Extract Brewing high original specific gravity

[Dexter9]

Hi all,

I’ve tried all grain brewing a few times now and had poor success due to mould(think cleaning issues) so I’ve tried an extract home brew with the hope there’s less variables that can go wrong.

I’ve added 1kg of Demerara sugar instead of dextrose. I measured the original specific gravity from the conical fermenter(taking a sample from the tap at the bottom) and it measured 1.125. It’s now measuring 1.035 after a week and I believe it’s got another few days of fermentation to go. Expecting a final specific gravity of 1.008. This would make the beer 16.7% abv when the kit should be 6.8%.

Is this because I’ve used a different sugar? I thought Demerara would be slower to ferment if anything? Or is it because I’ve taken a sample from the bottom of the tank and the concentration of sugar is going to be higher at the bottom? Apart from the beer being much more alcohol, will this be okay to drink?

On another note, would you recommend not using a garden hose for beer brewing because of contamination? I had been doing this previously.

Thanks in advance,

Andrew

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Can you post a complete recipe?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

On another note, would you recommend not using a garden hose for beer brewing because of contamination? I had been doing this previously.

In the 2020s, using a common "big box store" garden hose for transferring brewing water is a bad idea.

Apparently, there are RV hoses that are safe for this purpose.

 

[rburrelli]

I think you got a stratified OG because of inadequate mixing of wort. I
don’t believe your recipe would call for an OG that high but we will see once you post recipe.

 

[Dexter9]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies.

Appreciate I’ve left out some key information there.

The kit I used is the Hazy IPA from mangrove jacks :Hazy IPA and I followed the instructions from here Instructions .

I’ve used a nylon hose from the kitchen tap this time and sanitized it before use. Hoping the garden hose was my problem before.

Thanks

 

[mac_1103]

There is no way your OG is correct if you brewed that kit according to the instructions. Demerara sugar vs corn sugar is only a couple of gravity points difference. Unless you added a lot more than a kg of sugar or a lot less water than you were supposed to, your OG was around 1.060. The obvious explanation (already suggested) is that the wort wasn't well mixed when you took your sample.