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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> Alcohol Levels

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bugle4m
Troy, ID
1 Posts


This is my first attempt to brew beer and I have had some strange things happen that are not in the book. First, my fermentations process took 36 hours to start, and then it just quit after just 3 days. I opened up the top and I have the green crap on top, and it is starting to clear, however, my recipe states that it should be at 5.2% alcohol, but I calculated it out to be 4.8%. Is this ok, or have I got a real problem?

I am brewing a Fat Tire from a Kit. My airlock had vodka in it and just a small amount was pushed back into my Wort. Is this going to be the reason for the problems? I started the process last Sunday and today is Friday, so I'm under a week for the first step. How long should I wait before I pitch my starter and bottle?

Sorry for being so ignorant, but you know everyone is a rookie at some point. Thank you for the help and information.

Cheers....





Posted 34 days ago.
Edited 34 days ago by homebrewdad

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


"Quitting" after three days is very normal, as is the green layer (hop residue/krausen). 

You calculated to 4.8%.  How did you calculate it? 

If this was an extract kit, you used all of the extract, and you hit your intended volumes, you can assume your starting gravity was correct (there's no way to miss this).  If your gravity now is within a few points of the target, you are fine.

It sounds like everything is going normally.  Don't worry about that small amount of vodka, it won't hurt anything.

If I were you, I'd wait another week or two, check my gravity, then bottle.




Posted 34 days ago.

chino_brews
Charter Member
Eden Prairie, MN
301 Posts


A lag time before seeing fermentation is normal - the while yeast need time to get acclimated and maybe multiply.

Also, visible fermentation typically ends in a few days, like yours did. However, the yeast are still INVISIBLY fermenting the last few points of sugar and cleaning up byproducts that can otherwise cause off-flavors in the next 7-14 days.

Wait to bottle for the reason above (it's not done yet). If you can wait a week or two beyond 7-14 days, your beer will probably get even better.

When you bottle, use the priming sugar calculator under the tools tab on this site. Do NOT use all of your priming sugar, no matter what the kit instructions say (same goes for when to bottle). It takes THREE weeks at 70°C for proper carbonation, and longer if it is colder.

As far as ABV, don't worry about it until the fermentation is finished, and even then a discrepancy of 0.4% is not unusual. Finally, don't worry about the vodka, but in the future you can use drinking water or even no rinse sanitizer solution!




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Agree with all of the above, except that it's three weeks at 70 degrees F.  ;) 




Posted 34 days ago.
Edited 34 days ago by homebrewdad

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