Brewed a German Alt (partial-mash), but used a 12 quart pasta pot for the wort. I know, I know...my 9 gallon pot is on route. I steeped in about 1.5 gallons of water. When done steeping and draining, the spent grains probably carried off a bit of the water. So, I estimate that I conducted my boil with a little under 1.5 gallons of water, into which I mixed 6 lbs. of malt extract. It mixed fine, I hopped it at the appropriate times, but at the 30 minute hope, and from then on, the wort looked caramely and thickish. I force cooled and primaried into 3.5 ish gallons of cool water. In pouring the wort into the primary, I noticed that the last bit was thick.

Did I do my in by not boiling in the 3 gallons suggested? The fermentation was relatively quick, at barely two days, but it did get the klausen and all proper fermentation. There is a 1.5 inch layer of trub on the bottle of the carboy and has been since just after I poured the wort in. The heavier wort obviously settled.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Blender]

You really need a larger kettle and you will make a lot better beer when the 9 gallon kettle arrives. You more than likely had a fair bit of carmelization of the wort and hopefully it did not burn. I cannot tell you how it will turn out but it is the first batch so if it is drinkable it will be better than my first.
Your gonna get a lot of trub in the carboy so don't be worried. Let it ferment for 7-10 days and be patient and get started on the next batch.

 

[david_42]

It won't be as bitter as it would have been with a 3 gallon boil, but that isn't a big problem with an Alt.

 

[Desiree]

I agree with Blender, a larger kettle will help. In order to prevent carmelization of your wort, the more water the better. The fact that you boil was so thick probably hurt your hop utilization. Your beer won't have the hopping levels of an alt but there is a very good chance your beer will be drinkable. I really think it is difficult to make a bad beer, it just may not taste they way you wanted it to.

My other concern is the fact that your beer finished in a few days. Beer that finishes that fast generally started fermenting at a fairly high temperature. This doesn't ruin your beer but it creates a great deal of esters that are perceived as "fruity". It is a common mistake when new brewers are getting started. The advice I see over and over is to make sure the wort is under 80 degrees before pitching your yeast. I really think it is important to try and get the temp as close to 70 as possible to reduce the risk of excessive esters in your beer, unless of course you like those flavors, which are very common in Belgian styles.

 

[werb]

Thanks for the help. Something is not correct. The shortness of active fermentation scared me a bit, and I think this is a serious issue with my procedure. I was following very generic direction from my LBS which didn't refer to checking the temperature before pitching.

And, the caramel look and thickness. No est bueno.

Remains to see if this is salvagable. Many lessons learned on this one.

I think most of this will be solved with larger pot and the wort cooler. I knew of these issues but anticipation got the better of me.

I look forward to my next try. My brother sent me a Belgian Trappist Quadrupel that sounds like it is going to take a long to time to condition. And, a bock is in order. Plus some apple cider.

 

[Desiree]

werb,
Every batch of beer is a learning experience. And even with mistakes, beer has a tendency to turn out pretty good.

As you gain experience your beers will get better but don't count this first batch out just yet. If you find that it doesn't taste as well as you wanted, don't give up on it. Most beers improve for a few months but never reach that point because we are too ready to drink it all. Many times I have thought a beer wasn't very good only to try it a few months later and discover that it was a tasty beer after all.

The best beers are the ones that get lost in the back of the fridge and are allowed to mellow for a few months.