Higher ABV than I predicted

[Mascrappo]

Hi, I just transferred my (first batch in 18 years) Dortmunder lager extract #03537 from Austin Homebrew into secondary and it's showing 8% ABV. Followed the instructions/ingredients to a T. Sampling the hydrometer test tube it seems smooth. This is not truly a surprise as nearly all our beers long ago where high ABV. We ran the numbers every chart/formula and it's 7.98-8.0%. I have 4 hydrometers, we figured it might be a bad reading, but not a mistake, it is what it is. Twenty years ago we had a 11%, very smooth, but 1-2 and you were done! I was actually hoping for a 5-7% so I can drink several. An ale kit on order, wish me well!

 

[Steveruch]

What was your actual recipe? O G? F G?

 

[Mascrappo]

I'm sorry it is Austin Homebrew #01915 extract kit 1.08 OG, 1.02 FG

http://austinhomebrew.com/assets/images/RCPPDF/01915.pdf

 

[lump42]

I'm sorry it is Austin Homebrew #01915 extract kit 1.08 OG, 1.02 FG

http://austinhomebrew.com/assets/images/RCPPDF/01915.pdf

What was your final volume? If you're adding 8 lbs of liquid malt extract and getting an OG of 1.080, then you likely had a 3.5 gal batch. After the boil, the fermentor was to be topped up to 5.25 gal.

 

[Mascrappo]

I topped it to 5 gallons after the boil, but I appreciate any/all suggestions!

 

[Steveruch]

I topped it to 5 gallons after the boil, but I appreciate any/all suggestions!

If you didn't mix it completely that could have caused a higher than actual O G reading.

 

[Mascrappo]

Anything could happen, but like I mentioned we always have higher ABV than expected...

 

[bracconiere]

I topped it to 5 gallons after the boil, but I appreciate any/all suggestions!

how did you measure? what kind of fermenter, and what size? doing it by eye can be misleading.....?? (and best wishes! )


edit: just thought i'd mention because you say you haven't made a batch in a while, and there's 6.5 gallon carboys and 5 gallon ones, and 7 gallon buckets i think and 5 gallon hardware store ones.....so if there's enough room left for krausen, might be off....

 

[davidabcd]

topped it to 5 gallons

Like @lump42 said, 5.25 is the top-off amount in the recipe link you provided which would basically account for your ABV being off a bit. However, something doesn't match between your data and the recipe data.
Good luck!

 

[Steveruch]

Like @lump42 said, 5.25 is the top-off amount in the recipe link you provided which would basically account for your ABV being off a bit. However, something doesn't match between your data and the recipe data.
Good luck!

You can't get 8% out of 8 lbs. lme in 5 gallons.

 

[lump42]

If you didn't mix it completely that could have caused a higher than actual O G reading.

If op is confident in their volume, than this would be my next guess. If it always happens, then they could always not be mixing enough before a gravity reading.

 

[Mascrappo]

Well my old rusty self messed up, I admit it.

Yes, I only have 4 gallons, maybe a little more, but definitely not 5ish. I was confused on my carboys sizes...it's been a while. Nevertheless, what I tasted from the hydrometer test tube tasted OK. Hopefully finished product tastes good, I will just call this the maiden voyage batch.

Will brush up my measuring and mark the old carboys to assure this doesn't happen again. Thanks for all the help.

 

[davidabcd]

Hopefully finished product tastes good,

You wouldn't be the first to make a measurement error. As for the final product, I'm sure it will be just fine if not better.

 

[Mascrappo]

Thanks my friend, words of encouragement help. I will post the ripened results when I get them

 

[lump42]

Well my old rusty self messed up, I admit it.

Yes, I only have 4 gallons, maybe a little more, but definitely not 5ish. I was confused on my carboys sizes...it's been a while. Nevertheless, what I tasted from the hydrometer test tube tasted OK. Hopefully finished product tastes good, I will just call this the maiden voyage batch.

Will brush up my measuring and mark the old carboys to assure this doesn't happen again. Thanks for all the help.

It may not be the beer you intended, but it will still be beer. If you share it with others, no need to tell them of the error, just relabel it as a "Doppel Dortmunder" and you just made a new style. Congrats!

 

[balrog]

Did you measure OG before top up water was added?

 

[Mascrappo]

Did you measure OG before top up water was added?

Measured after I added the top off water

 

[balrog]

I'm sure it will be fine. Despite our best efforts sometimes, beer still gets made.

 

[Mascrappo]

Hi again. I plan to bottle this weekend my short batch of "Doppel Dortmunder". It has been a week since I moved it to secondary, no activity at all. Question is, to smarter people than me, if I check FG again and it is still 1.020, is it safe to bottle and can I add sugar for priming? Do I need to add sugar at all? I have had some flat beer before and some that blew the bottom of the bottles off. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[davidabcd]

Yes, it is safe to bottle. Usually, a gravity reading a couple days apart where it stays the same does the trick as well.
You would use priming sugar (it depends how much but 3-5oz is in the ballpark) mixed in a couple cups of water and then boil it.
Using a bottling bucket and a siphon? You can gently stir the beer to mix the sugar solution well.

 

[Mascrappo]

I still do it old-school, carboy to carboy via siphon. Looking at Anvil equipment now (although I read their quality control is questionable?), lots of cool things these days. Thanks davidabcd!

 

[ncbrewer]

A priming calculator like this one https://www.northernbrewer.com/pages/priming-sugar-calculator will tell you how much sugar to use. But you'll have to use the volume in the bottling bucket rather than volume in the fermenter. You'll need to estimate the amount of trub loss. And you don't have to use the style guidelines - I use about 2.6 volumes of CO2 for most styles.