First AG beer didn't go well 🤦‍♂️

[Red Raven Brewery]

Hey all,

So I finally got to try my first AG brew and it didn't go so well.
Firstly I screwed up the water when brewing so ended up with a lot less and came away with around 7.5% of alcohol when it was meant to be closer to 5.5% it's very very dry. Almost like a wine

I put it in some mini kegs and then used a party star deluxe to get it out and it has only a slight bit of sparkle to it, barley anything at all which doesn't help. I think I didn't get enough active yeast across to actually get any more Co2 in the keg.

I'm not deterred from brewing though and I'm sure if I don't make some of the same mistakes again then I might do ok next time

 

[Buffers brewery]

Did you prime with sugar solution when you kegged?

 

[RichardM]

You could have "liquored back", i.e. added water at the end of the boil to get to your anticipated S.G. and volume. There is a calculator on brewer's friend.
Have you got your next brew on yet? The more you practice the better your beer will be.

 

[An Ankoù]

Hey all,

So I finally got to try my first AG brew and it didn't go so well.
Firstly I screwed up the water when brewing so ended up with a lot less and came away with around 7.5% of alcohol when it was meant to be closer to 5.5% it's very very dry. Almost like a wine

I put it in some mini kegs and then used a party star deluxe to get it out and it has only a slight bit of sparkle to it, barley anything at all which doesn't help. I think I didn't get enough active yeast across to actually get any more Co2 in the keg.

I'm not deterred from brewing though and I'm sure if I don't make some of the same mistakes again then I might do ok next time ☺

Sorry to hear you're having a bit of trouble with your first brew. I recall having difficulties with mine, too, decades ago. The main thing is to get used to your equipment and how it all works.
As Richard, above, said, you could have diluted your overstrength beer down to the correct strength--that's the way Guinness do it, by the way, but I'm interested to know how long you've let your beer carbonate in the mimi kegs. I'd reckon on at least 4 weeks and maybe more, but as you're using a gas injection system, why not simply chill the beer and use another bulb of gas. If you don't give the gas time to dissolve on the beer then it will pour flat.

 

[Red Raven Brewery]

Did you prime with sugar solution when you kegged?

I did yeah. I used a calculator online somewhere.

You could have "liquored back", i.e. added water at the end of the boil to get to your anticipated S.G. and volume. There is a calculator on brewer's friend.
Have you got your next brew on yet? The more you practice the better your beer will be.

I don't know why but that just didn't even occur to me
I've just ordered some new ingredients and have tweaked the recipe also.

Sorry to hear you're having a bit of trouble with your first brew. I recall having difficulties with mine, too, decades ago. The main thing is to get used to your equipment and how it all works.
As Richard, above, said, you could have diluted your overstrength beer down to the correct strength--that's the way Guinness do it, by the way, but I'm interested to know how long you've let your beer carbonate in the mimi kegs. I'd reckon on at least 4 weeks and maybe more, but as you're using a gas injection system, why not simply chill the beer and use another bulb of gas. If you don't give the gas time to dissolve on the beer then it will pour flat.

I've actually only given it two weeks
So I could just leave the party star in and say turn up the Co2? I just assumed it only put Co2 in to replace the liquid as it left so it wouldn't be possible to "force carb" the beer.
It's still on the fridge actually so if that's possible I could still try that I suppose

 

[RoomWithABrew]

You say it's very dry, what was the final gravity? What yeast did you use and what temperature did you mash at?
I'm not sure how the party star works, but cool beer absorbs more CO2 so more CO2 in will increase the carbonation. That's a little difficult to control with all or nothing injection systems ( and more expensive per unit on CO2).

 

[Red Raven Brewery]

You say it's very dry, what was the final gravity? What yeast did you use and what temperature did you mash at?

The final gravity was 1.011 and I used saflager s-23 yeast.