ABV Issue. Can anyone Help?

[Derek]

I’ve tried to brew a one gallon of an IPA I like by guessing the recipe from the ingredients using Beersmith 3.

Once I’d finished the boil, my ABV was 1.000. Basically water. I stuck it in the fridge to cold crash, and in the morning it’s risen to 1.020.

Is this normal? Is it gubbed or worth trying to salvage?

I’m not sure where I went wrong, but I think my temps may have been badly off.

I’ve only been doing this a few months, but this is my 6th brew. The rest have been 4/5 gallon batches and have turned out ok.

I appreciate any help anyone could offer here.

 

[William Smith]

I'm assuming you didn't adjust your hydrometer reading for your hydrometer (which i presume is calibrated for 20 degrees).
But 1.020 is still a very low starting gravity once its chilled, you won't get over 2,5%.

 

[Linalmeemow]

What was the malt bill, and what temperature did you mash at?

 

[Derek]

What was the malt bill, and what temperature did you mash at?

What do you mean by malt bill? I’m a newbie and don’t get the lingo.
I attempted to mash at 65. I’m unsure if I kept it there though. Was a one gallon batch, so not a lot of water. Thermometer went up to 80 if it touched the base of the pan, and lowered if I raised it higher in the water.

 

[Derek]

I'm assuming you didn't adjust your hydrometer reading for your hydrometer (which i presume is calibrated for 20 degrees).
But 1.020 is still a very low starting gravity once its chilled, you won't get over 2,5%.

My hydrometer is one of those glass ones. I don’t think I can calibrate it.
Was at 1.000 when it was hot and went to 1.020 once i cold crashed it to about 2 degrees.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

What do you mean by malt bill? I’m a newbie and don’t get the lingo.

Have a look at this - https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/forum-abbreviations-and-glossary.80863/

 

[Chippy_Tea]

My hydrometer is one of those glass ones. I don’t think I can calibrate it.

Try your hydrometer using the method below and if it doesn't read .1000 at 20c make a note of how far its out then make allowances next time you use it.

A single-point calibration. If your hydrometer is properly calibrated, it should read 1.000 when floating in pure water at 20 °C.

https://byo.com/article/calibrate-your-hydrometer-and-fermenter-techniques/

 

[Linalmeemow]

What do you mean by malt bill? I’m a newbie and don’t get the lingo.
I attempted to mash at 65. I’m unsure if I kept it there though. Was a one gallon batch, so not a lot of water. Thermometer went up to 80 if it touched the base of the pan, and lowered if I raised it higher in the water.

What did you put in the mash, basically - what malts did you use, and how much of each different malt.

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi Derek,
Welcome to the forum. Could you tell us what your recipe was: how much malt you used, was it crushed or whole, were there different types of malt? Then, how long did you hold the mash as 65-80 degrees centigrade, and then, when you drained the liquid off the malt, did you rinse the malt to get the rest of the sugar out or did you just let it drain like a "brew in a bag" method? How long did you boil it for?
It's unlikely it's gubbed! Certainly your hydrometer wouldn't tell you that, anyway. If you haven't put the yeast in yet do it asap.

 

[Derek]

Have a look at this - https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/forum-abbreviations-and-glossary.80863/

Ok, thanks.
Malt bill was
500g pale malt
300g wheat malt
200g carared
100g flaked oats
5g citra at 60 minutes
5g lactose at 15 minutes
5g cascade at 5 minutes

 

[An Ankoù]

... just a thought.
You said your ABV was 1000 then 1020.
Is your hydrometer one of those that has a scale for potential alcohol on it? If so, ignore that scale and read from the specific gravity scale.
Probably barking up the wrong tree, but it's worth a shot.

 

[Derek]

Hi Derek,
Welcome to the forum. Could you tell us what your recipe was: how much malt you used, was it crushed or whole, were there different types of malt? Then, how long did you hold the mash as 65-80 degrees centigrade, and then, when you drained the liquid off the malt, did you rinse the malt to get the rest of the sugar out or did you just let it drain like a "brew in a bag" method? How long did you boil it for?
It's unlikely it's gubbed! Certainly your hydrometer wouldn't tell you that, anyway. If you haven't put the yeast in yet do it asap.

Hi,
500g pale malt
300g whets malt
200g cara red
100g flakes oats
Mashed for an hour in 3.03 qt of water
Tried to keep it at 65, but not sure how well I did that. I found that if my thermometer touched the bottom of the pot it went to 80+, but the higher I raised it in the water, the cooler it got. Normal I guess, but I’ve only done 4/5 gallon brews so far, so more water volume.
I think the boil finished at 65, but not entirely sure.
Forgot to use a brew bag, so had to spoon the grains into one for sparging. I’d read online other do it that way.
Sparged at 76 for 15 minutes.
Added 5g citra at 60 minutes.
5g lactose at 15 minutes.
5g cascade at 5 minutes.
Not sure what temps I did this at though. Could be the problem?
Poured into a 1 gallon demijohn. Abv said 1.000. Basically water. Cold crashed it to 2c over night and now abv is 1.020.
Did it think that could happen.
I sterilised everything before using it.

 

[Derek]

... just a thought.
You said your ABV was 1000 then 1020.
Is your hydrometer one of those that has a scale for potential alcohol on it? If so, ignore that scale and read from the specific gravity scale.
Probably barking up the wrong tree, but it's worth a shot.

Worth a shout. I just checked and it does have both, but the potential is smaller numbering so I use the larger ones.

 

[Linalmeemow]

I'd hazard a guess that your mash temperature was too high, and that the conversion of starch to fermentable sugars hasn't worked as a result.

 

[The Baron]

check your hydrometer in water at room temp about 20c approx and see if it reads at 1000 it should or be very close

 

[Brew_DD2]

I'd hazard a guess that your mash temperature was too high, and that the conversion of starch to fermentable sugars hasn't worked as a result.

That's my thoughts too. Possibly denatured the enzymes and halted the conversion. Have you got your process worked out? There are loads of great books out there that will give you loads of advice on the brewday.

 

[An Ankoù]

That should give you an Original Gravity between 1050 and 1055 in a gallon, depending on the efficiency of your sparge (rinsing the grains before boiling). If you've made bigger batches before and you've been satisfied with the result, then you've most likely done it right this time, too. BUT, you must read your hydrometer near it's calibration temperature. You can correct it as follows: let your wort (beer) cool down to pitching temperature (the temperature when you through the yeast in). If your hydrometer' calibrated at 20C and your sample is 28C (for example), go to Brewers Friend, tools, hydrometer temperature, and type the numbers in to get an accurate reading.
I'd say, at a guess, your readings were wrong and your beer's ok. It hasn't already been fermenting for a week or so, has it?

 

[An Ankoù]

That's my thoughts too. Possibly denatured the enzymes and halted the conversion. Have you got your process worked out? There are loads of great books out there that will give you loads of advice on the brewday.

Even so, the extract would still show on the hydrometer, wouldn't it, provided the (unfermentable) polysaccharides were soluble?

 

[Derek]

Tried

Try your hydrometer using the method below and if it doesn't read .1000 at 20c make a note of how far its out then make allowances next time you use it.

A single-point calibration. If your hydrometer is properly calibrated, it should read 1.000 when floating in pure water at 20 °C.


View attachment 18921

https://byo.com/article/calibrate-your-hydrometer-and-fermenter-techniques/

this. Hydrometer was at 98 in a water that was at 20

 

[Derek]

I assumed

Even so, the extract would still show on the hydrometer, wouldn't it, provided the (unfermentable) polysaccharides were soluble?

it was screwed when the hydrometer said it was just water. The reason for my question is that it went to 1.020 overnight. Didn’t think that could happen.
I think I fairly understand the process that I’m trying to follow. I don’t think I made any major mistake last night, with the exception of maybe temps.