sg going up??

[toularat]

Hi. I started 3 gallons of tomato wine 9/12. racked 9/25 at 1.020, racked 10/7 when sg was 1.000. racked 12/2 with camden. Cold crashed 2/14 until today - about 3 weeks. the wine is clear and beautiful. Today the sg is 1.10, so it went up. Is this possible? I am a pretty careful person so I am sure about the numbers. I checked this twice. I thought it couldn't go back up, right?

Another question is: This wine took 5-6 months. I am going to bottle now. My question is when can you start counting the ageing time? When the wine has used all the sugars, or when it is clear? Has it already aged 2-3 months, or does that start now?

Thank you for your input.

 

[borracho_brewer]

What temperature was the sample? If it was below your hydrometer's calibration temp, did you remember to subtract from the reading appropriately?

I don't know that there is a technical requirement for what is considered to be the beginning of the aging process. I think that would depend almost entirely on the wine and personal taste.

 

[Yooper]

It's not possible for the SG to go up, but it's very possible that you had some co2 bubbles stuck to it, causing it to "float" higher. Take the sample and put your hand over the sample jar and shake it up to release any co2, and take the temperature to make sure it's 60 degrees. Then, gently drop in your hydrometer and spin it to make sure there aren't any air bubbles in there holding it up. Then check the SG at eye level. It should be accurate.

 

[toularat]

I shook the sample. Temp was exactly 60 degrees. It read 1.10. So my first sample 1.000 was probably wrong. I am confused by Borracho's post. What is the hydrometer's calibration temp? I'm guessing this is where I went wrong.

Can you explain this and is there a scale for subtracting of some sort?
Thanks.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I shook the sample. Temp was exactly 60 degrees. It read 1.10. So my first sample 1.000 was probably wrong. I am confused by Borracho's post. What is the hydrometer's calibration temp? I'm guessing this is where I went wrong.

Can you explain this and is there a scale for subtracting of some sort?
Thanks.

You might find this useful: How To Use A Hydrometer - grapestompers
Regards, GF.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Whenever you take a gravity reading you should measure the temp first then correct the reading.

 

[borracho_brewer]

Sorry, I meant, was it at 60, as opposed to still at 35 or 40 or whatever temp you cooled at (i guess most are calibrated at 60, i just didn't want to make any assumptions). But I supposed that temp difference still wouldn't have made that big of a difference.

Correction charts look like the one at the bottom of this page and often come with the hydrometer, but simpler:


Sounds like the initial reading was off, if it was at 60, no attached bubbles, and you're dead sure about the latest one.

 

[Tusch]

You sure you don't at least mean 1.010 and not 1.10 because that didn't just go up, that is a decent Starting gravity. You mentioned how careful you were and how sure of the reading you were and then said 1.10 twice, so I am confused. That big of a difference is certainly not from a temperature difference.

 

[borracho_brewer]

You sure you don't at least mean 1.010 and not 1.10 because that didn't just go up, that is a decent Starting gravity. You mentioned how careful you were and how sure of the reading you were and then said 1.10 twice, so I am confused. That big of a difference is certainly not from a temperature difference.

Oh, wow, i have been reading that as 1.01 this whole time. Yeah, if you are reading 1.1 there's a problem with your reading or the hydrometer

 

[toularat]

No, No. I am a dope. I meant to say 1.010. Sorry. i will definitely read the "How to read a hydrometer". I guess I didn't know about the temp thing.

Thanks for your help.