I posted last week about a low OG with a Pliny kit I ordered from NB. On the previous attempts late last year and early this year I hit my OG perfect. As I was cooking up a batch today it dawned on me that, (for some unknown reason) they don't include a dry malt extract anymore. It does not say that anywhere on the instructions but I am sure I added that along with a liquid pilsner extract, which is still added. When I brewed today I ended up with the same value of brix: 13.5%. I was meticulous with my analytical technique today. Would this explain a low OG?
Well, if my memory and extrapolation are correct 13.5 Brix is about 1.055...are you a wine guy or just fucking with us? Any Pliny should be at least 1.07X...which for an extract batch should probably include some DME.
My first attempts at the kit was on target and even above 1.07 OG. I should have saved my old instructions that came with the kit from last year. I'm sure they use to include it.
Here is a link to the Northern Brewer 5-gallon Pliny kit's instructions. If you didn't brew with 10 lbs. of a mixture of dry and liquid extract then your OG will be too low. http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/PlinianLegacy1.pdf It really makes no sense that they would not give you all of the extract that you need for the recipe and expect you to supply your own unless it was a pure oversight on their part.
Yep, I would contact NB customer service. They should comp u something or at least explain what happened.
Steep for 20 minutes or until water reaches 170°F These kit directions are so confusing when you start out. Still have no clue what this means.
The instructions are assuming the water temp is continually increasing toward boiling, and they don't want you steeping after the temp hits 170F, because that's where undesired tannin extraction is more likely to happen. But you can certainly ride the gas/electric/whatever controls to keep the temp in the range you want, for as long as you want. More time means more extractions of sugars/flavors/color.
