MarsColonist
Well-Known Member
So, a couple of weeks ago, someone stole my keggles from my backyard for scrap metal..... thats a whole 'nother story... I was essentially dialed in well and could consistently hit ~80% brewhouse efficiency over the last 15 batches or so..
Borrowed a friend's keggles (not very different from my old setup at all) while he is moving, and brewed a couple of batches. The two batches both had brewhouse efficiency in the low 60s, if not high 50's. I screwed up a batch sparge on a large grist bill in the first one (final sparge was still at 1.031 after I was done collecting in the kettle), but for the second batch, here's the rub....
I started using a refractometer to monitor the boil rather than my standard single preboil cooled hydrometer reading. I was supposed to hit a preboil of 1.051 to finish at 1.059. I check at the beginning of the boil: 13 Brix (1.053)... I under sparged by about a gallon, so I added some filtered water to get about 13 gals for an 11 gal batch. I check again: 12.5 Brix (1.051). Right on. I check halfway through the boil: 13.7 Brix (1.056). Right on. I check in the last 15 min: Brix 15.1 (1.062) Okay, overshoot. I cool the wort to 70°F. I check the Brix between filling the carboys: Brix 10. (1.040)
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im thinking it stratified while I let the break cone formed after whirlpool. I check again. Brix 10. I check hydrometer. 1.040. My "ESB" is now likely a really harsh, hoppy Best Bitter (hopped to 44 Rager IBU [30IBU from FWH and 60min addition] for a supposed brewhouse eff of 82%) . Fine. It should be drinkable, but man, thats not what I was shooting for....
Question: Can you not reliably use the refractometer to judge the progress during boil? Im cleaning the refractometer lense, get some wort out of the kettle and put 5-6 drops on the refractometer and read. Am I missing something?
Borrowed a friend's keggles (not very different from my old setup at all) while he is moving, and brewed a couple of batches. The two batches both had brewhouse efficiency in the low 60s, if not high 50's. I screwed up a batch sparge on a large grist bill in the first one (final sparge was still at 1.031 after I was done collecting in the kettle), but for the second batch, here's the rub....
I started using a refractometer to monitor the boil rather than my standard single preboil cooled hydrometer reading. I was supposed to hit a preboil of 1.051 to finish at 1.059. I check at the beginning of the boil: 13 Brix (1.053)... I under sparged by about a gallon, so I added some filtered water to get about 13 gals for an 11 gal batch. I check again: 12.5 Brix (1.051). Right on. I check halfway through the boil: 13.7 Brix (1.056). Right on. I check in the last 15 min: Brix 15.1 (1.062) Okay, overshoot. I cool the wort to 70°F. I check the Brix between filling the carboys: Brix 10. (1.040)
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im thinking it stratified while I let the break cone formed after whirlpool. I check again. Brix 10. I check hydrometer. 1.040. My "ESB" is now likely a really harsh, hoppy Best Bitter (hopped to 44 Rager IBU [30IBU from FWH and 60min addition] for a supposed brewhouse eff of 82%) . Fine. It should be drinkable, but man, thats not what I was shooting for....
Question: Can you not reliably use the refractometer to judge the progress during boil? Im cleaning the refractometer lense, get some wort out of the kettle and put 5-6 drops on the refractometer and read. Am I missing something?