rsmith0061
Member
I have brewed the same recipe 3 times in the same place. First 2 were a consistant 7.3% alcohol level, however the last was 3.8%. What could have caused this?
Inconsistant alcohol level
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SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
If you're using extracts then the only way to get a different reading is
1. Not enough extract/too much
2. Too much water added/not enough added
3. Improper mixing resulting in you drawing up either the extract laden wort or the top off water.
4. Hydrometer is broken, off or the temperature you're doing the reading is too high and the conversion chart doesn't work.
What was the recipe and volume?
EDIT*
Removed link since the thread has been moved.
DrJerryrigger
Well-Known Member
Or stuck fermentation.... We'll need to know some numbers to know what your talking about.
rsmith0061
Member
well I use all grain, no extracts. I did pitch more water to try to extract more from the mash so my boil was longer because I had to evaporate more to reach 5 gallons. Also, it spent more time in the secondary. The past stouts were in the primary 2 weeks and the secondary for a month, this one was in the secondary for 2 months. Past hydrometer readings were 1.030 beginning and 1.085 ending. This one was 1.030 beginning and 1.050 ending. Same water sourse, same recipe including the same yeast.
Looks like you are turning beer back into sugar.........
Sounds like low attenuation to me or you mashed way too high created a lot of dextrins the yeast couldn't eat refer to first possibility low attenuation. Or could just be really bad mash conversion.
rsmith0061 said:
Hold up I just read this part . Is this like a April fools joke ? I don't think what you wrote is possible ... Actually I know it's not. Did you transpose you og-fg ?
brewski08
Well-Known Member
oh...my...god...
rsmith0061
Member
no joke, I been brewing a while and it has stunned me. But this totally happened, I even had the alcohol booster in it. I even put the hydrometer in plain water to make sure it was reading correctly.
beerman0001
Well-Known Member
This is not possible. Your starting sg will always be higher then your finishing sg. SO we first need you to read the hydro the right way then we can help out.
Ok here a huge stretch by what was the temperature when you got your og? You didn't take a reading at Like 200 degrees did you ?
Ok I just did some work on this if you are using your hydro incorrectly and took a reading at 212 it would read 1.030 but really at 60 it would be 1.072 now fast forward your next reading is at 70 degrees after fermentation has completed and you get a reading of 1.050 which is relatively correct. This would show two things #1 it supports the low attenuation stuck fermentation theory #2 that those are accurate readings you took but you used the hydrometer the wrong way. I think this I the only possible way your numbers could look the way they do.
rsmith0061
Member
Well I might have written the numbers backwards but that is the numbers, so just turn them around. I been making long enough that I know how to read a hydrometer.
rsmith0061
Member
there was a difference in temp. starting temp was 66 degrees and final temp was 74 degrees, didn't think it would make a difference
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