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Help with Jalapeno cream ale

dustincj00

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I am new to home brewing. I am on my 4th batch and all has turned out great so far. I recently purchased a kit  for a jalapeno cream ale. I brewed it yesterday and my original gravity was WAY off. It was a 5 gallon batch sg should have been 1.071 and fg should be 1.018. The kit included 4lbs of light dry malt extract, 2 lbs of american 2 row, 1 lb of carapils, 1 lb of crystal 20, 1 lb of gambrinus honey malt, 1 lb of flaked maize, 1 oz saaz hop pellets, and 1 tsp of irish moss. 2 packs of american ale yeast was included. The recipe called for the 2 row and maize to be steeped at 155 degrees for 60 mins, then the remaining to be steeped at 155 for 20 mins. I followed the instructions, but it slipped my mind to have the maize in, so I steeped the maize at 155 for 60 mins after all else was steeped per the directions. Once I brewed it with the peppers as I was supposed to, I cooled the wort and added water. I added enough water so I had 4 gallons and took a sg reading. It was 1.042. At this point I was stumped. How could it be that far off? Is there anything I can do after the fact. I have all 4 gallons in the primary fermentor.
Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks
 
Well the maize should have been mini-mashed along with the other grains.  I assume they gave you 2 lbs of 2-row to provide enzymes to convert the maize.  Mini-mashing isn't much different than steeping, BTW, except active enzymes are at work (which would be needed for the corn).

I doubt that was the sole reason for the low OG.  In fact I wonder if that recipe really produces 1.071 OG at all.  That seems high.  Plug it into beersmith and see what you get (mind you I did not do this).

There is probably nothing you can do now except give it time and see how it comes out.
 
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