Hey all, I started my first brew ever last night. The kit calls for OG of 1.047 - 1.051, but after I cooled the wort and transferred to the fermenter and added water to get it to 5 gallons, my OG was way high - like 1.45. I dilluted until I got down to their required OG, but what did I do wrong that it was so high after the boil?
*Really* high OG using Brewer's Best Weizenbier kit
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It was at 1.045? Or 1.145? Or 1.45? (I don't think a hydrometer even goes up to 1.45- mine ends at 1.170.)
That looks like 1.033. It's below the 1.000 designation, and then it goes 10, 20, 30, etc, up to 1.100. Those two digit numbers would read as 1.010, 1.020, 1.030, etc.
Sometimes when you do an extract kit, the heavier extract laden wort sinks to the bottom of the fermenter, and you add water and stir, stir, stir, but the lighter water still doesn't mix all that well with the thicker wort. If you take the sample from below that lighter wort, it'll be a very high number. If you take the sample from the top, it might be a very low number. Mixing it thoroughly is unbelieveably hard!
If it's an extract kit, you can trust the numbers on the instructions. Sugars are there, and they are a "set" amount so if you added the correct volume of water, your OG will be what the kit says.
Sometimes when you do an extract kit, the heavier extract laden wort sinks to the bottom of the fermenter, and you add water and stir, stir, stir, but the lighter water still doesn't mix all that well with the thicker wort. If you take the sample from below that lighter wort, it'll be a very high number. If you take the sample from the top, it might be a very low number. Mixing it thoroughly is unbelieveably hard!
If it's an extract kit, you can trust the numbers on the instructions. Sugars are there, and they are a "set" amount so if you added the correct volume of water, your OG will be what the kit says.
TipsyDragon
Well-Known Member
so in other words if you did what i think you did ... you ended up with an 1.0045 OG your beer is going to be practically non alcoholic.
Don't toss it yet! How much water did you add? I can calculate what your OG really is. (Or go check it again, right now!)
Several gallons? What size fermenter do you have?
togabear
Well-Known Member
Don't toss it!
What temperature did you take this at? If wort is still warm your OG is actually higher than that. The link is a hydrometer correction calculator.
http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/hydrometer.html
Regardless just keep it, unless you forgot to add the extract, your beer will be fine.
What temperature did you take this at? If wort is still warm your OG is actually higher than that. The link is a hydrometer correction calculator.
http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/hydrometer.html
Regardless just keep it, unless you forgot to add the extract, your beer will be fine.
TipsyDragon
Well-Known Member
yea, temp correction wont get a 1.0045 up to anything thats acceptable. he diluted his beer down to about a 10th of that is was supposed to be. it won't be fine.
togabear
Well-Known Member
So.....he has a 50 gallon fermenter?
I dont think so... If he added all the extract and didn't pour all but a 10th of it down the drain, then filled it back up to 5 gallons as he said he did, it should be fine. I think his gravity is 1.045 since he thought 1.033 was 1.33.
bce22
Well-Known Member
must have thought the hydrometer was the most difficult device in the world to use trying to read it down to 1.0045. They can be a bear to read at the thousandth, never mind the TEN-THOUSANDTH!
Well, that stinks. Check the SG one more time, just to make sure. Maybe you made a mistake yesterday and didn't dilute it as much as you thought.
It does sound like this batch is a goner, though. I'd check it, and then toss it out and try again.
Keep in mind that most hydrometers go from .990 to 1.170, and the 1.000 and 1.100 lines are clearly marked. Pure water will read 1.000.
togabear
Well-Known Member
$&@$ you actually did do that. Oh well try again! Next time just add all your boil and top off to 5 g.
OK, so I tossed out the watered down junk and started over. The good news: I've got bubbles - lots of bubbles! The bad news: I've got gunk making it up to the bottom of the airlock. Here's a video of the airlock and a picture of the gunk I saw this morning. Do I have another problem?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyeYpwc4vvI]Youtube video[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyeYpwc4vvI]Youtube video[/ame]
TipsyDragon
Well-Known Member
no thats normal. during fermentation the wart will produce quite a bit of foam. you only have to worry if it clogs the airlock. if it does it will just push it out and you will have to sanitize the airlock again and put it back in. very little chance of the wart getting infected because of all the gas and whatnot coming out the hole.
normal. just make sure the airlock doesn't get plugged up, or the pressure will eventually launch it out of the lid like a rocket. or the entire lid will pop.
it should calm down after another day or so.
it should calm down after another day or so.
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