Have a go at simple AG

[clib]

OG 1.039
FG 1.007
ABV 4.3%
IBU 33.6%
MASH pH 5.5
SRM 4.86

That shouldn't be sweet. Actual ibus can be very different from target ibus.

 

[Covrich]

mash temp yeast used and even whether you put your hops in a bag or loose can affect what you actually get.

cascade single hop ale is lovely i would highly reccommend

 

[Gerryjo]

That shouldn't be sweet. Actual ibus can be very different from target ibus.

Oh I know but there is a sweetness on the front end then bittering with a dry finish but is improving in the keg.

 

[Gerryjo]

mash temp yeast used and even whether you put your hops in a bag or loose can affect what you actually get.

cascade single hop ale is lovely i would highly reccommend

I'm a big fan of cascade and have done so before but this is the first time I've used MO on its own and does have quite a different complexity than pale malt does with a bit more body and sweetness I'm finding.

 

[Justin9]

Just made this as my first attempt at AG, think it went alright, did a sg reading and got 1060 is this about right?

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Just made this as my first attempt at AG, think it went alright, did a sg reading and got 1060 is this about right?

1060 is excellent - but would make pretty strong beer!! You might want to consider adding some (boiled) plain water to get it down to more like 1050...

 

[Justin9]

Thank you!
I've already put it in the fermenter now I reckon I'll leave it and see how things go, I'll not complain at a cheeky 5 percent home brew
Got a lot of sediment in the demijar and lost a bit whilst pouring in.
Figured I need a bigger pot, colander and funnel to avoid waste, but to be honest today was about having a crack at it and trying to learn the basics so even if I end up with just 4 bottles of stong ale I'll be more than happy. I'll have learnt loads.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

cheeky 5 percent home brew

At 1060 it might be more like 6.5%.... It'll give the yeast a good workout

What weight of grain did you use, and what was your final volume into the FV? The high gravity might be because you had quite a vigorous boil.... It will taste FANTASTIC but at that strength it may well take a good few weeks of conditioning before it really tastes proper

 

[Justin9]

I used a kg of maris otter, had around 3 and a half litres, was very messy during the boil hence the need for a bigger pan

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

just thinking that through… ok, I’d normally use 4-5 kg of grain for about 23 litres into the FV; so i guess thats why yours has come out pretty strong

 

[clib]

I used a kg of maris otter, had around 3 and a half litres, was very messy during the boil hence the need for a bigger pan

You can add water now. If I finish under I usually top up, but after a few brews you'll adjust your water quantities and not be too far off each time. Did you finish with 3.5 litres after boiling etc?

 

[Justin9]

Yea about 3.5 in the end, it's bubbling well, would you leave it now or add water anyway to get more yield?

 

[clib]

Yea about 3.5 in the end, it's bubbling well, would you leave it now or add water anyway to get more yield?

It's your shout. You can if you want. Maybe add a litre. You'll lose about a litre probably to sediment when you bottle it. But if you fancy about 5 bottles of strong beer, leave it!

 

[Justin9]

So im going to add a litre of cooled boiled water, what would the percentage go down to do you think?

 

[Gerryjo]

So im going to add a litre of cooled boiled water, what would the percentage go down to do you think?

Have a look here in the calculator section where you can enter your brew details to get an ABV% after dilution.
Dilution And Boiloff Gravity Calculator - Brewer's Friend

 

[Justin9]

Just got home from work, was gonna add water but fermentation pretty much slowed to a stop, is that normal after 3 days? My first attempt I dont want to mess it up

 

[obscure]

Just got home from work, was gonna add water but fermentation pretty much slowed to a stop, is that normal after 3 days? My first attempt I dont want to mess it up

This seems pretty normal to me, generally with Ale yeasts most of the fermentation is in the first 48-72 hours, it may well drop a couple more points over the next week or so but I find it is rare for it to take more than a week to hit final gravity.

 

[clib]

So im going to add a litre of cooled boiled water, what would the percentage go down to do you think?

If you have 3.5 litres that had an OG of 1.060 and you add a litre of water, that means your OG would have been 1.047.

You can still add it. With as little splashing as possible, you don't want to introduce a lot of oxygen now, with fermentation close to completion. A little is ok as the yeast will use it to finish fermentation in the FV and in the bottles for carbonation. Yeast needs oxygen while it's active.

 

[Justin9]

I've carefully added the water, it smells fantastic!!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I would recommend to give it a few more days (maybe a week) after visible signs of fermentation have finished, just to give the yeast a chance to clear up after itself - i.e. to metabolise any precursors to stuff that might taste a bit weird in the finished beer. And well done on your first AG brew - not too hard eh?