Anything Odd About These Gravity Readings???

[hiphops]

So, I made a pumpkin ale and decided to take gravity measurements every step if the way. I am wondering what thoughts there may be about these readings. A little high . . . a little low . . . just right . . . cannot comment . . . etc.

Here are the readings:

3 gallon mash: 1.078
4 gallon sparge: 1.043
Start of boil: 1.058
60 minutes: 1.067
90 minutes: 1.070
Final gravity (before pitching yeast): 1.064
One month in fermenter: 1.024

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort? Also, after one month in the fermenter, is my gravity still a bit high?

 

[vast_reaction]

I lurk a lot and have asked a few questions myself, so I'm going to guess at the impending responses of some more seasoned veterans:

What was your recipe? What was your mash temp? Was this extract or all-grain?

Did I do good?

 

[Revvy]

What was your recipe? What was your mash temp? Was this extract or all-grain?

Did I do good?

Yes you did!!!!

The numbers really are meaningless to us without the recipe and process info.

 

[hiphops]

What was your recipe?

- don't recall. i have my notes / recipe at home and i'm here at work now.

What was your mash temp?

- 150

Was this extract or all-grain?

- all grain.

 

[Shooter]

Also, what yeast strain did you use? Liquid or dry? If liquid, did you make a starter? What was your fermentation temperature?

 

[hiphops]

what yeast strain did you use? Liquid or dry

- liquid

If liquid, did you make a starter?

- nope. actually, i never use a starter. i just smack the package and let it swell up and then pour it in.

What was your fermentation temperature?

- 70

 

[jgln]

Can't this question be answered without additional information?

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort?

 

[wildwest450]

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort? Also, after one month in the fermenter, is my gravity still a bit high?

I don't need a recipe to know this isn't right. Did you compensate for the sample temp? Not possible to lose 6 points after the boil.

It's possible the pumpkin had something to do with the reading.

 

[Shooter]

Can't this question be answered without additional information?

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort?

Yes, that question can, however that is not the only question here.

 

[hiphops]

for what its worth, i used a refractometer for all the readings except the final reading, for which i used a hydrometer. i don't think temp was a factor: using a refractometer, i just used a tiny bit of wort, which by the time it hit the refractometer was probably back down to room temp, or at least close to it. in the end, i'm just curious about the readings and numbers and all. bottom line (and most important point) is that the stuff tasted pretty dang good. it had a nice pumpkin taste and a nice spicy taste as well (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc.: all hand crushed)

 

[Shooter]

Wildwest has some good thoughts on the drop in gravity. Another thought, did you boil down to your exact fermenter amount or did you have to top off with any water?

Your final gravity seems a bit high. Seventy degrees is pretty warm, so I can’t imagine the temperature made the yeast a bit sluggish, particularly after a month. Looks like this is a five gallon batch and one smack pack for a 1.064 beer isn’t a lot of yeast. When you get a chance, post a few more details. More information can be helpful and there are plenty of people with good advice here.

 

[hiphops]

Another thought, did you boil down to your exact fermenter amount or did you have to top off with any water?

- i boiled down to the exact fermenter amount. i didn't add any water.

When you get a chance, post a few more details.

- it was a 5 gallon batch
- i added some pumpkin to the mash and to the boil as well (the last 10 minutes)
- what else . . . i recirculated both the mash and sparge waters through the grains. during the sparge, i let the water (at 170 deg) sit in the mash tun for 10 minutes . . . the pumpkins were called "sugar pumpkins" and are known to be sweeter than normal pumpkins: perhaps the sweetness could add more sugars and, thereby increase the gravity???

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Can't this question be answered without additional information?

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort?

Depends. Was it a leap year?

 

[Frodo]

Can't this question be answered without additional information?

Yes.

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort?

Yes.

 

[jgln]

Yes.



Yes.

I must be still drunk from last night, I don't remember actually asking the second question. :cross:

(I couldn't quote him or else it would have looked like I was asking him the question so I cut/pasted. Should have used quotation marks though)

 

[Frodo]

I must be still drunk from last night, I don't remember actually asking the second question. :cross:

(I couldn't quote him or else it would have looked like I was asking him the question so I cut/pasted. Should have used quotation marks though)

I realized you were just repeating the original question, and I was just being a smart&ss... sorry.

 

[jgln]

I realized you were just repeating the original question, and I was just being a smart&ss... sorry.

I am getting hammered from every direction today, may be time to shut down and start my pre Thanksgiving drinking early.

 

[user 19629]

So, I made a pumpkin ale and decided to take gravity measurements every step if the way. I am wondering what thoughts there may be about these readings. A little high . . . a little low . . . just right . . . cannot comment . . . etc.

Here are the readings:

3 gallon mash: 1.078
4 gallon sparge: 1.043
Start of boil: 1.058
60 minutes: 1.067
90 minutes: 1.070
Final gravity (before pitching yeast): 1.064
One month in fermenter: 1.024

Is it odd that the gravity went down at the end of the 90 minute boil and after chilling the wort? Also, after one month in the fermenter, is my gravity still a bit high?

If you started with 6 gallons with 1.058 and boiled down to 5 gallons
it calcs as an OG of 1.068, pretty damn close to 1.070 @ 90. I think the 1.064 measurement is off.
What was the preboil volume?

 

[Frodo]

start my pre Thanksgiving drinking early.

That's a hell of an idea.

 

[Frodo]

it calcs as an OG of 1.068, pretty damn close to 1.070 @ 90. I think the 1.064 measurement is off.
What was the preboil volume?

I agree. And you said you took all the measurements with a refractometer, but then the FG with a hydrometer? So, did you also take that FG also with the refractometer to make sure they both jive?

 

[Sujeto]

I'm kind of confused also as to why you took the first 5 readings with a refractor and then decided to mix it up and take the Final Gravity reading with a hydrometer. I think your discrepancy lies there.

 

[Frodo]

I do that all the time, refracto for all the SGs, but then I also take the OG with my hydro, just to make sure I can be really certain what the OG is, since it's an important measurement. I like the ease of the refracto but I haven't decided to completely trust it yet.