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rain164845

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I took a hydrometer reading on my first batch of Belgian wit extract beer and I couldn't even read the hydrometer. It was floating so high in the liquid that it was nowhere near the scale, the bulb was partially out of the wort. I checked it with water to see if it was zeroed properly, and water gave me a SG of 1 right where it should be.

The next problem is that I added my White Labs liquid yeast at 1am last night and I still have no bubbles, but I added it while the wort was about 78-80 degrees. I couldn't stay up any longer.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Joe
 
That is interesting. So, from that it seems that the gravity was very high. What is the range of your hydrometer? It is possible the extract was not well mixed and the gravity was very high at the top bucket/carboy.

In any case, don't worry about it now. It is not unusual to no see activity 6 hours later....it can take 24, 48 hours or more to see activity.
 
I took a hydrometer reading on my first batch of Belgian wit extract beer and I couldn't even read the hydrometer. It was floating so high in the liquid that it was nowhere near the scale, the bulb was partially out of the wort. I checked it with water to see if it was zeroed properly, and water gave me a SG of 1 right where it should be.

The next problem is that I added my White Labs liquid yeast at 1am last night and I still have no bubbles, but I added it while the wort was about 78-80 degrees. I couldn't stay up any longer.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Joe

What is the top of the scale? This isn't a fishtank hydro, is it?
 
The hydrometer was from the homebrew place. I don't think the top of the scale isn't actually important because the entire scale was above the level of the wort, meaning that the wort was much higher density than water. No bubbles were attached to the hydro.

Ideas? I can post my recipe if that will help.

Joe
 
steeping grain: .5lb Vienna; .5 lb wheat malt
6lbs Weizen Dry Malt Extract
1 oz Hallertau hops 60 mins
1oz Saaz hops last 10 mins

zest of 3/4 orange. 1/2 tbsp coriander
 
I don't think the top of the scale isn't actually important because the entire scale was above the level of the wort, meaning that the wort was much higher density than water.

Are you sure that the hydrometer was not scaled for FG? Meaning, the scale is like 0.90 to 1.020 or something. (like this) If it was one of these, it would be reading really high since you OG should be much higher than 1.020.
 
I checked the hydro, It is scaled in Tralle and Proof. The scale goes from 0 proof at the bottom end of the hydro and 0 Tralle at the bottom. So I was mistaken earlier when I said that it was below one. It was actually below 0.

Does that help?
 
Your OG would be about 1.058 with those ingredients assuming you collected 5 gallons, and didn't lose anything to trub and hops. As one usually loses a little bit to trub and hops, the true gravity would probably be 1 - 2 points lower. i.e. 1.056
You have the wrong hydrometer. You need a specific gravity hydrometer, not a proof/tralle hydrometer. They won't measure the gravity of anything denser that water.

-a.
 
UYou will find that drawing a smple out of the fermenter into a test jar will give you an easier
Read of things. Also there is a very important sticky at the top of
The beginners section that answers the other issue. Fermentat can take up to 72 hours to begin.
 
Well, fermentation has begun. I am getting plenty of bubbles now! I read the sticky, but I thought I might be having a fermentation problem due to some crazy thing going on with the specific gravity. I suppose we will find out if it worked in about 5-6 weeks!

Thanks for the help.

Joe
 
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