I made a clone of Hopslam. WAY overshot the OG & the ABV is going to be 13.1%

[JLW]

I didn't think WLP001 would attenuate all the way down to target gravity of 1.012 but it did. I guess pitching a 3L starter helped the attenuation. I just dry hopped this past Saturday and I am wondering if I should let this dry hop an extra week or so to help mask the alcohol taste? Or will age take car of it? It's not overly hot to where you can't drink it but the sample was a bot warm.

I'm still trying to dial in my system and I am finding I get ~75% efficiency.

This one may be a quick way to drunk.

 

[fuhmon]

it will prolly taste pretty damn good once its chilled and carbed.

 

[microbrewswhoo]

13.1%? Want to send me a couple bottles for analyzing? I'm not qualified. LOL

 

[JLW]

13.1%? Want to send me a couple bottles for analyzing? I'm not qualified. LOL

Yeah...Oops. I triple checked the hydrometer and had a fellow brewer check for it me as well.

 

[hamiltont]

If it's too alcoholic for ya you can always cut it with some boiled RO water. I've done it a few times. Just make sure when your adding it you don't aerate the beer. Cheers!!!

 

[Teromous]

Keep in mind that with very hoppy beers (especially when using pellets) the hops can get into the wort and raise your initial gravity. These will drop out in the fermenter giving the indication of a reduced gravity and false readings.

PSA: I'm not questioning your brewing technique, filtering capabilities, whirlpool skills, or anything like that. Just wanted to throw it out there as a consideration when the gravity becomes significantly higher than expected.

 

[michaeltrego]

So you hit 1.11 OG at 75% efficiency, but what were you anticipating?

 

[michaeltrego]

Keep in mind that with very hoppy beers (especially when using pellets) the hops can get into the wort and raise your initial gravity. These will drop out in the fermenter giving the indication of a reduced gravity and false readings.

Assuming the hop particles aren't sticking to the hydrometer, I didn't think that they would affect the reading, since it is measuring the liquid density ie. the dissolved solids.

 

[JLW]

So you hit 1.11 OG at 75% efficiency, but what were you anticipating?

The anticipated OG was 1.091.

 

[JLW]

Keep in mind that with very hoppy beers (especially when using pellets) the hops can get into the wort and raise your initial gravity. These will drop out in the fermenter giving the indication of a reduced gravity and false readings.

PSA: I'm not questioning your brewing technique, filtering capabilities, whirlpool skills, or anything like that. Just wanted to throw it out there as a consideration when the gravity becomes significantly higher than expected.

I didn't think you were questioning techniques. This is actually good information to consider.

I let this beer sit in primary for 5 weeks. I'm not opposed to getting higher OG and more abv but I also want to be able to more accurately hit my numbers.

I'm still learning

 

[Teromous]

Assuming the hop particles aren't sticking to the hydrometer, I didn't think that they would affect the reading, since it is measuring the liquid density ie. the dissolved solids.

I did a quick test and let a hop pellet partially dissolve in water after calibrating my hydrometer. The pellet was largely undissolved but there was a decent enough concentration where it looked like unfiltered wort. I got 2 points while the sediment was settled, and 4 when it was more agitated. These are after spinning and allowing the hydrometer to rest and not bob. It's not a lot, but it does affect the reading.

 

[michaeltrego]

I did a quick test and let a hop pellet partially dissolve in water after calibrating my hydrometer. The pellet was largely undissolved but there was a decent enough concentration where it looked like unfiltered wort. I got 2 points while the sediment was settled, and 4 when it was more agitated. These are after spinning and allowing the hydrometer to rest and not bob. It's not a lot, but it does affect the reading.

Cool test - there's nothing better than hard evidence!

 

[JLW]

As, I think back to my brews since switching to AG, the hoppier beers are the ones that have had the tendancy to way over shoot OG.

A combination of hop concentration, brewhouse efficiency and maybe collecting slightly less wort than called for could be getting the bigger than expected numbers.

For example: the hefe I brewed this past Saturday I set my efficiency in beersmith at 75%, collected the exact right amount of wort and was only slightly off on my post boil volume and hit my OG on the nose of 1.051.