First Biab Low Og

[ben_harvey]

Hi guys,

I tried out my first AG brew uing the $30 thread (http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=38674), however the OG was quite low - only 1.027.

I had all the temps right (67 -> ~63 after 1 hr) and the water quantity ok, I rinsed out the bag with plenty of hot water afterwards and ended up with the correct amount in the fermenter.

Is there anything I may have missed? Should I perhaps stir it a little while its sitting in the bag? Could I leave it on low heat instead of using towels to keep it a temperature (which would introduce convection currents to mix the water around)?

The beer tastes fine (I measured the OG in the fermenter so too late to do anything about it), its just that it's only ~2.7% and a little watery.

Thanks,

Ben

 

[Nick JD]

I'm thinking your thermometer might be inaccurate. If your grain was bady crushed, I think you'd still do better than that.

Your thermomenter showing 67, when it's actully 59 would give these sort of efficiencies.

Hard to say though without more info.

 

[Pennywise]

I don't BIAB so can't offer specific suggestions, but ATM I'm thinking maybe you had some dough balls in there that didn't get mashed properly, did you stir the crap out of it when you dumped the bag in? Is this something BIABers even need to do?

 

[Nick JD]

Is this something BIABers even need to do?

The bag is put in the kettle, and then the grain added. It does tend to ball up badly and needs a damn good paddlin'. I have noticed (back when I used to open it up and give it a few stirs) that after about maybe 10 minutes, even quite big lumps have broken up by themselves.

But since at mash temps above 65C, most of the conversion happens in the first 20 minutes, so you don't want to have slow-breaking balls in there. I'm not sure that would cause a 1.027 OG though.

Batman - what's your thermometer read in boiling water, and in ice water? And what was the recipe?

 

[ben_harvey]

I didn't check the thermometer accuracy. It's the first time I had used it so it could be out.
The recipe was the same as in the all grain for thirty bucks thread (link in my first post).

From the comments it sounds like I need to check my thermometer and break up the lumps a bit more.

Cheers for the help.
Ben

 

[megs80]

If your worts a little warm when you take your og that can account for a couple of points of gravity. What was your target gravity? 15 or so points due to doe balls sounds alot.

Cheers

 

[Nick JD]

From the comments it sounds like I need to check my thermometer and break up the lumps a bit more.

What was your final fermenter volume, Ben?

 

[Mikedub]

From the comments it sounds like I need to check my thermometer and break up the lumps a bit more.

next time you are at the doctor tell him your stick isnt working properly and you've got lumpy balls which is making your p1ss at bit watery, see what he thinks

 

[ben_harvey]

Ha ha very funny...

Final volume was 9L (half batch). I followed the thread linked to in the first post as close as I could.

It hasn't put me off AG though...

Next time I'll drop the hydrometer in the 60-odd degree wort before boiling and convert back to a 20 C reading as a check.

Is leaving the grain in a little longer going to hurt anything? Extract tanins or something like that? (assuming water is still round 65-70 Celcius)

 

[argon]

Next time I'll drop the hydrometer in the 60-odd degree wort before boiling and convert back to a 20 C reading as a check.

Nope don't do that... I know Nick sometimes does this... but he has mad Ninja skillz. Better off taking a sample and letting it cool down. or get one of these

 

[keifer33]

Get a refractometer. I wouldnt say best $s ever but well worth it for ease of use and no stuffing around with glass and a trillion little metal balls.

 

[Nick JD]

Nope don't do that... I know Nick sometimes does this... but he has mad Ninja skillz. Better off taking a sample and letting it cool down. or get one of these

I know I'm bad to encourage putting your hydrometer in hot liquor, but I've been doing it for a years now (with a cheapie BigW made in Taiwan) and it's not filled my kettle with lead shot and glass shards once. I'll freakin' spew when it does, but.

If you are going to try this (REVERSE DISCLAIMER: go on, you know you want to) then it's not my fault, but first run the hydro under hot tap water and I never bung it in liquor over 70C. Only ever take kettle SGs just before cranking the stove, not after.

But yeah - take a sample and cool it. Measure that. YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WARNED.

 

[ben_harvey]

Ok point taken about putting the hydro in the wort.

Looks like the refractometer is the way to go then. Are they easy to use?

Ross will be happy...

 

[WildWill]

I have a similar problem - I'm making the recipe with only 2kg Aussie malt and POR. I know simple but wanted to try the process the first and produce at least something recognisable (apparently should taste like generic beer). I have an OG of 1.035. Should I add sugar (don't have any malt around) before fermenting or just ferment out as is? Thermometer looks to be 2-4 degrees out at 100C and hydrometer was accurate in water at 20C (according to the slightly inaccurate thermometer). I think maybe I didn't crush or split my grain enough. Thanks.

 

[mxd]

I have a similar problem - I'm making the recipe with only 2kg Aussie malt and POR. I know simple but wanted to try the process the first and produce at least something recognisable (apparently should taste like generic beer). I have an OG of 1.035. Should I add sugar (don't have any malt around) before fermenting or just ferment out as is? Thermometer looks to be 2-4 degrees out at 100C and hydrometer was accurate in water at 20C (according to the slightly inaccurate thermometer). I think maybe I didn't crush or split my grain enough. Thanks.

ferment it out, taste it and see what you think, how much volume did you make, with only 2kg of grain it should have only been around 8 ltrs post boil ?

It may be a little bitter, what was the recipe ?

 

[WildWill]

ferment it out, taste it and see what you think, how much volume did you make, with only 2kg of grain it should have only been around 8 ltrs post boil ? Started with 10L haven't got to the fermenter yet so not sure of final volume.

It may be a little bitter, what was the recipe ? From the AG for $30 list - not the original one but further into posts as an alternate so 2kg plus 12g POR and fermented with Safale US-05. Since found out the CB will mill whatever you want as long as the weight is at least 500gm. Will definitely get them to mill the original recipe next time - almost as easy as K&K then.

Thanks.