Low ABV

I need more info. Process? Extract or all grain? Mash temp, OG and FG? fermentation temp? Yeast?

 

Ok did you measure the original gravity and final? How long did you ferment?

 

Still more details please.

Did you hit your target OG? FG?

 

I'm gonna guess OP diluted too much and was most likely brewing with extract.

 

If your target OG is lower, then your target FG will be lower, which will result in your ABV being lower.

If you want to know why your OG was lower, then you'll need to post a bit more info about your recipe and process.

 

@jeffjeff1 what I think people are asking is what was your process. If it was extract, how much in weight (in extract) was added to how much water. Given that, your OG can be calculated, next question is how much of this went into the fermenter (if you boiled) and what yeast was used. Also if this was from a kit, what kit was it from, is there a link on the internet?

 

What was the recipe specifically, and how did you modify it? A key component to the answer here is probably how much extract was used per the 5 gallons of water? Gravity readings are tied to the amount of alcohol that is produced, and the ABV is directly tied to the amount of extract per gallon(s) of water.

 

Could you just post a link to the recipe you found?

 

^This

OP: Please just post the recipe you made (as modified) and describe the steps you took in as much detail as you can, including any measured volumes and temperatures. Otherwise, people are just guessing among many possibilities.

 

In that case, I think the solution to your problem of beers coming out with a low ABV would be to make them have a higher ABV.

 

Jeff, as a noobie to this hobby, the next thing that you need to learn is to have a copy of the recipe on which you can write notes for future learning.

I'm thinking that something along the way was not measured correctly, either the water or the extract. Since you think it was a fermentation issue, the only option that I can think of in that part of the process is that you used a yeast that crapped out early and didn't finish its job, but you'd have a sweet taste in your beer from the unfermented sugar. But without some documentation from you, all that we can do is guess at what your problem might be.

 

He missed his desired OG too so that says recipe or measuring/brewing problem.

I think this is the recipe he started with

• 6.5 lb (3 kg) Laaglander Light Malt Extract
• 1.0 lb (0.45 kg) Briess CaraPils
• 2.0 oz (57 g) Chocoalte[sic] Malt
• 0.5 lb (227 g) Crystal Malt (20° L)
• 1.5 oz (43 g) Chinook hops, 11.8% a.a. (60 min)
• 1.0 oz (28 g) Cascade hops, 5.5% a.a. (5 min)
• 1.0 oz (28 g) Cascade hops, 5.5 % a.a. (5 min)
• White Labs California Ale Yeast

I would bet he used LME and not DME. You then get OG of 1.048. If he ends up with even half a gallon more of water its 1.044 which is pretty close to his actual OG of 1.042

 

The ABV is dependent on the starting gravity and the final gravity.

The starting gravity depends upon the total amount of sugars derived from the malt extract and the grains and the volume of water these sugars are dissolved in. So you could have lower than expected starting gravity by (1) measurement error in weighing out malt extract, (2) low extraction efficiency for steeping grains, and (3) over diluting the sugar with too much water. Additional, you could simply have made a measurement error when checking the starting gravity, due to (1) mis-reading the hydrometer, and (2) pulling a hydrometer sample from a poorly mixed liquid, for example, one in which there is a density gradient of sugar from the top of the fermenter (low density, where you pulled your sample) to the bottom of the fermenter (high density, because stuff didn't well mixed). Both types of measurement errors are fairly common among new brewers, and my guess is this is where your mistake lies. In other words, you think you had a lower starting gravity than you really did.

The final gravity is dependent on the yeast;s ability to ferment the wort, which in turn depends on both the yeast and the types of sugars in the wort, and how you carried out your fermentation. Another common new brewer mistake is to assume a fermentation is finished before it really is, and the final gravity that is measured is therefore actually higher than it would be if the yeast were allowed to finish. Misreading the hydrometer could also play into this. The density error outlined above is not so likely, as the process of fermentation will mixed the liquid pretty thoroughly.

None of this necessarily explains why you have (or think you have) a low abv, but hopefully helps you think through the issues? Sorry it is so long winded; I was aiming for comprehensive.