Advice Needed- Moose Drool Clone

66% attenuation sounds a bit low for this recipe. The only way to be sure is to take two gravity readings, 2-3 days apart. Since you didn't, I would put the bottles somewhere very safe, and carefully open bottles every few days. If attenuation was not finished, you'll get gushers before you will get bombs.

 

Seems a little high but sometimes things do not work as planed. Check your hydrometer to make sure it is calibrated. If you did not use too much priming sugar you should be fine. I just had two batches finish higher then I expected. They both taste excellent.

 

Northern Brewer's Caribou Slobber cloney sounding recipe suggests OG 1.052. The Can You Brew it Clone suggests OG 1.052 FG 1.012. So you are coming in ~8 points high on the OG and FG. Are these 8 points attributable to fermentable sugars? You'll find out, I guess.

To Vikemans advice (keep in safe place, carefully open), I'll add that if they seem like they are getting over carbed, you can always refrigerate the bottles to slow/down or halt the yeast.

 

For next time, I believe there is a Brewing Network podcast devoted to cloning moose drool. I've never listened to it, but it could help for next time

 

If OP's attenuation is as far off from expected as the numbers indicated, and if the expected attenuation numbers are what the beer should have reached, there's the equivalent of 12 or 13 ounces of extra priming sugar in those bottles (assuming a 6-ish gallon batch from the recipe). That would not be fine. As I said, there's no way to tell without having verified that attenuation was finished. Thus the advice to be cautious.

 

I would be checking right now, and every 2-3 days until you're sure they are fully carbonated. If you get gushers, you'll know there's a risk for bombs. If no gushers, you're good.

 

I'd suggest putting the bottles in a cardboard case, then seal it in a big trashbag. That way, if you DO get bombs, it will be contained and easier to clean.

 

I believe that is the original source for his recipe, which is posted around the net. But you are right, that something may be gleaned from listening, but probably not specifically related to this inquiry about gravity and bottle bombs.

 

I would definitely recommend this. I recently made a pretty similar brown ale with WLP002 and got 73% attenuation.

 

It is odd that the extract finished so high. With the yeast he used and the temp. he fermented at the beer should be finished. This is why I suggested checking the calibration of his hydrometer. In no way was I suggesting that your advise was not valid. If I did I would reply to you for discussion. Take care.

 

My Drool Clone came out spot on. Yes, its the NB Caribous Slobber extract kit so you can use the specs from there in the future. BTW. Gets better tasting every week.

 

Interesting point about the hydrometer... if the OG of 1.060 was actually an erroneous reading for the expected (and actual) value of 1.052, then the FG sould also be expected to read about .008 high. So the (now) presumed erroneous reading of 1.020 would really be more like 1.012 actual. Which would put both the OG and FG right where they were expected to be.

OP: have you tried taking a hydrometer reading with plain water? It should read very close to 1.000.