13 votes
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Diluting beer after 11 hours of fermentation. What to expect?

You can safely dilute at any stage. Contamination is probably the biggest risk. But just takes basic sanitation practices to avoid. Oxydation: Really only an issue if 50% or more of the alcohol is ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
8 votes

Diluting beer after 11 hours of fermentation. What to expect?

Regarding contamination, if you boil the water you are using to dilute and let it cool in a sanitised pot, then add it you should avoid bacterial or wild yeast contamination. At that OG (1080) don't ...
Mr_road's user avatar
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8 votes
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Can I fix a higher than anticipated OG after primary?

Adding water after primary fermentation is possible and called high gravity brewing. Yeast produce more esters at higher gravity which is a disadvantage for most beer types, but often desired e.g. for ...
Fabian Heller's user avatar
8 votes

Having doubts about my first stout

At what temperature did you eventually mashed? Not sure how it works out with BIAB, but adding grains to a regular mash (even less volume compared to BIAB), the temperature only drops a few °C's. My ...
JesseB1234's user avatar
6 votes
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How important is it to hit a recipe's target OG? What if my OG is too high?

Yes, it will to some extent. Not only will the higher alcohol affect it, but your beer will also be less hoppy and bitter than you intended it to be. Yes, you should always strive to hit your OG, ...
Denny Conn's user avatar
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5 votes
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Adding water just after fermentation has started, wait, or not worth it?

What you're looking to do is called high gravity brewing. This technique is oft employed by macro brewers to produce more beer with less fermenter space. They dilute after fermentation is complete. ...
John's user avatar
  • 608
4 votes
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Is delayed yeast activity normal?

Yes this is a normal behavior, but not one we like in brewing. We like to see good activity in less than 12 hours. Forget the recomended times in your instructions, they are lost in lag now. Let ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
4 votes
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What's going on with these gravities?

Your mash temp favors beta-amylase which makes a more fermentable wort. While beta-amylase denatures beginning at 149°F / 65°C it takes a little time. It's possible your thermometers are slightly ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
3 votes
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ABV from one SG?

As Evil Zymurgist said, you can estimate OG and ABV based on uncorrected refractometer reading and final gravity, more precisely : The formula is the following : Complete explanation can be found in :...
JeanMi's user avatar
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3 votes

Diluting beer after 11 hours of fermentation. What to expect?

At what gravity did it started and what was it when the water was added? If the fermentation only just started and still has a long way to go, oxidation would most likely not be a problem. Also the ...
JesseB1234's user avatar
3 votes

How to get higher gravity

Undermodified 6-row barley by itself doesn't have enough enzymes to give you complete conversion of starches to sugars, so you end up with low gravity. Add some highly modified malt (i.e. one with ...
GigaFemto's user avatar
  • 344
3 votes

Specific Gravities for Kombucha

My recipe 1 cup sugar (5.7 oz) 6 liters water (1.58 gal) 1/4 cup loose black tea I've never measured the OG or the FG, but the recipe calculates to OG 1.014. The reason why I've never measured the ...
Dale's user avatar
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3 votes
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Specific Gravities for Kombucha

Suggested OGs are around 1020-1030 from a number of forums, but people are making big 1090 OGs. Regarding FG I recall they end quiet dry as there is often only simple sugars and very little tri-...
Mr_road's user avatar
  • 7,018
3 votes

Is this final gravity too high?

Really can't say how the lactos is effecting the gravity with out the whole recipe. It's very likely it can finish out the remaining points with some time and warmth. Bring it up to 70°F and give it ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
3 votes

My OG is too low

Sounds like you didn't get much saccarification (sugars coverted from starch) in the mash. Causes. 1: poor crush on the grain 2: low diastatic power 3: high water grist ratio 4: mash not long ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
3 votes
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Really fast attenuation with starter. Is this to be expected

Yes it's totally possible. But I would expect a lower OG than you estimate. 1.071 is possible to drop out that quick but not very likely. Take a hydrometer AND refractometer reading on the finished ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
3 votes

Fermentation time for APA with 1.080 OG

The 17 days of fermentation is more than enough to finish fermentation, your 1.015 is a good FG. After fermentation (about 7 days more or less), the yeast will flocculate to the bottom. You already ...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
2 votes
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Question regarding which volume to use for OG calculation

OG = Original Gravity SG = Specific Gravity FG = Final / Terminal Gravity OG is usually just in reference to a pre fermentation starting gravity, but can be labled OG for any formula that uses a ...
Evil Zymurgist's user avatar
2 votes

Pilsner extract kit: why is the original gravity low?

To fix the low gravity I followed Jeff's suggestion and added dry Dextrose/Malt mix. Here's the details in case someone else wants to try this procedure for the first time. I did some calculations in ...
Jarrod Smith's user avatar
2 votes
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Pilsner extract kit: why is the original gravity low?

You say your boil was weak, and you didn't stir much. Extracts are hard to dissolve properly. Even vigorous boil without stirring may fail to do it. And 10-20 minutes of vigorous stir before wort ...
Mołot's user avatar
  • 3,718
2 votes

Pilsner extract kit: why is the original gravity low?

If you have some dry malt extract (or liquid), you can get the gravity to where you want it now. It's not too late to add the DME, even though it's already in the fermenter. About 1 pound of DME ...
Jeff Roe's user avatar
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2 votes
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What is the definition of post boil gravity and how is it different to OG?

I'd have to look at my beersmith to try and figure it out exactly. I can say this, beersmith makes simple stuff too complicated. Postboil gravity and OG are the thing in real world terms. Unless, ...
brewchez's user avatar
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2 votes
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Supplementing with ethanol? Is that a thing

First, a protein rest is based on the type of malt you use and how it was malted. It is almost never necessary for any type of malt or beer. It certainly isn't necessary for the type of malt you ...
Denny Conn's user avatar
  • 33.4k
2 votes

Mr Beer sells Brew Max

Coopers sell a beer enhancer that is composed of a mix of glucose and light dried malt extract. It adds body (via non fermentables in the extract) and increases alcoholic strength via the sugar and ...
barking.pete's user avatar
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2 votes

Can I fix a higher than anticipated OG after primary?

The answer above is partially incomplete and partially incorrect. Yeast do not necessarily produce more esters at higher OG, although it is possible. Using the proper amount of healthy yeast, that ...
Denny Conn's user avatar
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2 votes
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How to calculate amount of water to add to lower OG to target

Yeah, so the formula for this is C1V1 = C2V2 i.e. concentration of liquid 1 multiplied by the volume of liquid 1 is the same as the concentration of liquid 2 multiplied by the volume of liquid 2. ...
Frazbro 's user avatar
2 votes

How to measure starting gravity without a hydrometer

You will need some other tool to measure the gravity, like a Refractometer. If you do not use any measuring tool, you can get an estimate based on the ingredients, but it will never be precise (...
Philippe's user avatar
  • 4,806
2 votes
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How to measure starting gravity without a hydrometer

The most accurate calculation I have found is the one from the following link, which requires measuring both Brix with a refractometer, and FG with a hydrometer. Using those inputs, this calc will ...
dmtaylor's user avatar
  • 3,417
2 votes

How to measure starting gravity without a hydrometer

You can calculate and estimate and be pretty close. But you have to measure it to know what it really is. Its dependent on volume and dissolved sugar. Calculations are pretty close if you are ...
brewchez's user avatar
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2 votes
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Original Gravity too high for Saccharometer Scale

The only drawback would be the larger sample size required and that you need very accurate (i.e lab grade) mass and volumetric measurement. Your proposed method is sound, though. A hydrometer ...
Frank van Wensveen's user avatar

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