Alcohol content control

[HGJacko]

Now then,

Hope you're all keeping well in this second lockdown.

I have been brewing using electric BIAB on a 5gl scale for around 7 months now. All our brews have been spot on when reading gravity - all readings were as expected - but our testing equipment is quite basic. It is just a trial jar and hydrometer.

On our last brew (an amber ale) however, there was a little more sediment in than usual, despite using a hop spider, and bazooka filter. Our gravity readings were slightly off and the beer tastes a lot stronger than usual, when it was expected to come out at 5.5%.

Is there any way anyone has found to have more control over alcohol content or how to manage this better? My aim is to try and keep the brews simple, but hit my gravity readings as consistently as possible!

Cheers all, and thanks in advance.

Harry

 

[Gerryjo]

Now then,

Hope you're all keeping well in this second lockdown.

I have been brewing using electric BIAB on a 5gl scale for around 7 months now. All our brews have been spot on when reading gravity - all readings were as expected - but our testing equipment is quite basic. It is just a trial jar and hydrometer.

On our last brew (an amber ale) however, there was a little more sediment in than usual, despite using a hop spider, and bazooka filter. Our gravity readings were slightly off and the beer tastes a lot stronger than usual, when it was expected to come out at 5.5%.

Is there any way anyone has found to have more control over alcohol content or how to manage this better? My aim is to try and keep the brews simple, but hit my gravity readings as consistently as possible!

Cheers all, and thanks in advance.

Harry

If you think it is too strong by your SG using the hydrometer you can use a dilution calculator to reduce the expected FG and giving you a few more pints maybe.
So at 5.5% =SG 1.052 with an FG 1.010 for 5.0gl = 19ltr
So at 4.5% =SG 1.045 with an FG 1.010 for 6.1gl = 23ltr

https://www.brewersfriend.com/dilution-and-boiloff-gravity-calculator/

 

[Zephyr259]

Is there any reason why this beer was different from your others? Sounds like you got higher than expected efficiency which leads to higher OG and higher ABV.

You said your readings were off a bit, what were they and what were you expecting? I wouldn't really expect a small difference in abv to be all that detectable by taste. I fooled my father-in-law with my 3.4% Scottish 60/-, he figured it was about 5%.