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Author Topic: Boiled too fast...  (Read 4255 times)

Offline Kirk

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2011, 04:12:55 pm »
Sounds like you know what you're doing.  I concur with MorticalXavier on a little water, boiling, cooling, and adding.
Kirk Howell

Offline cenosillica

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #16 on: July 13, 2011, 06:23:51 pm »
Kirk... I have no CLUE what I'm doing. Fortunately, Nature grabs the wheel when I'm squinting through one eyeball, and gets me to where I'd like to go.

Offline Will's Swill

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2011, 06:27:33 pm »
How much molasses was in the recipe?  The missing molasses might account for you hitting your target gravity yet missng your target volume.  In which case you could add 1 gal water with the molasses and hit both your target gravity and volume.   Maybe?  But you'd have to be missing a lot of molasses...
Is that a counter-pressure bottle filler in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Offline cenosillica

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2011, 07:57:04 pm »
I forgot to put it in my recipe. It was an after thought. My target gravity was 1.100. It came in at 1.092. I'm going to boil about a gallon of water and 4oz of molasses and add it to the primary (cooled down of course). Then I'll watch the gravity readings to confirm the yeast are happily chomping away. If gravity does not drop, I'll transfer to secondary and chuck in the champagne yeast and yeast nutrient.

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #19 on: July 13, 2011, 08:18:01 pm »
That's the most fuc....eh complicated grain bill I've ever seen. I use a base malt and one or two, three TOPS specialty grains. A bittering hops, and a flavor/aroma hops, usually the same......

Don't want to tell you how to do your job, as my way is not the only way by a looooooooong shot....but, you know, deep down below, I feel like you are over-engineering this whole beer making thing.... a few grains, some hops....water a flame....yeast.....RDWHAHB.........
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2011, 08:22:10 pm »
That's the most fuc....eh complicated grain bill I've ever seen. I use a base malt and one or two, three TOPS specialty grains. A bittering hops, and a flavor/aroma hops, usually the same......

LOL, that was my first reaction too (well, I was thinking the word "mess", but still). 
Joe

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2011, 08:28:43 pm »
I forgot to put it in my recipe. It was an after thought. My target gravity was 1.100. It came in at 1.092. I'm going to boil about a gallon of water and 4oz of molasses and add it to the primary (cooled down of course). Then I'll watch the gravity readings to confirm the yeast are happily chomping away. If gravity does not drop, I'll transfer to secondary and chuck in the champagne yeast and yeast nutrient.
You can do whatever you like, but I would not do this.  You missed your gravity and volume low, so you plan to dilute the beer further?  That makes no sense to me.  4 oz of molasses in a gallon of water, you're looking at a gallon at 1.009.  Add that to your existing beer that started at 1.092, and now the SG of the entire batch comes down to 1.075.  Yes, you'll have "more alcohol", but it will be less concentrated.  4 oz might give you flavor, but it's not going to give you the alcohol bump you're looking for.

Also, make sure it is finished before you add any molasses.  Giving the yeast sucrose when they are happily fermenting maltose is just going to mess with their metabolism and cause them to stop fermenting the maltose.

Personally, I wouldn't mess with it.  Let it finish, package it, and drink it.  Save the champagne yeast for fermenting grape juice. ;)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline cenosillica

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #22 on: July 14, 2011, 05:10:00 pm »
LOL, Hokerer and Oscarvan... I REALLY appreciate the candid feedback. Fortunately, my ego isn't too bruised as this is my shot at trying to create a clone of Deschutes Abyss according to their grain bill.

Here's the link to their site:
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/recipe/abyss-clone

Unfortunately, they don't give too much detail on temps, times, or weight so one is left guestimating; which in itself, is still fun.

If you have not had this beer, you gotta try it, especially with a cigar. Grain bill may be over-engineered but I point the finger in their direction. However, I still picked up some learning points from your comments. Thanks for the straight forward candor!

Offline oscarvan

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Re: Boiled too fast...
« Reply #23 on: July 18, 2011, 11:50:40 am »
LOL, Hokerer and Oscarvan... I REALLY appreciate the candid feedback. Fortunately, my ego isn't too bruised as this is my shot at trying to create a clone of Deschutes Abyss according to their grain bill.

Here's the link to their site:
http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/recipe/abyss-clone

Unfortunately, they don't give too much detail on temps, times, or weight so one is left guestimating; which in itself, is still fun.

If you have not had this beer, you gotta try it, especially with a cigar. Grain bill may be over-engineered but I point the finger in their direction. However, I still picked up some learning points from your comments. Thanks for the straight forward candor!

FWIW my approach when I try to clone something, is to simplify the recipe as much as possible....You'll be surprised how close you get. Do that a few times and then if you want start tweaking with the last few percentages of other stuff. I find almost always that you don't, or barely taste the difference. (My pallet is not highly developed, I will never make a top ranking judge....)

All that said, I pay a LOT of attention to which yeast I use, and the temperatures during fermentation. I find that that has lot of influence on how the beer tastes....again, to me.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....