I wonder about my scale. Guess I should check it with a known weight like a sack of sugar or something. It would be ballpark anyway.
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The packages I buy are 5lb and I weigh them and my scale says 5 lb so it’s not the weight. I measured the OG again when the wort cooled checked it again. It was a bit lower but still higher than expected. I used a refractometer so I didn’t think temperature mattered. Im going with crush setting as the cause. Actually used to get a higher % but changed my mill and started getting lower gravity reading sooo I adjusted my recipes. Now it seems I am getting the higher extraction %. It’s not a crazy amount but I prefer getting close to my expectation. Consistency is what I’m concerned with
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Milling is usually the first culprit in low efficiency so cleaning and re-gapping your mill is likely the reason. Brewers should check that gap regularly as it can drift wider. I get the consistency issue. As a ‘new’ (only 5years in) small (10bbl) brewery consistency is paramount. Although new beers are a major draw, Folks still want to return and have those flagship beers be what they remember. No different than us Homebrewers.
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Brewing again today, after a modest break. Bo’s Pale Ale v3. Heavy on Cascade hops this time.
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Been a pretty slow 2024 for me too. Made a Mexican lager today… sadly won’t be near done for Cinco De Mayo. Went back to my fav yeast.
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So this is one of 5 bombers left of my first all grain brew, The Innkeeper. I brewed this Dec 10, and for many reasons, it sat unconsumed for quite a while. I don’t think I’ve had one since late Feb-early March, and it was drinking very well after 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
Figured I’d give one a try tonight, threw it on ice in the cooler last night. There was much more foam-splosion than in the pic. Doesn’t taste like hardly anything, really, but nothing terribly off about it. Could fridge time make that much of a diff? I thought I might save a bit to do a gravity check, but I doesn’t taste hot or anything. Any thoughts?
Is that the only one that foamed out like that? If so it might be just the one bottle that had something bad in it. Also what temps were the bottles stored at? Did you prime the entire batch or each bottle with sugar or tabs of some kind.? Carbonation can be a mysterious thing.
I would chill another and see what happens.
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It is the only one that foamed like that. The bottles have been stored at room temp so prob a fluctuation range of 66-76. I used fast prime for priming, first time I’ve used it I think. I usually try to mark bottles with a different colored cap if I think something might be off (air in the line, excess debris, etc…) going to give a good long chill to another and see what happens. I saved enough for a gravity check too, but I don’t think it fermented excessively in the bottle.
Gravity check from bottle revealed it increased .5%. Could that be enough to cause it to foam out of the bottle?
If its only 1 bottle coud be over primed or dirty bottle. No problem thank goodness it wasn’t the whole batch.
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I checked in because I’m brewing today. BrewCat IPA. Went smooth. I had to leave it in an ice bath because my wife asked me to take her to lunch. Kept it covered for a couple hrs. Pitched yeat when I got home. No worries. My wife recently retired so my brewing schedule is upended 
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Yes that .5% is plenty as it created excess CO2. Doesn’t surprise me it was bland. A lighter style like that beer that is 6months old isn’t going to age positively, especially if your post ferm O2 uptake wasn’t near zero, which on the Homebrew level is very difficult.
How did it continue to drop gravity? Hard to tell really. Could be a little more priming sugar in that bottle, a ‘bug’ in the bottle, or it wasn’t 100% fermented at bottling. I would T worry about that too much at this point.
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Thanks yall. My og has been .01 below target for my past three brews: the innkeeper, a seltzer, and cashmere blonde ale. I’m brewing inside so I don’t think my boil is as strong as it could be. Though my attenuation on the blonde is 95% according to a brew calculator. Planned on bottling that one tomorrow provided the gravity doesn’t decrease. What exactly does post ferm o2 intake mean or indicate @loopie_beer ?
Introduction of oxygen - oxidized. This often mutes malt and hop flavors and aromas. Worse exposure lends itself to cardboard or ‘wet cardboard’ flavor and aroma. Often times too it can be confused with astringency.
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Ah ok now I understand. Entirely possible. Going to check out the one I stashed in the fridge in a couple of weeks. Thanks
I hope they all aren’t over carbing! Bottle bombs!… since the one bottle didn’t exhibit off flavors, I’d suspect over carbonation.
Sneezles61
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Have been so busy with three girls on three different softball teams that I am waaaaaay behind. So I decided to take this afternoon off and brew my Swig of Sunbeams kit. That’s much more fun than working anyway. 
Rad
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Brewed up a cream ale based on one of my favorites - Spotted Cow- yesterday. It’s for a graduation party at mid to late June so luckily it’s a young drinker. My amber lager for the party on the other hand is getting lagered as we speak. Anyone else get taken advantage of since they brew beer?
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Well the last campfire some friends and family show up and bring some crap beer that they drink after we drink mine. Very frustrating. So I only bring a small amount. No sense wasting the good stuff on people that have no taste buds.
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I have a couple of guys that help me put our dock and lift in and out every year. Found them because they did my neighbors who is long gone now. Come to find out one is a homebrewer, the other works at a local craft beer.
So after the work is done we hang out and drink my homebrew his HB and micro from Willow Rock Brewing and BS about everything.
I asked how many docks they put in and the response was “just yours” They are about 1/4 as many $ as much as my neighbors now so I guess I’m not being taken advantage of.
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