Water Mistake Question

[wadea7]

I brewed a small 2 gallon wheat extract batch last weekend, but for some reason, I thought it was a 3gallon kit, so I have essentially added 50% more water to the batch. It seems to be bubbling ok, just wondering what you guys think? Will it be ok, and just a little weak? or should I dump it and start fresh with a good lesson learned?

Thanks.

 

[madk]

Did you take a gravity reading?

Regardless it'll still be beer but you've changed the water-to-everything-else ratio so it'll definitely change the character. No need to dump it. Just ride it out and feel free to pull a sample to see how it tastes.

 

[azazel1024]

Taste it before bottling. If it tastes like you shouldn't waste your time and priming sugar on it, just dump it. Otherwise, bottle it.

Unless this was some 1.04OG beer it is probably fine, just weaker than you'd expect/maybe want. I've had plenty of excellent 4% ABV milds, wheats, etc. Granted the recipe reflected the light beer and I've also had bad 6% beers that maybe should be been diluted a little more (or just dumped completely).

 

[tnance1337]

Don't toss it! Gravity samples will help you determine what steps to take.

Do some reading on "blending". You can always brew another batch at a proportionately higher gravity and blend the two beers. But do some research on it first, to know how to do it. Sorry, I don't have any resources to link right away.

 

[wadea7]

Thanks for the replies.

I did take a gravity.
It was 1.030, instructions said it should be around 1.040.

 

[fixitoscar]

10 points off and only being 3 gallons. I would taste the fully fermented sample. If it is close to being drinkable I would bottle them up. Carbonation adds character and body too so don't be to hard on the sample. Think of it as your first "light" beer.

 

[tnance1337]

Thanks for the replies.

I did take a gravity.
It was 1.030, instructions said it should be around 1.040.

What style was it? Mind listing the recipe details? Grain, hops, yeast? 1.030 may be just fine if it was, say, an English Mild or English Brown. 1.040 sounds pretty mild to begin with, so you may be just fine.

 

[wadea7]

Here is the kit details.

Dog Day Weimaraner Wheat - When brewed in eight liters (2.1 gallons), this produces a slightly hazy, yellow-hued, medium-full bodied, mildly hopped German-style wheat beer. Includes liquid malt extracts, hops, yeast, Bru-Vigor.

O.G. - 1.047
F.G. - 1.012
Color: Pale
Bitterness: Mild

 

[wadea7]

@fixitoscar
I was thinking if it is "light", my father in law might like it.

I'll see how fermenting and tasting goes, and go from there.
I'll also keep the blending in mind as well, if it is tolerable.

 

[tnance1337]

Is that a kit from DeFalco's? I assume you live in Houston? If so, then howdy neighbor! :rockin:

Anyway, I have a couple of thoughts for you.

You first said "instructions say around 1.040". This recipe lists at 1.047. So, it's a 17 point drop (not 10), which is quite significant, and will definitely give your beer a thinner body and lighter flavor. ABV will be around 2.3-2.5%, which will certainly impact flavor as well. To be blunt, it won't be dump worthy, but it won't have the fullest flavor either.

If you have the equipment for it then a blend would be one option for you. To make it simple, make a new batch (correct water this time), and blend with the first beer after fermentation is complete for both beers. You'll of course need a large enough vessel to blend both volumes prior to bottling. Unfortunately, you still won't end up with an ABV that matches the original recipes 4.6% target. The blend will be closer to 3.25% or so if you started with a 2.4% of 3gal and a 4.6% of 2gal. It'll still be thin.

There are certainly other ways of blending, but are a bit more complicated when it comes to math, and may be beyond your equipment or experience level for right now. Of course, I could be wrong in that assumption, and if so, then by all means, take a look at the information available out there. Be prepared to do some math and build your own recipe that accomplishes your goal instead of buying a kit, though.

Of course, you can proceed as is, and blend your thin wheat beer with some lemonade for a tasty Shandy.

 

[ImNoExpert]

Don't dump. Bottle it and drink it as your punishment. That's what I do when I screw up a batch.

 

[andy6026]

It's not too late to boil up some extra malt extract, even throw in some hops if you like and add it to the fermenter once cooled, assuming you have room for it. Heck you could even just boil some sugar for 15 minutes and add that, although it would produce a drier taste.

It's not too late to fix a mistake like that. It just depends if you want to bother or not.

 

[wadea7]

@tnancy1337.. Howdy Neighbor! I'm south of Houston, but work by DeFalcos.

Yes, It's from DeFalcos, and I'm going to go there after work today to get another kit and try your blending suggestion.

I might bottle a couple weak ones as punishment, as ImNoExpert suggested.

Thanks for all the advice and I'll update in a couple weeks with how it went.

 

[wadea7]

Update..

I ended up bottling the beer as-is and hoped for the best.

Father-in-law visited this weekend, and he ended up drinking that exclusively. It was not bad, and the low-alcohol was good for him.
Only problem was that it did not have a much head, though there were a lot of bubbles, so I know it was carbonated.

Thanks for all the advice.