Is my hydrometre broken?

[mhermetz]

I just took a Gravity reading of my fermented beer.
OG: 1.049
Gravity now: 1.040

This makes no sense to me. I watched the beer go through the most violent fermentation I ever seen for 5 days. By the time I took the reading everything had falling down and was 10 days into the Fermentation.

I checked for temperature differences...and it was very small to make a difference. From what I can tell the Hydrometer is fine. I even measured water to make sure it was sitting at 1.000.

I tasted the beer and I don't taste any unfermented sugars... well ...anymore more than usual. I can also taste the hint of alcohol.

The only thing I can think of that would cause this are small bubbles that seem to be raising from the sample. It's almost like it's slightly carbed.

So what the heck is going on?

 

[david_42]

Shake the sample for about a minute to de-gas. When the bubbles are gone, check it.

 

[jdinger29]

Yes, those small bubbles are probably holding the hydrometer up like a life jacket... Shake it to de-gas and let it sit for awhile... If you are still reading high let it sit for a few more days and take another reading. If it still hasn't fallen, well, than I am not sure what to do...

 

[david_42]

Forgot to add, do not shake the tube with the hydrometer in it.

 

[mhermetz]

yeah okay..... that didn't work. It dropped a little but not much.

any other ideas?

 

[Yooper]

Is the hydrometer floating freely, not touching the sides (or the bottom) at all?

 

[GrizlyGarou]

Was this an extract or AG brew?

 

[mhermetz]

extract brew and I spun the hydrometer to make sure it wouldn't stick to the sides.

Recipe was:
5 gallon boil
3lbs of Light DME
3lbs of Amber DME
1 lbs of Crystal 40
.20 lbs of Black Patent

1 oz of EKG @ 60min
1 tsp IrishMoss @15

Beer Smith had my OG at 1.050... mine was 1.049
and it estimated FG of 1.010.

This is just weird... I really don't think it's a stuck Fermentation because the process almost required a blowoff tube on the 4th day.

 

[ElPresidente77]

Edit: didn't read the whole OP. Sorry for my useless info.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

I'd give the fermenter a good swirl to wake the yeast up, and maybe even move it to a warmer spot if you can without putting it up above the top end of the yeast's comfort zone. I'd probably leave the hydrometer sample sitting out for a while to let all the CO2 escape, then check it in the morning or something.

Was there any sudden drop in temperature wherever you keep the fermenter?

 

[mhermetz]

nope no drop at all.

I don't like to keep taking samples...but i like the idea of letting it sit out for a bit.

PS: I would RDWHAHB...but my friends threw a Halloween kegger this past friday and they couldn't finish off the last 20L keg of Alexander Keiths....and seeing as I'm the only one with a C02 setup....I get stuck with the beer on my tap. I want it gone for this brew...

Jesus this is ****ing water to me. I want HB

 

[mhermetz]

okay so I let the sample sit out for a bit and the reading is still 1.40.

Should I re pitch some yeast?

 

[GrizlyGarou]

okay so I let the sample sit out for a bit and the reading is still 1.40.

Should I re pitch some yeast?

Maybe. What kind of yeast did you pitch and what's your temperature at?

 

[mhermetz]

Maybe. What kind of yeast did you pitch and what's your temperature at?

Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast @ 65-68

...I just find it weird that it could be stuck fermentation though. I visibly saw this beer ferment violently for 4 days...then another 6 of it slowly settling out.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

That would be the definition of a stuck ferment. It ferments, then stops for whatever reason.

I'm thinking you might want to repitch, but I have no experience with stuck ferments. Just what I've read around here. I'm sure somebody will read this and tell me I'm wrong if I am, though.

When you originally pitched, had you aerated your wort at all? If you didn't, you should give it a shot next batch. I put a tennis ball under my fermenter to make it easier to rock it around without lifting five gallons and shaking it around.

 

[mhermetz]

ahhhh shoot.

I just read a thread about Notty being recalled. I could very well have used one of those recalled yeasties... dammit. Okay... so I was originally going to pitch a washed yeast of Notty but seeing as it has been recalled, maybe i should just order another packet of yeast to re-pitch? It will take 3-4 days to arrive... is it okay to leave my beer in the fermenter stuck for 3-4 days? or should i just give the washed yeast a try.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

If the washed yeast is from a batch that fermented well, then it wasn't part of the recall. I'm pretty sure they got all of that back from the suppliers pretty quick, and it was a bit ago so unless you've been one the kit for a while, it probably wasn't part of the recall.

If you're going to order new yeast instead of using the washed yeast, I've never had problems with Safale s-04 or us-05. Can't compare them to notty as I've never used notty, though. I' say order some new yeast, then check your gravity again before you repitch. It might just need a few more days to feel like doing anything, then you have a spare yeast packet for 'emergencies'.

 

[mhermetz]

okay so I ended up ordering some s-04... but also decided to pitch the washed Notty I had. I figure if that failed then I'd have my yeast coming in the mail soon.. probably today actually.

Anyway, The washed yeast worked... it started up the Fermentation really quick.... however it only lasted maybe 6 hours and stopped again. This time I moved it to a warmer location too in hopes that would help. This is getting really frustrating. I guess on the up side the beer is getting some extra aging time. haha.

the only wierd thing is even after the 6 hour fermentation, the Hydrometre still read 1.040. How could 6 extra hours of fermenting not move it at all?

 

[jspence1]

Have you tasted it yet? if its 1.040 it should taste very sweet still.

 

[mhermetz]

it does and it doesn't. Definitly not as sweet as you would think...actually I would say I taste very little but it's there.

 

[jspence1]

This makes my head hurt. if your hydrometer is reading 1.000 in water it must be calibrated. This isn't the first time you've used this hydrometer is it? at 1.040 I would expect that it would be very sweet still.

 

[mhermetz]

it makes my head hurt too

and yeah I've used it for 10+ batches....never had a problem.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

I'd be tempted to mix up some sugar water at every ten points or so to check it, myself. It'd at least distract me from the enigma beer...

 

[mhermetz]

yeah so this problem just got a hell of a lot worse.

this isn't a picture of my beer... but it was exactly like this in the morning.

F-%# Me.

I Figure the washed yeast I threw back in must have been the Culprite. Oh well.
I decided to just cut my losses and rack the beer from under the white film to a keg. Hopefully it will taste okay still. As for the lack of Alcohol....meh... I'll get over it I suppose.