I'm new to brewing so this may be an ignorant question but i'm learning. I recently brewed a baltic porter from an extract kit supplied by northern brewer. Tonite I transferred over to the secondary carboy after bubbling stopped. It had fermented 10 days in the primary. Temp was close to 65 for those 10 days. Used original gravity supplied in literature (1.07) and measured sg when I tranferred to the secondary (1.049). What would cause alcohol content to be low? Appeared to have active fermentation and I followed directions. Thinking im missing somethimg.....
Low alcohol content
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How are you reading the gravity? Are you by chance using a refractometer?
1049 sounds like an uncorrected refractometer reading. If your using a refractometer, it will not read correctly with the presence of alcohol. You need to take that number over to Brewersfriend.com and use the correction app.
FirstAidBrewing
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Bubbling isn't always directly linked to fermentation being done. It's possible that your beer wasn't quite done fermenting. Taking hydrometer readings until the numbers don't change is more accurate. As an example, I have a beer in the fermenter that is still going after 2 weeks but the recipe claimed 7 days.
On a broader scale, if you provide your ingredients and steps, people may be able to provide other ideas as to what could have happened.
On a broader scale, if you provide your ingredients and steps, people may be able to provide other ideas as to what could have happened.
Ok, that's your problem. Refractometers cannot be used after yeast is pitched without correction, as alcohol disrupts the reading. The accuracy of calculators to convert are debatable, so your best bet is to read final gravity with a hydrometer. You're fine to use a refractometer before you pitch yeast though.
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/
According to this, you're probably about 1.030, which is still on the high side, but not quite as bad.
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/
According to this, you're probably about 1.030, which is still on the high side, but not quite as bad.
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