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Author Topic: Help with brewday nightmare  (Read 2416 times)

Offline 802Chris

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Help with brewday nightmare
« on: April 11, 2017, 08:27:51 am »
So, yesterday was not a fun brew day. I will spare the details, but what was supposed to be the first warm weather brew day of the year AND a rare mid-day relaxing brew day.... turned into a murphy's law type of day. I DRASTICALLY missing my target PBG (~.020 low). My mid was totally baffled, as this has never happened to me before and I thought everything was tight in my process. I had just added a 1.5 oz FWH charge of magnum when I measured my PBG. I calculated a 1.042 on an intended 1.065 for this particular DIPA. PANICKING I proceeded to boil down for and extra 45 minutes before starting my 60 minute timer. More went wrong but here is the facts.

1. My IBU's are now WAY HIGH (calc 109. 80 from FWH alone) on a 1.062 OG IPA. Other hops were a 1 oz 10 min centennial and a 5 minute 2 oz Citra followed by a 6 oz mixed bag 30 minute hop-stand at 180deg.

2. I already pitched the yeast, which was a huge decanted starter, no going back now.

3. I usually shoot for a 5.5 Gallon fermenter volume, I pitched at 5 gallons.



So I am thinking I have two options.

1. RDWHAHB

2. Take 2lbs of extra light DME, boil in 1/2 gallon of water (if this is even possible) and add it to the fermenter, thus getting much closer to my intended OG and batch size.

I'm thinking the second option could theoretically work since fermentation has only been going for about 18 hours (it was going steady when I left for work this morning)

Thoughts?


PS, I did the math... I am 99% positive I got distracted when milling my grain Sunday night and left 3 lbs out. My hopper can only hold 3 lbs at a time.... I just made a duplicate batch in beersmith with the lower grain amount and the numbers line up almost exactly, especially if I take into account the extra 3/4 gallon of sparge water that didn't get absorbed into the 3lbs of grain that WASN'T THERE!!!!

Offline chumley

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2017, 09:04:34 am »
Go with 1.

You should have added the DME when you found the PBG was too low.  I always keep some around, for such instances and making starters.

Sh*t happens.

Offline coolman26

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2017, 09:10:26 am »
Go with 1.

You should have added the DME when you found the PBG was too low.  I always keep some around, for such instances and making starters.

Sh*t happens.
Agree w Chumley, still beer, another thing learned. I quit FW hops because I had this happen years ago.


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Offline JJeffers09

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2017, 09:21:25 am »
Ditto... No more FWH.  I also keep dme on hand.  It's a good oh sh*t life saver.

This might sound silly, but you could pull off a quick DME/AG brew and pitch into a fermenter and blend before packaging.

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Offline kramerog

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2017, 09:27:36 am »
RDWHAHB.  Increasing the volume by 10% is unlikely to have much effect if your IBUs are high by say 50%.  I would taste next week before doing anything.

Offline rob_f

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2017, 10:37:16 am »
If it turns out unpleasantly bitter, blend it with Coors Light.  It's not just for rinsing off bleach.  ;D
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Offline 802Chris

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2017, 10:44:10 am »
Thanks all, good suggestions. Sad thing is I used almost all my DME two weeks ago, canning a bunch of starter wort! I dumped in the last half pound or so late in the boil, but it barely made a dent.
Good call on skipping the FWH, I was feeling the same way after this one. If I had not added them I could have boiled to my heart's content and made a 3 gallon batch if I had to.

Offline denny

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2017, 10:49:02 am »
Thanks all, good suggestions. Sad thing is I used almost all my DME two weeks ago, canning a bunch of starter wort! I dumped in the last half pound or so late in the boil, but it barely made a dent.
Good call on skipping the FWH, I was feeling the same way after this one. If I had not added them I could have boiled to my heart's content and made a 3 gallon batch if I had to.

I still use FWH on 90% of my beers.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline 802Chris

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2017, 04:52:42 am »
For anyone who was wondering, I'm just letting it ride. If it does turn out undrinkable, I'll probably attempt blending it, hopefully its not as bad as I'm worrying. Good lessons were learned for sure, namely:

keeping DME on hand
Only FWH   on beers I've brewed many times and have down cold
Measure my total grist weight before adding to mashtun...

Thanks again to all for assaying my fears :-)

Offline chinaski

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Re: Help with brewday nightmare
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2017, 01:31:52 pm »
There is a fourth option (which I've done in instances like this): brew the recipe again with a much smaller hop bill and blend it with what you made.  I've done this and tried to brew the second batch to achieve my original target after blending.  It's totally do-able and worth it if its a beer you (and your friends and family) really enjoy.