OG ABV under a lot..

[whitesheperd]

Ok so the OG is supposed to be at 1.057 - 1.061 and instead I got 1.042.../: here are pics below.. Only been fermenting for 3 days.. This is going to be WAY to low for a beer /: what do I do???




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[whitesheperd]

It is a milk stout extract kit from brewers best


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[flars]

This thread may offer some help.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/trouble-abv-every-time-476431/

 

[whitesheperd]

Yes I'm already posting on it


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[Cyclman]

OG with a kit can't be off if you have the right wort volume in total- sugars don't evaporate (well, I guess if you burned them at the bottom of your kettle that would eliminate them).

Wort stratifies quickly, so it is likely that it wasn't homogenous when you measured, and you got a lower gravity because the densest wort is at the bottom. Stir gently but well, homogenize the wort, then take a measurement.

 

[gcdowd]

Wait, you brewed this in the future?

 

[pablosbrewing]

Stir gently but well, homogenize the wort, then take a measurement.

Stirring with cooled wort - make some foam!

 

[EJay]

At what temperature did you take OG?

 

[whitesheperd]

Actually about 75 yes I know way to warm/: I was Ina rush.. My dog decided to run off :S


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[Setesh]

OG with a kit can't be off if you have the right wort volume in total- sugars don't evaporate (well, I guess if you burned them at the bottom of your kettle that would eliminate them).

Wort stratifies quickly, so it is likely that it wasn't homogenous when you measured, and you got a lower gravity because the densest wort is at the bottom. Stir gently but well, homogenize the wort, then take a measurement.

+1 to this.
Every instance I have seen where the OG of an extract kit was off it was either an incorrect volume measurement or the sugars had settled (stratification). If you know you added all the extract and you know the volume is correct then stirring should solve the measurement problem.

 

[whitesheperd]

Okay question.. Is the wort still considered wort when I put it in the Carboy? 2.5 gallons water was added to kettle and added LME DME and all others followed by instructions. Now After chilling I added it to my Carboy and toped off with water. Then I took a sample in my wine thief and got 1.042.


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[whitesheperd]

Btw here is the exact recipe below URL link

http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1024 2013 Milk Stout Recipe.pdf


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[FatDragon]

Okay question.. Is the wort still considered wort when I put it in the Carboy? 2.5 gallons water was added to kettle and added LME DME and all others followed by instructions. Now After chilling I added it to my Carboy and toped off with water. Then I took a sample in my wine thief and got 1.042.


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Your sampling technique was off - your kettle wort was probably well-mixed, but once you added the top-off water you would have needed to mix the wort very well to get an accurate sample into your wine thief; as Cyclman said, the densest wort stratifies to the bottom, so when you took your reading, the wort at the bottom of your carboy was probably twice as dense as the wort at the top.

And yes, wort is just unfermented beer - I believe LME is even technically wort, just super-high-gravity wort.

 

[whitesheperd]

Ah okay I know what I did -.- I added the wort in the Carboy then the water and got a sample and probably got more of the water I toped off with than the whole mixture, okay so it won't hurt the beer to mix it in the Carboy before I pitch the yeast correct?? It was my first batch to brew so I have defently learned the very small things


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[pablosbrewing]

it won't hurt the beer to mix it in the Carboy before I pitch the yeast correct??

Yes - you want a lot of aeration at that point of the process. Stir with the end of a brew spoon, or a drill mounted wine degasser - make some foam.

 

[Setesh]

Okay question.. Is the wort still considered wort when I put it in the Carboy?

The wort is wort until you add yeast, from that moment on you have beer.

 

[whitesheperd]

Yes - you want a lot of aeration at that point of the process. Stir with the end of a brew spoon, or a drill mounted wine degasser - make some foam.

Yeah I have a wine degasser, so I should have aierated it :S didn't know I was supposed to do that.. Well I heard if not aierated the yeast has troubles fermenting at first.. My yeast started less than 12 hours..


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[rmyurick]

I think it's good process to aerate, but when I collaborated with a pro brewer on a test batch, we didn't aerate & it came out fine. If you're making a lager & you don't aerate, yeast could stall & you could end up with undesireable byproducts (like acetaldehyde-green apple).

 

[whitesheperd]

Yeah makes more sense for lagers because they are kept at cooler temps and the yeast would need a bit more help with them cooler temps..


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