Too high alcohol content.

[Dirtyharry]

I brewed up a batch of easy red beer. Original gravity is suppose to be 1055. I ended up with 1076! If I let it ferment to the final gravity the recipe calls for - 1014 it will end up about 8.86 % is there a way to reduce the final alcohol level? If I add water I'm afraid it will just water down the taste of beer. If I stop fermenting around 1025, I think it will be too sweet. What can I do?

 

[Donoroto]

The yeast decides when fermentation is done, it is hard to 'stop' it early. Adding water will reduce alcohol and, as you noted, affect body somewhat, but that is likely your best bet.

How did you measure the OG?

 

[Minbari]

I brewed up a batch of easy red beer. Original gravity is suppose to be 1055. I ended up with 1076! If I let it ferment to the final gravity the recipe calls for - 1014 it will end up about 8.86 % is there a way to reduce the final alcohol level? If I add water I'm afraid it will just water down the taste of beer. If I stop fermenting around 1025, I think it will be too sweet. What can I do?

If it is 20 pts too high on the OG it will likely be 20 pts high on the FG. The alcohol will be similar. Unless you use extra yeast or a starter to fully convert all that.
Personally would thin it out with water.(assuming you haven't fermented it yet)

 

[Dornbox]

If my math is right your yeast is 75% attenuating which means your new FG should be closer to 1.020 or 7.35% alcohol. That’s high but not crazy. I recently made an imperial IPA that was supposed to be 8% but due to the same issue with a high efficiency it ended up at 9.25%. It’s good… but it’s a sipper.

At the time I chose not to liquor back but only because I was outta time. If you dilute in the kettle nothing should change in terms of your beers characteristics had you brewed it correctly. If it’s in the fermenter already though, I wouldn’t mess with it but if I were to I’d use sterile water.

 

[Dirtyharry]

If it is 20 pts too high on the OG it will likely be 20 pts high on the FG. The alcohol will be similar. Unless you use extra yeast or a starter to fully convert all that.
Personally would thin it out with water.(assuming you haven't fermented it yet)

Ya it's fermenting now.

 

[Steve Ruch]

Is this an extract recipe?
If the extract isn't thoroughly mixed in you can get a reading way different from what you expect.

 

[Dirty Dingo Brewing CO.]

Add water, plain and simple. Brewfather has a calculation tool that will tell you exactly how much water to add to get to the appropriate OG.

I've done this commercially here in OZ because our tax system doesn't allow us to go over ABV. We just add water as well. It will take away from body, but not enough to severely impact the beer

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

Add water, plain and simple. Brewfather has a calculation tool that will tell you exactly how much water to add to get to the appropriate OG.

I've done this commercially here in OZ because our tax system doesn't allow us to go over ABV. We just add water as well. It will take away from body, but not enough to severely impact the beer

The best and most practical answer.

Budweiser does as a routine. They brew the standard Bud at 1.60-1.65 and add water at packaging. I doubt it will impact overall body since it just has too little water and is reflected in the gravity.

Next time boil for gravity, not for volume. Mash efficiencies vary from batch to batch which changes the gravity. At times you may need to add water to the boil to compensate for high extraction rates, other times you may need to extend the boil. It’s all part of getting better as a brewer.

 

[Dirty Dingo Brewing CO.]

The best and most practical answer.

Budweiser does as a routine. They brew the standard Bud at 1.60-1.65 and add water at packaging. I doubt it will impact overall body since it just has too little water and is reflected in the gravity.

Next time boil for gravity, not for volume. Mash efficiencies vary from batch to batch which changes the gravity. At times you may need to add water to the boil to compensate for high extraction rates, other times you may need to extend the boil. It’s all part of getting better as a brewer.

100% ^^^

I would also add that the more accurate your PRE brew day calculations are, the better you'll become. Boil off, volume/trub loss, deadspace in the mash tun (ie a pump), ph levels of your local water, all play a factor. The better you understand your equipment/process the better and more accurate you'll become.

Even commercial guys like Coors for example, have made the government refrain from water source changes! Just for that reason!

 

[Ward Chillington]

How did you measure the OG?

Did we see a reply on that ask? Methods, temps and corrections may show you are closer to the mark then you think! Check this before adding that cooled down, sterile water or make it a sipper like @Dornbox said!