I wanted to make one more lighter beer for the end of summer. So I tried the NB Speckled Heifer.
So my OG came out 8 points too high. 1.050 (adjusted for temp) instead of the target of 1.042. I shook the hell out of the bucket for a couple of minutes before drawing a sample and pitching. I was right at the 5 gal mark after adding a little over 2 gals water.
I am hoping the shaking just wasn’t quite enough for mixing. I am thinking so because my sample looked thick. Like after resting there was (what I assume is break) suspended in the liquid. I also poured the wort through the NB double-mesh strainer, so I was a little surprised to see floaties. :mad:
Thought I’d just ask too get some thoughts. I would be happy with a little stronger beer.
While I am thinking I used Safale US-05. The optimum temp range is 59°-75° my basement is 68° should I maybe swamp it just cool it off a bit more?
I hope it just wasn’t mixed well. I meant to get or look at paint stirs the other day but it slipped my mind.
So the fermometer read 68-72 this morning, so I put it in a cooler or water. I’ll have to see where things even out, but hopefully I won’t have to worry about putting ice pack in there. Though that would be easier than changing the water from the spout-less cooler.
Though it may have gotten a little to hot at the beginning, I did add some cold water to drop the mash temp. I was getting different readings all over the pot. But I went with the middle and got it down to the 152 range and wrapped the kettle.
Also after a day in the swamp cooler the temp has settled at 66-68 and is fermenting well (as of this morning). I will keep on checking the water to see if I need to add some ice to cool it more.
It’s possible you may have gotten a few extra points with the grain but probably not 8. Have you calibrated your hydrometer? I had one reading perfectly for months and found out it was reading about 8 points high. And as always, you may not have a good mix. I just did a partial mash and came in maybe 4 points high but I recrushed the grains so figured it was because I got better efficiency.
BTW, if you’re getting inconsistent temps in the mash, keep stirring until you get them consistent. With only 3lbs of grain, it’s maybe 5 minutes of stirring.
If was aerated from shaking, would that affect the hydrometer sample? Air bubbles hold up the hydrometer more. I think I was having that problem when pulling a sample after pouring my wort through the strainer (same one you used it sounds like).
I stirred a bit to even out the temps. Not five minutes though.
I didn’t have distilled water on hand, but my tap water was coming up at 1.010, so I kind of figured it was close enough.
I am thinking (hoping) it wasn’t a sufficient mix. Is it worth taking a reading 2 days later and during fermentation? I am happy with 4-5% beer either way really.
I think I would rather wait and see, instead of rising and infection. Not that pulling with a wine thief is a big risk, that’s pretty easy to sanitize.
Thanks for the help. More stuff to note for my next brew.
Air bubbles will float the hydro, but just spin it in the cylinder to knock 'em loose. Tap water is going to be close enough, within the +/- of the hydro.
Your tap water read 1.010? Sounds to me like you’re right on the money!
I think the pm kits are figured around a 60% efficiency, and just fudging with numbers a bit if you were to hit 75% that would be roughly 5-6 points higher for the grain portion.
That at least accounts for part of the difference.
*edit I guess reading on a phone, i missed the whole tap water reading 1.010 post…
You are not the only person to see this “problem”. I finally concluded that be it my grinding method or something in my personal technique, that I simply have a rather large brewhouse effecency. I ALWAYS have a higher OG that predicted by the NB kits but my FG is always right on the money. It is just the way it is for me. I tried to find the source for a while and then just acknowleged that I make higher gravity beers that recipies will predict. I can either drop some grain or go to a no sparge methode to intentionally drop my effeciency. I commonly get 8-12 points higher than expected. Yes I have checked my hydrometers (I am a chemist). I have only done one very high gravity batch (IS) but it did not overshoot as far (I was only 3 points high), but as it is the only high gravity beer I have done yet I am not sure what if anything to read into that.
Honestly I think it is the efficiency the pm kits are created for. They’re assuming this is a person 1st shot at mashing grain, therefor expecting low efficiency.
Take any of the recipes and enter them into whatever software you use (brewersfriend.com or hopville.com are simple and free).
After entering the grain and extract, move your efficiency to 60%, you’ll be spot on for the NB predictions…scale up to 75% and you’ll see the gravity increase.
I believe their AG kits are created around 70%.
