tried an extract APA based loosely on Tasty's APA

[jimlin]

1 can (3.3 lb) of Light LME, 2 lb of Pilsen DME, .5 lb of wheat DME, 1 lb of ExtraLight DME, plus steeped .5lb of Crystal 40 and .25 carapils.

Brought a gallon of water to 165° and added the steeping grains, placed covered pot in the oven to hold the heat, for 30 minutes.
While that was steeping, I started heating up the 5.5 gal of water in my brew pot out on the burner. After 30, I added the gallon from steeping and continues to bring the whole 6.5 g toward a boil, gradually mixing in all the DME. Once the boil started, I started the hop additions (60, 20, 10, 1, and flameout). Put in the immersion cooler about 10 minutes (it had been sitting in the fermenting bucket in star san), started up after the flameout hop addition. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, do I realize that the can of LME is still in the kitchen, sitting in hot water. I had sanitized the can opener already, so I opened it up and dumped it in, mixing as it cooled.

Finally got it into the bucket and took a reading... what should have been around 1.055 was more like 1.045. not sure if the low reading is simply due to the LME being added so late and not properly mixed in. Pretty bummed out. First attempt with so many different hops/additions and I got caught up in that and blanked out on the LME (which I planned on adding late, but more like around 15 minutes to go, not after the chiller had started!

Just pitcthed the Wyeast 1056 and now it's wait and see. Supposed to have dry hops added (I would do after the heaviest activity over the first several days)

[kswbeer]

It sounds like either your starting water volume was too high for your batch size, or your evaporation rate was less than expected.

Let us know how it tastes. If you like the beer, do it the same way next time.

[jimlin]

It sounds like either your starting water volume was too high for your batch size, or your evaporation rate was less than expected.

Let us know how it tastes. If you like the beer, do it the same way next time.

Don't THINK it was too much water... I used BeerAlchemy, set it up as an extract/steeping process, 60 minute boil; 6.5 gal start of boil volume, estimated one gal loss based on last brew using the new pot, which is a fairly wide 9 gal pot, 5.5 g end of boil, 5.25 transfer to bucket. Used the amount of fermentables that I used in the software which estimated a 1.055 OG.

really wondering if the LME just didn't mix well enough. Any sense in taking another gravity reading tonight or tomorrow? Hopefully the airlock will be bubbling away today while I'm at work

[alan_marks]

Perhaps you had some stratification when you took your reading? Did you take your reading after the boil? Was it after the chiller?

Alan

[jimlin]

Perhaps you had some stratification when you took your reading? Did you take your reading after the boil? Was it after the chiller?

Alan

I took it after transferring to the fermenting bucket. So it was chilled down. Thing was, I added the LME after I had started the chiller. I am hoping the LME addition at the late stage lead to some kind of layering in the wort, but not sure. And if the LME did drop to the bottom of the bucket, will the yeast still work on it, and will it end up being "even" throughout the batch?

[jimlin]

I can say at least the airlock was bubbling away last night and this morning... just no idea of what the overall effect of adding the LME "post-boil" will be

[Cody]

I had this happen to me with DME once. I felt like a total . Turned out great. And as long as it is in the bucket, the yeast will eat it just fine. Similar to adding fruit or something later on; there's no opportunity (or need) to get it perfectly mixed. As far as the beer goes, that will end up well mixed from a combination of currents caused by CO2 production and diffusion...and later moving into the bottling bucket. Everything will end up great.

[jimlin]

Here's hopin', Cody.

First time using the pilsen DME too, so it was a bit of a shock to see how light in color the sample I pulled was (given the tendency for extract brews to be darker than similar AG recipes. Wondering if the light colored sample I pulled from the bucket just prior to adding the yeast is also in part to the addition of the LME after the boiled wort had started cooling. I don't aerate (yet) with a stone or anything. I just picked up the kettle and poured it into the bucket from a couple feet above, which splashed a good amount and left a thick foam on top. I would think that pouring would have mixed it all up a decent amount, but who knows.

The airlock continues to bubble very actively, (yeast pitched Monday early evening). I intended to make a starter, but life's been crazy, and I never got around to it (didn't even think I'd have time to get this batch done), so I just went with the 1056 smack-pack. Took a little while to get the airlock cooking, but once it started, it's been a good steady bubble-fest. Started fermenting around 62-63, and it's now up to 66. The bucket is in a tub with about 6" of water in it to try to keep the temp from taking off. Ambient in that room is 60-62 lately (cool and rainy all this week), however, I'll be away next week, and it's supposed to dry out and get a bit warmer around here. Porbably just leave it in that room, maybe pull it from the tub of water. Figuring that room likely won't get over 70-72 even on the warmer days, which should be fine as most of the heavy fermentation will be done, so the bucket won't get too much heat from the yeast activity as it slows.

When I get back, the brew will be almost two weeks in the bucket, and I'll take a hydro reading to see where we stand. Oh.. and I need to toss in the dry hop pellets before I leave this weekend. That sound right? Most of the heavy fermentation should be done (FR night will be 4 full days in the bucket).