brewgasm135
Well-Known Member
Short Story:
5 gallon extract w/ specialty steeping grains (Double IPA)
2 weeks in fermenter, SG 1.018 with HYDROMETER
2 weeks later, transferred to secondary and dry-hopped with 3oz of pellets
1 day later, SG 1.045 with REFRACTOMETER
Checked calibration of hydrometer and refractometer, both reading 1.000 with filtered water.
Long Story:
Hey guys. It's been a couple years since I've brewed a batch and I got a free double IPA kit when rebuying some equipment. Anyways, I'm super confused about my gravity readings and need some input.
I brewed an extract kit with specialty steeping grains 4 weeks ago. After finishing up, in a hurry and not caring too much about the results of this first and free batch of beer, I put it away to ferment without taking an OG reading.
Fast forward 2 weeks. Using a hydrometer, I got a reading of 1.018 which I was satisfied with. I waited another 2 weeks, transferred to secondary, and dry hopped with 3 oz of additional hops. A day later, out of curiosity (and having my refractometer come in the mail, I took another measurement with my shiny new tool (which I've used years ago, so I understand how the tool works). SG read 1.045?!?!
So what is going on here?? Beer can't become sweeter or more dense after it has already fermented out, can it? Is it possible the dry hopping is effecting m readings? The refractometer is calibrated, and I just checked the hydrometer and it reads 1.00 with filtered water as well...
The beer tastes like beer, but I'm starting to second guess myself and am tasting a little bit of sweetness, which may just be the maltiness of this recipe. When transferring to secondary yesterday, the batch smelled like a finished beer, and tasted like so, but a bit green, as expected. Today, after taking this way high gravity reading, I cracked the lid off again and took a whiff and it smells a bit hot (alcohol'ish) and kind of sweet.
5 gallon extract w/ specialty steeping grains (Double IPA)
2 weeks in fermenter, SG 1.018 with HYDROMETER
2 weeks later, transferred to secondary and dry-hopped with 3oz of pellets
1 day later, SG 1.045 with REFRACTOMETER
Checked calibration of hydrometer and refractometer, both reading 1.000 with filtered water.
Long Story:
Hey guys. It's been a couple years since I've brewed a batch and I got a free double IPA kit when rebuying some equipment. Anyways, I'm super confused about my gravity readings and need some input.
I brewed an extract kit with specialty steeping grains 4 weeks ago. After finishing up, in a hurry and not caring too much about the results of this first and free batch of beer, I put it away to ferment without taking an OG reading.
Fast forward 2 weeks. Using a hydrometer, I got a reading of 1.018 which I was satisfied with. I waited another 2 weeks, transferred to secondary, and dry hopped with 3 oz of additional hops. A day later, out of curiosity (and having my refractometer come in the mail, I took another measurement with my shiny new tool (which I've used years ago, so I understand how the tool works). SG read 1.045?!?!
So what is going on here?? Beer can't become sweeter or more dense after it has already fermented out, can it? Is it possible the dry hopping is effecting m readings? The refractometer is calibrated, and I just checked the hydrometer and it reads 1.00 with filtered water as well...
The beer tastes like beer, but I'm starting to second guess myself and am tasting a little bit of sweetness, which may just be the maltiness of this recipe. When transferring to secondary yesterday, the batch smelled like a finished beer, and tasted like so, but a bit green, as expected. Today, after taking this way high gravity reading, I cracked the lid off again and took a whiff and it smells a bit hot (alcohol'ish) and kind of sweet.