Brewing Master

Question:

Ok, I am in shock because of what my hydrometer just told me.  I brewed a stout tonight, Dave Miller’s partial mash Dry Stout: 2.5# English 2-row 3# LDME 14 oz. of Roasted Barley 1# Flaked Barley

Sounds to me like you need more sugars. I heard from a friend that Dave Miller always understates the amount of grain needed in a recipe because he, apparently, can get much higher yields than the average bear. Hang on… Just found the recipe you’re using on page 230 in his book, "The Complete Handbook of Home Brewing", and I notice that you’re doing the partial mash by substituting 3 lbs of pale malt extract for 3 pounds pale malt, per his recommendation. Hmmm, I have never been able to get the same gravities from 1 lb of malt as from 1 lb of malt extract. In fact, it takes me about 1 1/2 lbs of malt to get the same gravity as from 1 lb of malt extract. So, this might account for part of the problem, but it doesn’t account for everything. I also noticed that his recipe calls for 2 HOURS of starch conversion. Didn’t you allow for just 1 hour? Also notice his mash temperature: 141F – 150F. Otherwise, try measuring it again. It can’t hurt. I don’t think I’d finish the beer if the OG was 1.024. Perhaps you could add 1 1/2 lbs of corn sugar or something to get the gravity up. Hasta, Craig Haynie (Houston)

Response:

Ok, I am in shock because of what my hydrometer just told me.  I brewed a stout tonight, Dave Miller’s partial mash Dry Stout: 2.5# English 2-row 3# LDME 14 oz. of Roasted Barley 1# Flaked Barley This was about my 5th partial mash, all of which have come out great!!  I can’t imagine what it is that I have really screwed up.  That OG would just about be the equivelent of the DME in 5 gals. Mashin at 122.  Protein rest at 121 all the way through.  I wrap a blanket around my mash pot and put it in my oven during the protein rest and mash.  This always works awesome.  The temps really don’t change at all.  Anyway,  Mashed at 148-150 for an hour.  I have a mental aversion to the mash out and for soem reason forgot to do it. Sparging is so much fun:(  From what I understand though it isn’t critical.  I lauter in my makeshift tun- two tupperware like($1.50 apiece) bunt cake presserver covers.  For partial mashes it is perfect. Sparging went as usual.  Wound up using about 3 gals to sparge.  The runnings at the end were fairly translucent.  I can’t imagine that I left 20pts worth in the grain though.  I am at a loss for words.   Any hints, things to watch out.  This is my 11th or so batch and have had awesome results up until now.   Doug PS. I did stir my top off water with the wort before taking a reading.

Response:

Ok, I am in shock because of what my hydrometer just told me.  I brewed a stout tonight, Dave Miller’s partial mash Dry Stout: 2.5# English 2-row 3# LDME 14 oz. of Roasted Barley 1# Flaked Barley

Doug, I’d bet my latest batch (and it’s a good one that you got a bad reading. I’m not sure whether you mean wet or dry extract by "LDME," but that alone (assuming 30-35 pts/lb/gal for wet extract and 40-45 for dry) automatically gives you a starting gravity of 1.018 to 1.027. Which would suggest that you got next to nothing from 2-1/2 lbs of 2-row and a pound each of flaked and roasted barley. Which is highly unlikely, unless your mash thermometer is off by about 20 degrees F. I always measure OG after pitching the yeast and doing the carboy shuffle — nature doesn’t need another excuse to make a fool out of me. ——

Response: