Help With High Alcohol% Brew..?

[dane111]

hey,
after a brief break from brewing im back into it. In the fermenter at the moment ive got a coopers real ale, 1kg brew enhancer 1, 1kg other brew enhancer (cant remember name), 500g light dry malt, hops (boiled & strained) and a quality yeast (also threw in the coopers yeast that came with the real ale can).
Problem...! brew bubbled away flat out for first 3 days or so, has calmed down now, occasional burble through the airlock. just took a sample and the hydrometer reads about 2% alcohol!?? whats the story here? i dont think ive done anything wrong, brews been kept at suitable constant temp. Not sure what the story is, i was expecting at least 8% alcohol by this stage..can someone help?
thanks, dane

 

[hupnupnee]

Hi dane111,


what was the original gravity of your wort? and what is the gravity now?

 

[MHB]

Are you referring to the potential alcohol scale?
If so you still need your initial potential, then subtract the present 2% (i.e. 10% - 2% = 8%); what was the O.G. and what do you think is an appropriate temperature.

You can't use the potential alcohol scale on its own.

MHB

 

[dane111]

i forgot to take the original gravity (idiot!!) the reading now is about 1020. I can really make an estimate as to what the initial gravity was since i havent done this brew before. i kept the brew at 21-24 degrees range.
The brew smells good at least so hopefully it'll taste ok...

 

[hupnupnee]

dane111

Did you add a can of goo in there as well or was it just the ingredients that you listed.

If it was just the ingredients listed then I'm not quiet sure how you thought you were going to get 8%, you might get 4.5% by the end. My calculations put your OG at about 1.046 which would give your alcohol at about 3.5% now. Which is about right, after a few days in the fermenter, give in another few days and measure it again.

Cheers

Tim

 

[dane111]

yep i added a can of coopers real ale..thought i mentioned that in the beginning. its been in the fermenter about 6 days now..i'll leave it another few days as you say and see how i go. I figured with the amount of sugars i added the % should be fairly high, didnt do the maths beforehand so bit of trial and error

 

[Voosher]

Actually it may not be too far from finished.
The kit, 2 brew enhancers and 500g of DME is going to get you an OG in the high 1060's in 23l.
There's quite likely 250g of maltodextrin in each of the brew enhancers which is going to boost the FG quite a way as well.
Perhaps rouse the yeast and see how it's going after a couple more days.

 

[Adamt]

OK,

A hydrometer only measures the Specific Gravity (density) of the liquid. The alcohol percentages on there are a rough guideline to the alcohol content with an ORIGINAL gravity of that value. Actual alcohol content is calculated from the difference between the inital and final readings.

If you made 23L, original gravity should be about 1.063, final around 1.010-1.015. (for 6.3-6.9% alc).

Take samples everyday, if it's below 1.015 and stays there for a couple of days, it's probably ready. If the reading stays around 1.020, maybe give the fermenter a GENTLE swirl (note the GENTLE, no splashing) as the yeast may be sleeping.

-Adam

 

[hupnupnee]

With the goo in there as well, I wouldn;t worry mate, all sounds spot on. I agree with Voosher you are looking at over 6%. Give it a couple more days and test it again. If its gravity has not moved then bobs your uncle.

 

[dane111]

ok cool. yeah i think there was roughly 500g or so of non fermentables in each enhancer. i thought that the yeast doesnt actually ferment these non-carbohydrates? and therefore would not add to the final % alcohol ? I thought it was only the sugars that contributed to the alcohol%..by rouse the yeast do you mean stir the wort? or up the temperature or what? ill leave it go for a few more days to be sure

 

[Voosher]

..by rouse the yeast do you mean stir the wort? or up the temperature or what? ill leave it go for a few more days to be sure

Don't stir the yeast. As Adamt suggested just gently rock the fermenter. If you have a translucent fermenter you will actually see some of the live yeast lift out of the trub and cloud the lower third or so of the fermenter.
You don't want to splash it as that could introduce oxygen into the brew.
A slight temperature increase may not be a bad idea as well. I actually like to increase the temperature a degree or two towards the end of primary fermentation.

 

[dane111]

hey guys, thanks heaps for your help once again. let you know how it goes. hopefully 1 longneck = about half a slab of normal full strength!

 

[Trent]

Hey Dane
Just wondering, if you added a quality yeast to the brew, why did you throw in the kit yeast aswell? I would probably just stick with the one strain (quality yeast, preferably) and then if you DO get a stuck ferment, you have another packet of dried yeast to throw in to see if it can finish the job. As others have said, though, it is probably close to finished. If you are using the "potential alcohol" thingy on your hydrometer, at 1.9% is 1015, so it is spot on where adamt said your FG can be. If it is still the same in a day or 3, I would either rack it to secondary, or just bottle it. If it is still dropping slowly, give it another few days. Patience can work wonders, especially in higher alcohol brews.
All the best
Trent

 

[normell]

hey guys, thanks heaps for your help once again. let you know how it goes. hopefully 1 longneck = about half a slab of normal full strength!

One question Dane the third, WHY, don't you like drinking :blink: 1 bottle & off your tree <_<
Although, one way of making your brews last I suppose.

Normell

 

[hooky]

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWebPa...p;idDetails=172

Try this link, i put my latest brew into the calculator and the estimated results are very close to the readings i'm actually getting.

 

[hooky]

G'day normell.

I think the high alcohol beers are more of a novelty. I'm 24 years old and when i tell my mates that i brew my own, the first thing they ask is "how strong is it" :huh: :huh: :huh:
I love drinking beer and i make it for the taste rather then the %alcohol but for my latest batch, i made a really strong one, just for shits and giggles. So when they ask the question, instead of trying to explain things, i'll give 'em a strong one then i'll give them one i brewed to enjoy and hopefully that can educate them in a more practical kinda way.

Latest batch = 22ltr

coopers real ale can
2kg dextrose
1.5kg LDM
Hallertau tea bag
american ale yeast culture.

put it down on the 6 Oct
OG 1082
SG 1020 and still bubbling(occasionally).
hopefully i can bottle this arvo. :blink:

 

[Stuster]

How long has it been fermenting, hooky? Might be wise to leave it a few days longer after you think it's ready to bottle. Don't want no bombs.

 

[hooky]

Since the 6th of October Stuster(19days), I took a reading on sunday at 1020, if it's still 1020 this arvo then i'll bottle. I use those coopers PET bottles to avoid the bombs. They're handy. Easy to clean, fill, cap and wont decorate your cupboards with shattered glass.

 

[Pumpy]

Put some champagne yeast in that will eat up the remaining sugar


Pumpy

 

[Stuster]

I don't think he needs that does he Pumpy? He's already got 75% attenuation. Sounds like it's probably done.