So on New Years eve I was going to brew 12.5 gallons of an Imp stout 1.105. I mashed in at 150. 30 minutes in, my 7 year old wakes up and is covered in hives head to toe. I turn off the burners and head to the Dr. 2.5 hrs later, I am back, no heated sparge water, nada. I turn the burners on high and start heating the sparge water. The mash temp was at 148. By the time I got the water heated the mash was like 3.5 hrs long. I skipped the MO to save time and started the sparge with 180 water. My daughter had more problems. I left with 20 gallons of fly sparge water going. When I made it back another 2hrs had elapsed. I had 20 gallons in the kettle. Post 120 min boil I had 17 gallons @ 1.087. I pitched a huge starter WY1450 that I had stepped 3 times with a total of 8 liters. Long and short, will it be too thin for an Imp Stout? Is body going to be my only issue? The gravity sample tasted great. Not sure if I over pitched. I had planned on the higher gravity at 12.5 gallons, not 17 gallons of 1.087. Craziest brew day I’ve ever had! Daughter is fine, determined she has developed a peanut allergy. Thanks
Good to hear the family is OK and I expect you will find the same with your beer.
You were in dex rest long enough to get your complex sugars. It’s really hard to over-pitch and the sample tasted great.
Hope you like the result!
Dave
might be because its my first day back at work and my head is fuzzy- but how did you end up with 17 gals post boil for 12.5 gal batch?
It will attenuate very well.
[quote=“Wort-H.O.G., post:3, topic:18604, username:wort-h.o.g”]
might be because its my first day back at work and my head is fuzzy- but how did you end up with 17 gals post boil for 12.5 gal batch?
I always heat more sparge water than I need. I had 10 gallons in the HLT and only needed 6.25 I had just started the sparge when I had to take my daughter back to the Dr. I left the sparge water going. It took longer than anticipated and emptied the HLT, thus overshooting my preboil total. My pre boil target was 17 gallons and had 20 gallons in the BK when I returned. Crazy I know.
Sh it happens! just was curious. there’s always next time!
What will happen? You will win gold with it, write a book, get a podcast, and become famous
That cracks me up. Sometimes mistakes and misfortune makes great beers. After that brew day, I hope it works out.
im thinking the grains “drip dried” the extra…
I once mashed a MaiBock over night and I still think it was one of the best beers I ever brewed. I think you will be fine.
That’s good to hear. Such a crazy brew day, it would be nice for it to be fantastic. The story when sharing it would be a bonus. Since it got a little diluted the extra attenuation probably will be a good thing.
I rarely make big beers, but when I do I always mash for at least 2 hours.
As others have pointed out; you will get a more attenuative wort and I actually feel this is advantageous when making high gravity beers so that the FG is low enough that the brew is not too sweet or cloying.
+1