Cream Ale OG is low

JohnSant · Post by **JohnSant** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 2:20 pm

Was so happy today remembered our anniversary (42 yrs.) and set up to do a Cream Ale this A. M.. All went fine until I took my OG 1.034 to low IAW instructions and Brew Mate should have been 1.051 - 1.049.

Ingredients

4.0 lbs. of light LME Half at beginning of boil and at 5 min.
2.0 lbs. of 6-row Brewers Malt Steep for 30 min @150 deg. F
2.0 lbs. of Flaked Maze steep for 30 min @150 deg. F
.5 oz. of cluster hops at 45 min for bittering
1.0 oz. of cluster at 10 min for flavor ( finishing)

Wort boil for 60 min.

Can't figure it out the only thing I can think of is I got my ingredients about 3 weeks ago and the grain was in paper bag all that time, not sure if that's it but its the only thing I can come up with anyone with any ideas would be helpful.

Post by **Beer-lord** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 2:43 pm

Congrats on the anniversary John.....me and the Mrs. hit 30 on Monday. Time sure flies.
How many gallons was this for? 3 weeks is somewhat long for crushed grains to sit but I doubt it was the problem. Maybe the water was off more than you think?????

JohnSant · Post by **JohnSant** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:15 pm

Hey Beer-Lord yes time sure flies when you are having fun. The ingredients were for 5 gal. I divided into 2 LBKs. It has been in the tanks for 7 hours now, just gave look see and I have a floating mass on top of the wort looks as if my sugar has came out of suspension? Not sure what to make of it but will let it go to see if it ferments. Really Can't figure out why the OG was so low but hay i'll give it a try. Never used flaked corn so is this something that should happen?

jimjohson · Post by **jimjohson** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:35 pm

I built the recipe on BeerSmith and the projected OG is 1.033 using 5 gal as the batch size however by making the light LME 6 lbs instead of 4 I get a projected OG of 1.047 (just out of curiosity, what yeast are you using?)

BTW congrats on the anniversary

JohnSant · Post by **JohnSant** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 9:31 pm

Thanks JJ I used Wyeast 1056 in one LBK and Safale US-05 in the other LBK. Can't say anything about BeerSmith but Brewmate Shows an OG of 1.051 but I'm still learning. Don't know for sure but thinking I should have steep the grains for 60 min. or done a longer boil, just not sure right now. I'm looking through all the sights I can find to give me some idea whats going on. I do think my proteins have come out of solution and I now have a floating mass at the to of both LBK's.

Dawg LB Steve · Post by **Dawg LB Steve** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 7:59 am

Congrats, I'm thinking that the 6 row may be what has you low. From what I remember reading about grains is that 6 row is more difficult to convert in a mash, so quite possibly didn't get any conversion from a steep. Does BrewMate default to mash when you enter grain? I do know that steeping does not give full attributes of grains that mashing does. If you want to bring up the OG boil up some DME or LME, I have added it a day and a half after on my first AG when I missed by a bunch on the OG.

dbrowning · Post by **dbrowning** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 8:12 am

your OG is spot on for the LME only
You got nothing from steeping the grains
More than likely you calculated 1.051 at 60% efficiency on the mash

JohnSant · Post by **JohnSant** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 8:20 am

Ok guys, so steeping did no good, maybe longer and higher temp next time, oh well live and learn. Man I like this hobby. Thanks to all for your help.

jimjohson · Post by **jimjohson** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 8:22 am

You got to mash 6 row, not steep, to get fermentables.

edit;
I have found your going to need 10 more lbs of 6 row(mashed) to get an OG of .043. I would suggest you do that 2 lb as a partial mash and use 6 lbs of LME. IMO I'd also add 8oz carapils for mouth feel and head retention.

JohnSant · Post by **JohnSant** » Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:20 pm

Well quick update; Took a perv of the fermenter this A.M. the LBK's are now cloudy which last night they were clear, the floating mass is now almost gone and I have a nice layer of bubbly yeasty wonders on the surface of the wort. The smell is that of beer and no off notes to speak of. I'm thinking if I got nothing from the 6-row then all the mass at top of the tank was from the flake corn and once the little yeasty beasts got to it that it started to go back into the solution which explains the wort now being cloudy. It looks as if I will make a cream ale now, may not be with the ABV as expected but if it tastes good who cares.

Thanks JJ if this has anything like I hope it would I'll jot your recommendations down for the next time I brew this.

Cream Ale OG is low

Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low

Re: Cream Ale OG is low