I can't believe I did this

[JohnSant]

Like the cat who swallowed the canary I had a big smile on my face going over my notes of my last brew while waiting for the next 2 weeks of lagering to go by before bottling. Then I saw it "oh no" I didn't do that did I! I checked YES I did! Let me say now that I try and jot down everything that I might run into during a brew from all the borg members. When I got ready to do my first steeping of grains I went over my notes, and I do remember reading many times about making sure that when you do a 5 gal. batch and split it to make sure you fill to above the QUART to get 2 1/2 gals in the LBK. I remember seeing Rick-Beer make that remark many times. I got all my LBKs and using my 2 cup measuring cup marked all my LBKs at that level. I felt so good following in the steps of those that have gone before me. However I didn't follow those directions. I filled to the 8.5 mark on the LBK.

Now for the question; What can I expect from not using the proper water volume? This is a Vienna Lager with fermentation at 54 deg for 3 weeks and lagering at 35 deg for the last week.

[mashani]

Worst case you made something more like Maibock. Which is good stuff.

So relax

[JohnSant]

Thanks mashani; just didn't know whay to expect, but i'll see when its done.

[John Sand]

You can still boil, cool and add the rest of the water. Brewers will often say "leave it", and that's not wrong. But we also add many things to beer that has fermented: fruit, hops, sugar, spices, wood. So why not water or malt if needed? I have done it, it works. Just be careful with your sanitation.

[RickBeer]

It's a freakin' disaster. Your ONLY hope of salvation is to mail all of it, once you bottle it, to a certified beer tested for analysis. It so happens that I am a certified tester.

Mail your beer to:

Rickbeer
123 I Will Drink Your Beer Lane
Ann Arbor, MI 48105

I will conduct a THOROUGH analysis and issue you a 5 page certified report with my results.

Please include a postage paid label for me to return your empty bottles...

Mashani is much more knowledgeable about beer types than I. Unscientifically, you brewed a beer that will be stronger than intended because the total volume is 15% less than planned. ABV goes up, maltiness goes up, cost per glass of beer goes up

I know that neither Mashani or I have EVER made a mistake in brewing. Not once...

The good news is that you will have a very drinkable beer, versus if you have put a cat in it or dirty feet or something.

One thing I do when brewing my 5 gallon batches. I have a water jug (from bottled water) marked with quarts and 1 gallon. I pour in 1 gallon to each of the fermenters, then I portion out the wort in equal amounts with a one quart measuring cup. I check to make sure that when I am done, both fermenters have equal amounts of liquid in them. Then, I fill the gallon bottle and pour until one of the fermenters is at the 2.5 gallon mark. I know that if I added one gallon and then add one-half of ~2 - 2.25 gallons of wort (2.5 gallons of water in pot, plus ~ 7 pounds of LME minus whatever the grains soak up plus whatever boils off) means that I should have AROUND 2.25 gallons in the LBK before topping off. So, my one gallon marked container should end up somewhere around 1/2 full when the LBK is full to the right level.

Also, if you test OG, you would have come in too high and that MIGHT have been a flag to you.

RDWHAHB.

Brew on!

[JohnSant]

Thanks Rick some good advice I'm going to jot it down for stickie on my next batch. Oh why post paid labels? why not keep the bottles if you get the beer?

[RickBeer]

Thanks Rick some good advice I'm going to jot it down for stickie on my next batch. Oh why post paid labels? why not keep the bottles if you get the beer?

I wanted to be generous and let you have them back, I have plenty...

If you ship them by UPS, I will get an automatic notification (of all incoming pages), so you don't need to provide me with a tracking number.