Incorrect Gravity Readings

[Westgaard]

Good afternoon,
I just made a 1/2 gallon batch of apple wine using bottled apple juice, Red Star Premier Blanc yeast and a few raisins...and a whole mess of sugar.

My OG reading was higher than I meant it to go (1.20, checked twice) and after only 11 days it has apparently stopped fermenting and is showing a .992 gravity reading now (checked twice again).

I know that I put too much yeast in on purpose but what explains an “impossible” Gravity reading? This is only my second batch of home brew (I made a pleasant 14.18% basic mead using the same Premier Blanc yeast) but I understand enough about yeast alcohol tolerance to know that it clearly isn’t ~27% abv.

What would cause the readings to do this, and is there a way to figure out what the actual abv would be close too now?

Thanks!

 

[schmurf]

1.20.... are your sure about that? Are you using a hydrometer? I'm no expert but I think most hydrometers won't show that high scale? Or that is at their top end at least.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Most likely your sugar wasn't mixed in properly and you measured the OG from a sugar-heavy part. The other possibility is that you misread - could it have been 1.120, not 1.200? The scale on my hydrometer goes to 1.150, with labels showing 10, 20, 30 etc. (meaning 1.010, 1.020, 1.030), up to 100 (meaning 1.100), then goes back to 10, 20 etc. (meaning 1.110, 1.120). If you read the '20' below the '100', it actually means 1.120.

 

[bracconiere]

and is there a way to figure out what the actual abv would be close too now?

vitntometers work for dry alcohols....little things that use friction and gravity.....

 

[Westgaard]

You guys were definitely right, misread the hydrometer so it should have been a 1.12 OG which would still put it at a ~16.8 abv which seems a little high still for the Premier Blanc. Thanks for the assistance!