Low Alcohol

[CemeteryCellarsBC]

I just racked my first AG Pale into the secondary and took a gravity reading. My OG was 1.044 and my current reading is 1.031! Am I stuck with a low ABV beer or is there something I can do? Either way, what would I do differently next time. On a side not the sample I took tastes delicious!

 

[Pratzie]

I just racked my first AG Pale into the secondary and took a gravity reading. My OG was 1.044 and my current reading is 1.031! Am I stuck with a low ABV beer or is there something I can do? Either way, what would I do differently next time. On a side not the sample I took tastes delicious!

There's a light beer recipe here that calls for adding a tsp of amylase enzyme after u rack to secondary, which helps convert sugars and make it drier and crisp. U could try that. I'd do an iodine test on ur runnings the next time u pull an AG batch and make sure they converted in the mash.

That is all assuming u used healthy yeast and what not. How was ur fermentation? Vigorous?

 

[CemeteryCellarsBC]

There's a light beer recipe here that calls for adding a tsp of amylase enzyme after u rack to secondary, which helps convert sugars and make it drier and crisp. U could try that. I'd do an iodine test on ur runnings the next time u pull an AG batch and make sure they converted in the mash.

That is all assuming u used healthy yeast and what not. How was ur fermentation? Vigorous?

Honestly it was my first time with liquid yeast and I didn't use a starter. Also when I opened it it exploded and I didn't get it all in. Luckily it's a 2 gallon batch so it's not a total waste. Taste is great so it looks like I need to work on my yeast starter skills.

 

[afr0byte]

You didn't use a refractometer for that reading, did you?

 

[CemeteryCellarsBC]

You didn't use a refractometer for that reading, did you?

I did. Why?

 

[afr0byte]

I did. Why?

If you correct the reading for the presence of alcohol (the corrected value would be about 1.020) you get a bit higher of an abv (~3.6). Ideally you'd use a hydrometer for the finishing gravity.

 

[CemeteryCellarsBC]

If you correct the reading for the presence of alcohol (the corrected value would be about 1.020) you get a bit higher of an abv (~3.6). Ideally you'd use a hydrometer for the finishing gravity.

Oh great, I'm sure I've read that somewhere! Once it's done in secondary ill take a FG with my hydrometer. Thanks so much. Love this forum.

 

[Demus]

If you correct the reading for the presence of alcohol (the corrected value would be about 1.020) you get a bit higher of an abv (~3.6). Ideally you'd use a hydrometer for the finishing gravity.

+1
Refractometers measure well, refraction. NOT gravity. They are calibrated for sugar solutions of water and sugar. Alcohol changes the properties of the light "bending" and throws the reading off. Search Sean Terrill and refractometers and you'll find a spreadsheet to get you close, but it's thrown off by many other factors. I love my refractometer, but go back to the good old hydrometer for FG...

 

[CemeteryCellarsBC]

If you correct the reading for the presence of alcohol (the corrected value would be about 1.020) you get a bit higher of an abv (~3.6). Ideally you'd use a hydrometer for the finishing gravity.

Do you have a calculator for that?

 

[afr0byte]

I just searched for refractometer correction via Google. You could also do the search Demus suggested.