What's most likely that I did wrong?

[mangine77]

Ok, so please bare with me. I'll make this as short as possible but I would REALLY appreciate any feedback because I'm pretty discouraged after my first partial mash.

Recipe: Sam Adams Scotch Ale clone

3lbs. pale
1lb. smoked
4oz. roasted barley
8oz. dark crystal
8oz. medium crystal
8oz. munich

2lbs. dry malt extract

galena hops to bitter

scottish ale yeast

so i followed the directions to a tee but screwed up because I didn't take an original gravity. I just bottled and the final gravity is about 1020 and it should be 1012. Is this even going to be decent or have any alcohol content?

Is this just chalked up to really bad efficiency and being brand new to partial mashing? I'm confused because I was really careful.

For what it's worth, the beer tasted pretty good for not being carbonated and it tasted like a malty scotch ale but I'm obviously worried about alcohol content.

Thoughts???

 

[Coastarine]

A high FG is not an indication of poor efficiency. Your mash temp may have been high. It should be tasty. Plug your recipe into a brewing calculator like beercalculus, trust the OG, and that will tell you the ABV. It should still have plenty. The only concern is bottle bombs if you have a stuck fermentation.

 

[bearkluttz]

How long was it in primary/secondary. Did you get the 1.020 reading for a few days in a row?

 

[Coastarine]

I forgot to ask about temperatures too. You might give it a stir, maybe let it warm up a little (mid 70's if it's been colder).

 

[mangine77]

It was in the primary just over 3 weeks and I bottled. It fermented the whole time between 68-70 degrees. I didn't take a gravity several days in a row but I know I probably should have.

I just figured that over 3 weeks was enough time and I bottled. So someone mentioned that bottle bombs might be a problem???? What should I do?

 

[lapaglia]

Get them inside a box or cooler until someone with more knowledge says how to deal with this. Open one, let it go flat and take an SG reading and let us know what it is.

 

[BrewBrain]

It was in the primary just over 3 weeks and I bottled. It fermented the whole time between 68-70 degrees. I didn't take a gravity several days in a row but I know I probably should have.

I just figured that over 3 weeks was enough time and I bottled. So someone mentioned that bottle bombs might be a problem???? What should I do?

Get the bottles someplace safe - inside a box or cooler or something. 1.020 is high, and the bottling process may have awoken the beast:rockin::rockin::rockin:

Or, you just got less fermentables than planned somehow. Either way, check a bottle in a couple weeks and see how things are coming along. If they start 'sploding, put on thick gloves and safety goggles and move the rest to a refrigerator for a while to cool them down. Then, with gloves and goggles on, pop them all open and recap. Check again after a while to make sure they aren't overcarbing a second time.

Probably fine, though. RDWHAHB

 

[mangine77]

So what would cause a stuck fermentation?? I watched it pretty closely and it seemed to be doing well and I didn't have any drastic temp changes during fermentation.

Is there a chance that at 1020 I won't have any bottle bombs??

I just bottled last night. So should I open one and take a reading now and see what it is? Would I just be able to save that one beer and continue to take readings on it for a couple days, or won't that work? Thanks.

 

[eschatz]

actually, that would work perfectly. However, you need to make sure that you take the readings at the same temperature every time. Room temp will read correctly on a hydrometer. Anything other than that and you'll not have the correct reading. Also, you should plan on having a slightly higher reading because of the addition of priming sugar. Let us know. But don't forget to relax and always have a homebrew!

 

[mangine77]

First, thanks for all the tips. So I just opened one and took a reading. It looked to be around 1018 but it was hard to tell for sure because the beer already had a little head on it. I let it settle out for the most part. That's a little quick to already be carbing up isn't it? I used Dry Malt extract because I didn't have any priming sugar.

Do you take the hydrometer reading at the top of the miniscus even when there is some foam at the top? Sorry for the beginner questions here but that's what I am.

So maybe a reading of 1018 considering there is priming sugar in there, isn't that bad???? I will say that the beer is really clear and tastes damn good. I just hope it has a decent ABV and carbonates without bombing my house.

What'd you think?

 

[Revvy]

1.020 is the top end of the ok bottling range...I wouldn't bottle any higher, but I have bottled at 1.020 a few times with no problems....

So take proper percautions, but don't worry too much about it.

I'm sure you will be fine.

 

[BrewBrain]

Is there a chance that at 1020 I won't have any bottle bombs??

It's most likely you will not have bottle bombs IMO. I've had a few different fermentations stop that high or higher and they were just done for whatever reason. 1.020 is higher than normal, so you need to be a little more concerned about bottle bombs, but you are most likely fine.

 

[Yooper]

Also, remember to read your hydrometer at the BOTTOM of the meniscus.

(Picture "stolen" from Beerthoven's gallery):

That picture shows the Balling scale, so it's not exactly what I wanted to show you- but it's the same way you read the SG.

 

[mangine77]

This is a constant learning process for me I guess. So I took that gravity reading this morning from the beer I opened and figured I'll just continue to test that beer for a couple of days.

I put the beer in the refrigerator after the first test. Probably shouldn't do that right? I just took another reading and it's 1020 but the beer is obviously cold at this point. This will throw off the reading correct? In what way?

 

[lordbeermestrength]

I just took another reading and it's 1020 but the beer is obviously cold at this point. This will throw off the reading correct? In what way?

cold liquids are more slightly more dense. Try to do all your gravity readings at the same temp.

 

[HomerJR]

Scottish ale yeast generally has a lower attenuation rate than many other yeasts. I made a wee heavy a couple months back and I think my FG was around 1.018 or so. It was one of the tastiest brews I've made so far. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Vance71975]

When ever i worry about bottle bombs, i simply but the bottles in a big plastic tub with a lid,if it blows the mess is contained, tho at 1.020 i wouldn't worry a lot about bottle bombs given a 3 week fermentation, how much DME did you use to prime with? Put them in a plastic tote tub to be safe and let them set 1 month and see. But 1.020 is about right for the yeast you used.