Final Gravity Went Up?

[BMan1029]

Kegged Belgian Trippel this past weeked and the final read was higher than the read I took when transfering from primary to secondary. What gives? This has been bothering me extensively for the past few days. I use a refractometer (calibrated to zero before each use) and then beersmith to convert. Any ideas on what could cause this?

 

[COLObrewer]

I dunno because the refractometer calc in beersmith never made any sense to me for finished beer.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Unless you dumped in some sugar, this can't happen. You must have read or recorded something wrong.

 

[passedpawn]

I gave up using the refractometer on fermented beer, too. Hydrometer for that.

 

[BMan1029]

How about using two strains of yeast? Could that have caused it? I used a French Saison and an American Ale yeast.

 

[Revvy]

You really can't get an accurate reading of finished beer with a refractometer. They really are only accurate with wort. Even the conversion tables may not give you an accurate reading. So I would first take a hydrometer reading to see what's going on.

 

[Wolfy]

Any ideas on what could cause this?

How big is the difference?
As others have said, using a refractometer for finished beer has a fair margin for error, so it's possible that the difference you are seeing is within that margin and caused as much by the conversion and calculations than anything else.