What are my options?

[stephen424]

Brew day didn't quite go as well as I hoped. When I mashed in It was a little to hot(156), so I just tried to cool it down, it went to cold. Shortly there after I find out my thermometer was broke. After I added about an extra gallon of water I had it settled at 150. It's a pale ale at 1.052(og), and I'm scared it's gonna be rather dry, thin from the lower mash temp, plus it's about 80 ibu. It's fermenting now, can I do anything to add some body to it? I do have an old can of malt extract, that may or may not be expired.

 

[iambeer]

Sounds to me like your pale ale is going to be a good beer. 1050 OG is not too low at all for pale ale... I guess you'll have to find out if it ends being sweet or dry or balanced because of some temperature disconnects. My recent first all grain was a dark mild which had a OG of 1038 as expected and a FG of 1.010. The mash started at 154 and ended at 145 and it's pretty dry and not at all bad. Though I was more careful about future mash temps, but there's room within beer styles, and I was fairly within the bounds of the style.

 

[gr8shandini]

I'd just leave it alone and call it an IPA if it's too dry and bitter to be a PA. If your thermometer was broke, you really don't know what you have. Chances are that it'll turn out to be tasty enough as is. Anything you do now to "save" it will probably do more harm than good.

 

[iambeer]

Yeah the IBU does seem a bit high.. can't be as bitter as my recent 'trub ale'