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Main
Date: 04 Jul 2006 13:46:18
From: Rich
Subject: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
Sunday afternoon I brewed my first batch of beer (second, if you count the
May Bock that I helped a buddy with) from a True Brew IPA kit. The kit
contained 1 lb crystal malt, two 1.5 kg cans of amber LME, an ounce of
chinook hops (11.9%), and an ounce of chinook hops (6.0%).
After I added the boiling hops (the pot wasn't quite boiling), we sat down
to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, somebody turned off the burner and it sat on
the hot stovetop for about 30 minutes. Since it was a glass-top range, the
brew stayed quite hot, but never really boiled. I got it back near boiling
and added the finishing hops. It finally did boil for about 5 minutes
before I poured it into the carboy.
When I pitched the yeast last night, the OG reading was 1.022. At this
moment, with the microscopic residents of my carboy happily converting
sugars, I've now got a small handful of questions
1. What's up with the OG reading? Is that kinda low, and if it is, what
will that mean to the quality of the finished product?
2. If that OG is low, could it have something to do with my brewing
process? I steeped the crystal malt for somewhere between 45 minutes and an
hour at around 175 degrees and then sparged before adding the LME.
3. Am I okay letting the beer ferment at around 76 degrees, or do I need to
find a way to get it a bit cooler?
4. Is the lack of a decent length boil going to hurt my final product?
When I poured it off into the carboy, it had a fairly strong hop aroma, but
now it does not. Might my IPA benefit from dry-hopping?
5. In looking around, it appears that people fill their airlock with
sanitizer solution. Mine's filled with plain water, although I sanitized it
and the cap thoroughly immediately before installing them on the carboy.
Have I done a bad thing or is this a matter of preference?
***********************
Here's to Beer
It's Why We're Here
spikestrap (at) verizon dot net
***********************
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Date: 04 Jul 2006 11:39:04
From: Larry Bristol
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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Rich wrote:
> First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
> [...]
> 1. What's up with the OG reading? Is that kinda low, and if it is, what
> will that mean to the quality of the finished product?
That is significantly lower than what I would expect from those ingredients.
You don't actually specify, but assuming a 5 gallon batch, I would expect
an OG around 1.053. (Interestingly, your OG would be about right for a 10
gallon batch!)
You also did not specify the volume you "boiled". Since this is your first
batch, I assume you did *NOT* boil the full volume (5 gallons). That means
you undoubtedly topped off the fermenter with water. Did you stir it
thoroughly before taking your reading? Perhaps your low OG is due to
taking a reading from a spot that was mostly water.
Based on the principle, "Worrying is bad for your beer," leave it alone to
ferment with the assumption that your OG reading is simply wrong.
> 2. If that OG is low, could it have something to do with my brewing
> process? I steeped the crystal malt for somewhere between 45 minutes and
> an hour at around 175 degrees and then sparged before adding the LME.
This technique sounds reasonable. I would still lean to the theory that the
wort was not well mixed when you took your sample.
> 3. Am I okay letting the beer ferment at around 76 degrees, or do I need
> to find a way to get it a bit cooler?
Cooler is almost always better. But once again, try not to worry.
> 4. Is the lack of a decent length boil going to hurt my final product?
> When I poured it off into the carboy, it had a fairly strong hop aroma,
> but now it does not. Might my IPA benefit from dry-hopping?
The low boil time will have a couple of effects. First of all, it will
reduce the amount of what we call the "break". Complex chemical reactions
occur during the boil that produce materials that will not remain in
solution. This material will settle out once the convecting currents in
the boiling wort are stopped. Other materials remain in solution while the
wort is near boiling, but settle out when the wort is cooled (the "cold"
break). Because of your short boil time, there will be a lot less of break
material produced. To be honest, I do not know how this will affect the
finished beer; my guess is that it will tend to be more cloudy than normal.
But it will probably produce a great head! :-)
Secondly, the low boil time will reduce the amount of alpha acids extracted
from the hops. Curiously, however, by steeping them like you did, you will
get the equivalent of a technique known as "first wort hopping" (FWH).
This is normally done by placing hops into the kettle as the not (but not
boiling) sweet wort is being collected during the sparge. This technique
allows for more of the compounds that produce hop flavor and aroma to
survive the boil. The end result is that because of the low amount of
alpha acid extracted, your beer will probably be a lot less bitter than an
IPA ought to be. OTOH, I would expect it to have a lot of hop flavor and
aroma.
I would not recommend dry hopping. This is done to add more hop flavor and
aroma, but what you need is hop bitterness. Again, it's one of those
situations where, "Worrying is bad for your beer." When it comes time to
bottle this brew, give it a taste. If you think it is desperate need of
hop bitterness, you can try adding some hop extract (essentially, a
concentrated liquid containing isomerized alpha acid you can find at your
LHBS). I would recommend you take a small sample of your beer to the shop
and get some advice from them as to whether or not to do it, and if so, how
much to add.
> 5. In looking around, it appears that people fill their airlock with
> sanitizer solution. Mine's filled with plain water, although I sanitized
> it and the cap thoroughly immediately before installing them on the
> carboy. Have I done a bad thing or is this a matter of preference?
All you need is a liquid so that the CO2 can escape, but air cannot get in.
You can use any liquid you might have handy, but there are two things to
keep in mind:
(1) Sometimes, especially before the yeast gets really active and while the
wort is still cooling to room temperature, the pressure can be the reverse
of what you might expect. This means that the fermenter will actually be
sucking through that air lock, and air locks are not very good when working
in the opposite direction! All this means is that you should not use a
liquid that you would not want in your beer (gasoline, bleach, mercury,
etc.).
(2) Ideally, the liquid will not promote the growth of bacteria. Avoid
things like fruit juice and Coca Cola.
Seriously, water is fine. Some people use sanitizer. Others use vodka or
"Everclear".
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Date: 04 Jul 2006 07:57:38
From: Washu
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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Rich wrote:
> First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
>
> Sunday afternoon I brewed my first batch of beer (second, if you count the
> May Bock that I helped a buddy with) from a True Brew IPA kit. The kit
> contained 1 lb crystal malt, two 1.5 kg cans of amber LME, an ounce of
> chinook hops (11.9%), and an ounce of chinook hops (6.0%).
>
> After I added the boiling hops (the pot wasn't quite boiling), we sat down
> to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, somebody turned off the burner and it sat on
> the hot stovetop for about 30 minutes. Since it was a glass-top range, the
> brew stayed quite hot, but never really boiled. I got it back near boiling
> and added the finishing hops. It finally did boil for about 5 minutes
> before I poured it into the carboy.
>
> When I pitched the yeast last night, the OG reading was 1.022. At this
> moment, with the microscopic residents of my carboy happily converting
> sugars, I've now got a small handful of questions
>
> 1. What's up with the OG reading? Is that kinda low, and if it is, what
> will that mean to the quality of the finished product?
Did you have to add water to the wort to bring it to full volume? If so
you're probably OK. It's hard to get the thick wort to mix evenly with
the water, had the same question the first kit I brewed. Your OG is
probably close to what the kit said it would be.
> 2. If that OG is low, could it have something to do with my brewing
> process? I steeped the crystal malt for somewhere between 45 minutes and an
> hour at around 175 degrees and then sparged before adding the LME.
No problems here, still think OG is higher than what you read.
> 3. Am I okay letting the beer ferment at around 76 degrees, or do I need to
> find a way to get it a bit cooler?
You really should try to cool it down. The temperture in the fermenter
will be higher than the ambient temp of the room, as much as ten
degrees. This can make lot's of fruity esters (banana beer) and produce
higher alcohols (hangover beer)
> 4. Is the lack of a decent length boil going to hurt my final product?
Hmmm... hard to say. With extract a 15 minute boil will kill the
nasties but your hop untilization is gonna suck. You really need a good
strong boil to extract the hops.
> When I poured it off into the carboy, it had a fairly strong hop aroma, but
> now it does not. Might my IPA benefit from dry-hopping?
I'm going to leave the how-to on this to those with more experiance,
but all I got to say is "it couldn't hurt".
> 5. In looking around, it appears that people fill their airlock with
> sanitizer solution. Mine's filled with plain water, although I sanitized it
> and the cap thoroughly immediately before installing them on the carboy.
> Have I done a bad thing or is this a matter of preference?
No problem. I prefer cheap vodka personally (for the airlock, not me)
but water is fine.
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Date: 04 Jul 2006 14:07:57
From: Wayne
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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Rich wrote:
> First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
>
> Sunday afternoon I brewed my first batch of beer (second, if you count the
> May Bock that I helped a buddy with) from a True Brew IPA kit. The kit
> contained 1 lb crystal malt, two 1.5 kg cans of amber LME, an ounce of
> chinook hops (11.9%), and an ounce of chinook hops (6.0%).
>
> After I added the boiling hops (the pot wasn't quite boiling), we sat down
> to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, somebody turned off the burner and it sat on
> the hot stovetop for about 30 minutes. Since it was a glass-top range, the
> brew stayed quite hot, but never really boiled. I got it back near boiling
> and added the finishing hops. It finally did boil for about 5 minutes
> before I poured it into the carboy.
The replies posted thus far have some good points, but they failed to
address the primary problem. The major reason for boiling for an hour
or so (varies by recipe) is to evaporate some of the water. This
concentrates the wort and thus raises your OG. Merely keeping it hot
for 30 minutes and boiling for only 5 minutes will not accomplish this.
The lack of boiling time will lessen the isomerization of the oils in
the hops (i.e., beer won't be as bitter as planned). However with the
low gravity, your bittering and gravity may end up being well balanced.
The 30 minutes the hops spent in the hot wort before you brought it to
a boil amount to what is referred to as First Wort Hopping, a technique
normally done in all grain brews. This should give your brew a nice hop
flavor and aroma, though short on bittering.
I am afraid you will end up with a very weak beer (about 1.5% ABV) that
may have a very nice taste. Not much you can do about it at this point.
If you run into the same problem again (heat being turned off), simply
bring it back up to a boil and let it boil for the full time. Discount
any time before reaching full boil. Also, you should wait until the
initial foam (hot break) begins to subside before adding the bittering
hops and starting the timer for your boil.
Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 04:41:29
From: QD Steve
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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"Wayne" <bugeaterbrewing@charter.net > wrote in message
news:z6zqg.6$WJ2.2@fe05.lga...
> Rich wrote:
> The replies posted thus far have some good points, but they failed to
> address the primary problem. The major reason for boiling for an hour or
> so (varies by recipe) is to evaporate some of the water. This
> concentrates the wort and thus raises your OG. Merely keeping it hot for
> 30 minutes and boiling for only 5 minutes will not accomplish this.
>
> The lack of boiling time will lessen the isomerization of the oils in the
> hops (i.e., beer won't be as bitter as planned). However with the low
> gravity, your bittering and gravity may end up being well balanced. The 30
> minutes the hops spent in the hot wort before you brought it to a boil
> amount to what is referred to as First Wort Hopping, a technique normally
> done in all grain brews. This should give your brew a nice hop flavor and
> aroma, though short on bittering.
>
> I am afraid you will end up with a very weak beer (about 1.5% ABV) that
> may have a very nice taste. Not much you can do about it at this point.
> If you run into the same problem again (heat being turned off), simply
> bring it back up to a boil and let it boil for the full time. Discount
> any time before reaching full boil. Also, you should wait until the
> initial foam (hot break) begins to subside before adding the bittering
> hops and starting the timer for your boil.
>
> Wayne
> Bugeater Brewing Company
I wouldn't like to say that the boiling process's main objective is to
evaporate water. With a kit beer you could achieve the same result by using
less water. To isomerize the hops and allow unwanted proteins to coagulate
(the hot break) is, IMO more important reasons for boiling. That is not to
say that boiling has a part to play in achieving the correct OG, it does.
With OP's concerns with his first brew, stratification of the syrupy extract
could well have (and probably did) have a part to play in an incorrect OG
reading. It was a kit and if he followed directions correctly and the
correct mix of kit extract, sugar and water were used then the projected OG
as stated in the instructions would be pretty hard not to achieve.
If he made an error in these measurements, then it can be rectified by
starting the boil over again and adding fresh hops. If fermentation has
started, he can make a mini-brew and add it in, maybe using some dried malt
extract and hops, although as I stated, the chances of the OG being that far
off would be surprising. If the beer is too sweet and lacking bitterness
because of the non-boil, hop extract can be added at any stage of the
process, even at bottling time.
Steve W (in Aus)
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 07:21:26
From: Larry Bristol
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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QD Steve wrote:
> I wouldn't like to say that the boiling process's main objective is to
> evaporate water. [...]
You are correct about it not being the main objective. According to the
"Beer Judge Certification Program" (BJCP) study guide (available online at
http://www.bjcp.org/study):
Boiling wort is normally required for the following reasons:
1. Extracts, isomerizes and dissolves the hop alpha-acids
2. Stops enzymatic activity
3. Kills bacteria, fungi, and wild yeast
4. Coagulates undesired proteins and polyphenols in the hot break
5. Evaporates undesirable harsh hop oils, sulfur compounds, ketones, and
esters.
6. Promotes the formation of melanoidins and caramelizes some of the wort
sugars (although this is not desirable in all styles)
7. Evaporates water vapor, condensing the wort to the proper volume and
gravity (this is not a primary reason, it's a side effect of the process)
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 14:27:31
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 07:21:26 -0500, <nospam@remove.doubleluck.com > wrote:
> QD Steve wrote:
>
>> I wouldn't like to say that the boiling process's main objective is to
>> evaporate water. [...]
>
> You are correct about it not being the main objective. According to the
> "Beer Judge Certification Program" (BJCP) study guide (available online at
> http://www.bjcp.org/study):
>
> Boiling wort is normally required for the following reasons:
> 1. Extracts, isomerizes and dissolves the hop alpha-acids
> 2. Stops enzymatic activity
> 3. Kills bacteria, fungi, and wild yeast
> 4. Coagulates undesired proteins and polyphenols in the hot break
> 5. Evaporates undesirable harsh hop oils, sulfur compounds, ketones, and
> esters.
> 6. Promotes the formation of melanoidins and caramelizes some of the wort
> sugars (although this is not desirable in all styles)
> 7. Evaporates water vapor, condensing the wort to the proper volume and
> gravity (this is not a primary reason, it's a side effect of the process)
Note, numbers 2 and 7 are for all grain brewing, not extract brewing.
John.
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 14:24:59
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 14:07:57 -0500, <bugeaterbrewing@charter.net > wrote:
> The replies posted thus far have some good points, but they failed to
> address the primary problem. The major reason for boiling for an hour
> or so (varies by recipe) is to evaporate some of the water. This
> concentrates the wort and thus raises your OG. Merely keeping it hot
> for 30 minutes and boiling for only 5 minutes will not accomplish this.
Not for a partial boil extract batch though, which I'm assuming this is.
I doubt their OG has anything to do with the lack of a good boil, rather
uneven mixing of the boiled wort and top up water in the fermenter.
John.
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 21:37:15
From: Rich
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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"Wayne" <bugeaterbrewing@charter.net > wrote in message
news:z6zqg.6$WJ2.2@fe05.lga...
> Rich wrote:
>> First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
>>
>> Sunday afternoon I brewed my first batch of beer (second, if you count
>> the May Bock that I helped a buddy with) from a True Brew IPA kit. The
>> kit contained 1 lb crystal malt, two 1.5 kg cans of amber LME, an ounce
>> of chinook hops (11.9%), and an ounce of chinook hops (6.0%).
>>
>> After I added the boiling hops (the pot wasn't quite boiling), we sat
>> down to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, somebody turned off the burner and it
>> sat on the hot stovetop for about 30 minutes. Since it was a glass-top
>> range, the brew stayed quite hot, but never really boiled. I got it back
>> near boiling and added the finishing hops. It finally did boil for about
>> 5 minutes before I poured it into the carboy.
>
> ...I am afraid you will end up with a very weak beer (about 1.5% ABV) that
> may have a very nice taste.
I wouldn't think that this could happen, since the vast majority of the malt
was in the form of an extract, but unfortunately, it appears to be the case.
As of this afternoon, a bit less than 48 hours after pitching the yeast,
it's barely bubbling (like one bubble through the airlock every 5 seconds)
and the krausen is just about gone. The brew itself appears to have
lightened in color, but it's *extremely* cloudy. There's a layer of
sediment at the bottom of the carboy that's maybe 1/2" thick. I've also
noticed that the thermometer stuck to the side of my carboy now reads 72
degrees F.
Here are some new questions...
1. I'm going to take another gravity reading later tonight unless somebody
tells me that there's no point doing so. Hopefully, the reading will be
higher, rather than lower.
2. Do I let it sit in this carboy for a bit longer to see if the
fermentation is going to pick back up, or should I rack it to my other
carboy so that it isn't sitting on the sediment for too long?
3. Assuming that I do #1 above, is this the point that I want to take a
sample for my LHBS to taste and give me pointers?
Thanks to all who posted! I definitely feel welcome here. And hopefully,
I'll turn into a real homebrewer...
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Date: 06 Jul 2006 14:16:16
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 21:37:15 GMT, <spikestrap@verizon.net > wrote:
>> ...I am afraid you will end up with a very weak beer (about 1.5% ABV) that
>> may have a very nice taste.
>
> I wouldn't think that this could happen, since the vast majority of the malt
> was in the form of an extract, but unfortunately, it appears to be the case.
I disagree with Wayne. I think your beer is fine and that you just got an
inaccurate OG measurement. You're right, as long as you put all of the
extract in and make the same size batch that the recipe calls for, it's
going to be just about impossible to mess up the gravity. The only way
you got a gravity that low from your kit is if you used a 5 gallon kit
but made 10 gallons of beer, or if you forgot to open one of the cans of
extract.
> As of this afternoon, a bit less than 48 hours after pitching the yeast,
> it's barely bubbling (like one bubble through the airlock every 5 seconds)
IIRC from your original post, the fermentation temp was fairly high? This
can be normal then. Higher temps will definitely make the fermentation
occur more quickly. Activity starting to slow down after 48 hours is
possible with a high fermentation temp.
> 1. I'm going to take another gravity reading later tonight unless somebody
> tells me that there's no point doing so. Hopefully, the reading will be
> higher, rather than lower.
There's probably no need to take another reading now, unless you just want
to do it to make you feel better about the beer and worry less. I would
leave it alone for now, but taking a reading won't hurt anything.
> 2. Do I let it sit in this carboy for a bit longer to see if the
> fermentation is going to pick back up, or should I rack it to my other
> carboy so that it isn't sitting on the sediment for too long?
I would let it sit in this carboy for a few more days (I like to give most
of my beers a week in the primary). There isn't any real concern over
sitting on the sediment for that amount of time. In order to end up
with real problems from sitting too long in the primary, you'd have to leave
it in there for a couple months.
> 3. Assuming that I do #1 above, is this the point that I want to take a
> sample for my LHBS to taste and give me pointers?
You can, but you'll probably get more useful feedback from them by taking
a sample of the finished beer. Partially fermented beer usually doesn't
taste much like the final product.
> Thanks to all who posted! I definitely feel welcome here. And hopefully,
> I'll turn into a real homebrewer...
IMO, relax. I think you've done everything correctly. The only issue I
think you may have is that the fermentation was a little on the warm side.
That's nothing to get too worried about for your first attempt though.
John.
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Date: 07 Jul 2006 01:49:15
From: Rich
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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"John 'Shaggy' Kolesar" <spam@shagg.net > wrote in message
news:slrneaq6t9.h6d.spam@weizen.shagg.net...
> On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 21:37:15 GMT, <spikestrap@verizon.net> wrote:
>>> ...I am afraid you will end up with a very weak beer (about 1.5% ABV)
>>> that
>>> may have a very nice taste.
>>
>> I wouldn't think that this could happen, since the vast majority of the
>> malt
>> was in the form of an extract, but unfortunately, it appears to be the
>> case.
>
> I disagree with Wayne. I think your beer is fine and that you just got an
> inaccurate OG measurement. You're right, as long as you put all of the
> extract in and make the same size batch that the recipe calls for, it's
> going to be just about impossible to mess up the gravity. The only way
> you got a gravity that low from your kit is if you used a 5 gallon kit
> but made 10 gallons of beer, or if you forgot to open one of the cans of
> extract.
>
That's a good point. Both cans of LME got into the brewpot, so on further
reflection, I think you're probably right...
>> As of this afternoon, a bit less than 48 hours after pitching the yeast,
>> it's barely bubbling (like one bubble through the airlock every 5
>> seconds)
>
> IIRC from your original post, the fermentation temp was fairly high? This
> can be normal then. Higher temps will definitely make the fermentation
> occur more quickly. Activity starting to slow down after 48 hours is
> possible with a high fermentation temp.
>
There's still stuff going on in there that I can see with a flashlight.
Just no bubbles through the airlock.
>> 1. I'm going to take another gravity reading later tonight unless
>> somebody
>> tells me that there's no point doing so. Hopefully, the reading will be
>> higher, rather than lower.
>
> There's probably no need to take another reading now, unless you just want
> to do it to make you feel better about the beer and worry less. I would
> leave it alone for now, but taking a reading won't hurt anything.
>
I was too tired to deal with it last night, so I left it alone. I'll rack
it on Monday or Tuesday night and take a reading then.
Thanks again for the help!
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Date: 06 Jul 2006 23:12:12
From: Scott Sellers
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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Rich <spikestrap@verizon.net >:
[...]
>I wouldn't think that this could happen, since the vast majority
>of the malt was in the form of an extract, but unfortunately, it
>appears to be the case. As of this afternoon, a bit less than
>48 hours after pitching the yeast, it's barely bubbling (like
>one bubble through the airlock every 5 seconds) and the krausen
>is just about gone. The brew itself appears to have lightened
>in color, but it's *extremely* cloudy. There's a layer of
>sediment at the bottom of the carboy that's maybe 1/2" thick.
>I've also noticed that the thermometer stuck to the side of my
>carboy now reads 72 degrees F.
The sediment is a mixture of trub and yeast -- it's normal to get
1/2 and more. No need to rack at this point. Cloudiness is
normal as the yeast is working. If active fermentation is going
on, you should be able to see all kinds of currents swirling
around in the carboy, as well as some activity in the bottom
layer. You have to get up close, and sometimes a flashlight
helps. The beer will typically start to look darker as
fermentation finishes and the yeast begins to settle out.
Scott S
--
Scott Sellers
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Date: 07 Jul 2006 01:49:08
From: Rich
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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"Scott Sellers" <scottsellers@mindspring.com > wrote in message
news:gNgrg.4661$cd3.437@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Rich <spikestrap@verizon.net>:
>
>
> ...You have to get up close, and sometimes a flashlight
> helps. The beer will typically start to look darker as
> fermentation finishes and the yeast begins to settle out.
>
Yup, all kinds of stuff going on in there...
Thanks Scott!
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 08:28:21
From: CarlJF
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
|
> 1. What's up with the OG reading? Is that kinda low, and if it is, what
> will that mean to the quality of the finished product?
>
> 2. If that OG is low, could it have something to do with my brewing
> process? I steeped the crystal malt for somewhere between 45 minutes and an
> hour at around 175 degrees and then sparged before adding the LME.
In addition to what the others have said, a nice online utility to
calculate the OG is The Recipator (www.hbd.org/recipator/). I use it
and get quite decent results.
For your beer, before bottling or going to secondary, you may taste it.
If it taste like flat beer, your OG was probably fine and there was
some mistake in your reading. Simply put, a beer with an OG of 1.022
will taste quite watery, not like flat beer.
> 5. In looking around, it appears that people fill their airlock with
> sanitizer solution. Mine's filled with plain water, although I sanitized it
> and the cap thoroughly immediately before installing them on the carboy.
> Have I done a bad thing or is this a matter of preference?
Yes it's a matter of preference. I use water with some cheap brandy in
it (about half and half of each). The alcool keeps the airlock
sanitized and doesn't cause any problem if any should get in the
fermenter.
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 08:18:55
From: speckking
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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> > 1. What's up with the OG reading? Is that kinda low, and if it is, what
> > will that mean to the quality of the finished product?
>
> This is pretty common. The good news is that there is nothing wrong with
> your real OG, but the number you measured is not accurate. What happens is
> that when you do a partial boil extract batch and then "top up" with water
> in the fermenter, the boiled wort and new water do not mix very well. Even
> if you really stir/shake the fermenter like crazy, they still do not mix very
> well. You end up with the heavy sugars on the bottom of the carboy and
> the plain water on top. So when you try to take your gravity reading it
> will come out to be either really high or really low, depending on if you
> took your sample from the bottom or top of the fermenter.
The first time this happened to me I was worried that I had screwed
something up. But then I notice that the hydrometer was not floating
vertically in the wort. It was tilted significantly to one side. I
realized that was probably because the sg nearer the bottom was highter
that that at the top so the bottom of the hydrometer (which has more
airspace in it) was resting in this dense layer while the top of the
hydrometer was in the lighter layer. Therefore it was laying over on
it's side. I just followed Papazian's rule...don't worry, relax and
have a homebrew. Now that I've graduated to all grain brewing and do
full volume boils I don't encounter this problem.
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Date: 05 Jul 2006 13:57:03
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: First Batch - Questions on OG and Other Topics
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On Tue, 04 Jul 2006 13:46:18 GMT, <spikestrap@verizon.net > wrote:
> First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
Welcome.
> Sunday afternoon I brewed my first batch of beer (second, if you count the
> May Bock that I helped a buddy with) from a True Brew IPA kit. The kit
> contained 1 lb crystal malt, two 1.5 kg cans of amber LME, an ounce of
> chinook hops (11.9%), and an ounce of chinook hops (6.0%).
>
> After I added the boiling hops (the pot wasn't quite boiling), we sat down
> to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, somebody turned off the burner and it sat on
> the hot stovetop for about 30 minutes. Since it was a glass-top range, the
> brew stayed quite hot, but never really boiled. I got it back near boiling
> and added the finishing hops. It finally did boil for about 5 minutes
> before I poured it into the carboy.
>
> When I pitched the yeast last night, the OG reading was 1.022. At this
> moment, with the microscopic residents of my carboy happily converting
> sugars, I've now got a small handful of questions
>
> 1. What's up with the OG reading? Is that kinda low, and if it is, what
> will that mean to the quality of the finished product?
This is pretty common. The good news is that there is nothing wrong with
your real OG, but the number you measured is not accurate. What happens is
that when you do a partial boil extract batch and then "top up" with water
in the fermenter, the boiled wort and new water do not mix very well. Even
if you really stir/shake the fermenter like crazy, they still do not mix very
well. You end up with the heavy sugars on the bottom of the carboy and
the plain water on top. So when you try to take your gravity reading it
will come out to be either really high or really low, depending on if you
took your sample from the bottom or top of the fermenter.
It's not big deal though, the wort/water will mix evenly during the course
of fermentation. The only harm done is to make you worry about your beer. ;)
BTW, as long as you are making the same volume that the recipe calls for,
you can pretty much assume that your OG will be whatever the recipe says
it is for an extract batch. Based on my guestimate, the real OG should
have been somewhere around 1.048 (give or take a couple points).
> 3. Am I okay letting the beer ferment at around 76 degrees, or do I need to
> find a way to get it a bit cooler?
A lot of it is personal preference, but IMO 76F is very warm. At higher
temps, beer yeast will create more by products during fermentation like
esters and fusel alcohols. The esters will give the beer a fruity flavor
and the fusels will contribute to hangovers. Also, keep in mind that
fermentation creates heat. It's not uncommon for the beer to be 5F - 10F
warmer during fermentation than the surrounding air. So, if the room
temp right now is 76F your beer is probably somewhere in the 80s.
There are s few styles that are supposed to be fermented that warm (belgians)
but in most cases I much prefer to ferment my beers in the mid 60s.
> 4. Is the lack of a decent length boil going to hurt my final product?
> When I poured it off into the carboy, it had a fairly strong hop aroma, but
> now it does not. Might my IPA benefit from dry-hopping?
The boil is primarily for utilization of the hops, IE to extract the
bitterness. Next time, I would try to make sure you have a good rolling
boil for the duration. You might end up with more of a pale ale from
this beer than an IPA since you've probably gotten less bitterness from
the hops than you were supposed to.
IMO, IPAs always benefit from dry-hopping. That will add aroma, but won't
do much to add bitterness though.
> 5. In looking around, it appears that people fill their airlock with
> sanitizer solution. Mine's filled with plain water, although I sanitized it
> and the cap thoroughly immediately before installing them on the carboy.
> Have I done a bad thing or is this a matter of preference?
Plain water is fine. Yes, some people do use sanitizer, but IMO that is
overkill. I use plain water in my airlocks all the time.
John.
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Date: 11 Jul 2006 00:11:59
From: Rich
Subject: Re: First Batch - Update!
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"Rich" <spikestrap@verizon.net > wrote in message
news:Kiuqg.2639$283.434@trnddc08...
> First batch in the carboy, first post on the board...
>
> Sunday afternoon I brewed my first batch of beer (second, if you count the
> May Bock that I helped a buddy with) from a True Brew IPA kit. The kit
> contained 1 lb crystal malt, two 1.5 kg cans of amber LME, an ounce of
> chinook hops (11.9%), and an ounce of chinook hops (6.0%).
>
A very happy report to make...
I racked the beer last night. Everything went very smoothly and I took a
little taste of the beer.
I'm happy to report that it, even now, has a nice hop aroma and flavor.
There's a fair amount of bitterness, although not as much as I'd like for an
IPA. Next time, I'll be patient and get a nice boil. There aren't any
strange flavors that I can identify, so I guess my sanitation was pretty
darn good.
I'm looking forward to bottling and getting a taste of the finished
product - even my wife thought the beer tasted pretty good...
-rich
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