OG of 1.014?

Crspbrew

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Hello!

I just finished a brew and went to take the OG and it seems low to me. It only reads 1.014. I’m not sure that it will be worth fermenting if that is right. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
 
Hello!

I just finished a brew and went to take the OG and it seems low to me. It only reads 1.014. I’m not sure that it will be worth fermenting if that is right. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
We need details. Extract or all grain? What's the recipe?
 
That is normally where a beer finishes so yeah super low and probably not fermentable to any level. Can you give more details how you did it and what you measured with?
 
It was an all grain brew.
12lbs grain
175 degrees in the mash tun for 1.5 hours.
Boiled for 60.
I’ll have to get the exact details later.
I measured with a hydrometer.
 
175 degrees F? That's way to hot. Most people mash at 148-154F. That's probably the source of your problem.

so at 175 degrees F it won’t convert the starches to sugars?
 
so at 175 degrees F it won’t convert the starches to sugars?
doesn't look good...:(
https://www.kissmybrew.com/mashing-too-hot/
or better:
http://www.backtoschoolbrewing.com/blog/2016/10/3/the-impact-of-mash-temperature
"If you are mashing well over 70 C then you are degrading those enzymes almost instantly to where they aren't going to do any work either. This also isn't great for the yeast. In both cases the yeast will be able o ferment some of the wort, but most of the sugars are way too complex for the yeast to break down."
In other words, even if your OG was higher, it wouldn't do you much good...:confused:
 
The general consensus is that the higher you go the less conversion you get until the enzymes denature and conversion stops entirely.

Most people as far as I know Mash out (stop conversion) at the temperature you were mashing at.
 
The general consensus is that the higher you go the less conversion you get until the enzymes denature and conversion stops entirely.

Most people as far as I know Mash out (stop conversion) at the temperature you were mashing at.

thank you!
 
No worries, I think you're looking at a failed batch but the next time mash at 148F and see how it goes. It sounds like the rest of your process is fine so you should get a decent result.
 
No worries, I think you're looking at a failed batch but the next time mash at 148F and see how it goes. It sounds like the rest of your process is fine so you should get a decent result.
Would you explain starting mash thickness? I think I am going to toss this failed batch and try a new one in the next day or two.
 
Mash thickness is usually defined in Quarts of water per pound of grain. Typically 1.25 to 1.5 Quarts per pound. The Mash is then heated in steps through temperatures & for hold times as listed in the recipe. This process produces the Wort which you drain into the Kettle. 2nd of the 3 steps to Beer. Mash Grain, Boil in Kettle & Ferment with Holy Yeast. Beer is Life & Life is Beer. Amen.
 
Mash thickness is usually defined in Quarts of water per pound of grain. Typically 1.25 to 1.5 Quarts per pound. The Mash is then heated in steps through temperatures & for hold times as listed in the recipe. This process produces the Wort which you drain into the Kettle. 2nd of the 3 steps to Beer. Mash Grain, Boil in Kettle & Ferment with Holy Yeast. Beer is Life & Life is Beer. Amen.
Amen
 
General guideline is 3 liters per kg, or whatever that works out to in rods to the hogshead for Americans. ;)
You can also just dump all the water in at once if you have the space for it, I do this quite often. you lose a little bit of efficiency but it's way easier.

Look up No Sparge brewing. Don't worry about steps to your mashing for now, get the basic idea down solid.

Simplest way to approach it if you can't dump all the water in at once is, take half your water (or 3L/Kg) and mash for an hour, drain that off, add the rest of the water, stir it up, drain that off and boil.

It's super simple, just mash at 148F for now until you build confidence.
 
I think I am going to toss this failed batch and try a new one in the next day or two.
I've mashed up to about 155°F...max...with pretty attenuable wort, but I think 175°F was a bit much.... ;-)
 
Besides a really high mash temperature, did you use crushed/milled grains? What grains did you use?
 
I've done precisely one step mash in my brewing career. It was in December cause I bought under modified pilsner malt.
 
I've done precisely one step mash in my brewing career. It was in December cause I bought under modified pilsner malt.
My Hefeweitzen comes out the way I really prefer using a 3-step mash. A bit of a pain, really. Ah, the pains we suffer for great beer!

Everything else I make is a single step mash.
 

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