Help. Stuck Fermentation?

[Newtobrewing85]

LOL, i wouldn't even have a refrac if it wasn't for "stupid" people!! now i love using one to compare to a hydrometer with all the cool things you can calculate between the two!

I’ll have to look into this further!

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Your fermentation may well be over, depending on at how much it was done when you cooled it down to 62F, coming from 67F+

Bourbon and wood... NB's instructions are crap.
Do not use a secondary!
Best to soak the cubes (or chips) in the Bourbon for a week (or 2) while the batch is fermenting. Then add that potion to your fermenter cubes and all and let it sit for another week. Then package.

You can still do the soak for a week then add it to the fermenter and leave another week.
Are you kegging or bottling?

I wondered about a sudden change in temp but I figured dropping the ambient to 62 with the fermenter higher it would be more in range. Either way, I’m learning what’s working and not working the more I brew.

Thanks for the heads up! I’ll start soaking them now than. I was thinking I’d wait till Sunday and let any fermentation that may be happening happen. Then toss in the wood chips for a week or 2? The 2 weeks they mention of doing nothing seems odd, I’m not sure what that would accomplish. I always thought 6 weeks seemed long but I’m new so who am I to question lol.

bottling. No keg stuff yet, we’ll see what Santa brings me.

 

[bracconiere]

I’ll have to look into this further!

i'll try to remember to tag you next time i see a cheap digital one on ebay! but anyway to try and be constructive in this conversation...


you can tell what the CURRENT gravity is if you know the original gravity comparing them, and you can solve for original gravity comparing the two...like for say if i just didn't check it, and dumped some sugar into apple juice...take the two, and comparing them are handy, one reads lower, one higher, and with some wizardy, fun stuff!

 

[Newtobrewing85]

i'll try to remember to tag you next time i see a cheap digital one on ebay! but anyway to try and be constructive in this conversation...


you can tell what the CURRENT gravity is if you know the original gravity comparing them, and you can solve for original gravity comparing the two...like for say if i just didn't check it, and dumped some sugar into apple juice...take the two, and comparing them are handy, one reads lower, one higher, and with some wizardy, fun stuff!

see that’s what I thought. If you know OG (1.060) and current gravity (1.040) it calculated out to like 2% alcohol lol. But the refractometer I guess doesn’t like alcohol so I think there’s a correction there? I usually just test FG with the hydrometer. The hydrometer is reading 1.020 though so yeah something is screwy.

 

[bracconiere]

see that’s what I thought. If you know OG (1.060) and current gravity (1.040) it calculated out to like 2% alcohol lol. But the refractometer I guess doesn’t like alcohol so I think there’s a correction there? I usually just test FG with the hydrometer. The hydrometer is reading 1.020 though so yeah something is screwy.

Beersmith2's calc, tells me a Brix of 10, and an OG of 1.060, would give it a SG of 1.027? or 1.024, for a brix of 9.5?

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Beersmith2's calc, tells me a Brix of 10, and an OG of 1.060, would give it a SG of 1.027? or 1.024, for a brix of 9.5?

Now I’m confused lol. Aren’t Brix and plato essentially the same thing? My OG was about 15 brix (refractometer) and is currently 10 (refractometer) so these numbers line up with what it’s reading.

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/

i still don't understand the correction factor or how to find it, someone else will have to explain that part....i just briefly read a thread about it, that i wouldn't stand a chance of finding again....and there's also a calc to solve for OG too! if you have both refrac reading, AND SG...pretty neat


(and 1.028 sounds like it's got a bit further to go?)