berley31

Recipes 

Ok, can someone help me with this... I've been making yeast starters for my last 8 batches of beer. I've been following the procedure correctly, from what I can tell:

- 1 g DME per 10 mL water, boiled, cooled, pitched into sanitized glass container with smacked and inflated yeast pack, swirl every time I go past.

After 24 hours or so, there seems to be activity as you can hear gas releasing when you swirl it, and it gets a good head of foam when swirled.

HOWEVER, every time I take a gravity reading after it should be done, I get anywhere from 1.030-1.040... instead of the 1.010 it SHOULD be.

Suggestions? I've asked a lot of experienced brewers about this... no one knows what it could be. Anyone else ever have this problem? Do I just need to buy/build a stir plate?

jalgayer

Recipes 

How are you taking gravity? If you are doing a 1L starter it would take 1/2 the starter to fill the tube for the hydrometer. Even if its 2L... You say "every time I take the reading." That would take a lot out of the 2L or the 1L.

__________________
Regards,
Jason

BOTTLED / DRINKING
Mad-Elf Inspiration, Graff

SECONDARY
Flander's Sour Red {1 Year Old on July 28, 2011}

PRIMARY
Vanilla-Almond Pumpkin Ale, Surly Furious, Triple Karmelite Clone


ON DECK
Double White

berley31

Recipes 

Well, this last time I had the starter in the fridge and the yeast settled to that bottom. I poured some of the wort into the vessel I use to drop in my hydrometer... but it only takes 100 mL to get a reading. I then use my hydrometer.

It normally takes you 500 mL of a 1 L starter to get a gravity reading???

bgough

Recipes 

I'll be captain obvious here...

When you pour your starter into the hydrometer tube, are you taking it straight from the fridge and reading it while it's cold?

If so, your gravity could be several points lower than the reading depending on the temp.

berley31

Recipes 

I've taken readings where I let it come back up to 60 F, and readings where it's been cold.

When I've taken them cold, I've used the hydrometer adjustment on Beersmith to get the correct reading.

And even if it WAS several points lower, we'd still be talking about a gravity of maybe 1.036 at best... but, no, I've always adjusted for temperature.

berley31

Recipes 

I should also mention that I HAVE calibrated my hydrometer... it reads 1.000 in distilled water, so...

I'm obviously doing SOMETHING wrong, just not sure what.

bgough

Recipes 

What temp is your starter wort when you pitch your yeast?

berley31

Recipes 

On average I'd say about 70 F.

pkeeler

Recipes 

Excuse me, but I have to ask if you are reading 1.003 or 1.004.

CA-LT1

Recipes 

First post, here goes.

I thought 1.030-1.040 was what you wanted? Seems like 1.010 is too low.

Edit: Oh, I see, that's your FG. What's your SG?