# 1012 Final Sg



## Booga (18/5/04)

Not sure what has happened here but I had a starting SG of 1030 at 26c and a final SG of 1012 at 25c 

I left it sit for an extra 2 days hoping it would slowly ferment out but nup.....didn't move from 1012.

There is a bit of story to go with this but would be interested in any comments suggestions anyone may have........

I was busy one morning surfing the net and my wife said she was off to the shops and asked me if I wanted anything. I said, "yeh mate get me a can of beer would ya darlin".

She said, "wot ya want"??

I said, "suprise me"..........

She came home with a can of Coopers Larger, said it was on special for $9.95. I can't complain as I don't mind the old Coopers but thought she would get something different.

Anyway, while cleaning I managed to break my submersible fishtank heater and as the nights are getting down to 12c here in sunny QLD I had a delemar. What was I to do??

I turned on the reverse cycle aircon (entire house) and set it to 25c and proceded to make my beer, even with the thought that this aircon system costs about $10 to fire it up and about $4 per day to run.

For 7 days we sweated our bums off for this beer (the heating works well, even when it's not cold enough for it).........my wife says "ya know it would be cheaper to just buy beer than run the house's central heating for your home brew"........

I mean for god's sake, gimme a break already.......I said, "darlin, it is only for this one brew, when I get paid I will buy a new heater for the fermenter".

I mean it was hot in the house......felt like bloody summer for this last week.

Anyway.......thats my story.

If you don't have any suggestions as to why my final SG is so high I hope you had a chuckle at how I possibly created the most expensive home brew with possibly the weakest alcohol content.

Cheers,
Booga.


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## Wreck (18/5/04)

What else did you throw in? SG of 1030 sounds a little low if you added a kilo of malt or dextrose.

You probably didn't need to brew it that warm either. Whenever I used to use the cooper's yeast i'd brew around 20-22 C. 

The 1012 to finish depends on what else you threw in. Most of my beers finish anywhere in the teens, depending on the recipe, so 1012 might not be too bad for your FG.

Wreck.


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## Jovial_Monk (18/5/04)

If worried by lack of attenuation (=high FG) then take the lid off the fermenter and stir vigorously with cleaned/sanitised brewpadle. Stirring the yeast cake back up into the beer usually drops it a few more points.

With an OG of 1030 the FG should be no higher than 1008 unless you have a heap of lactose or (shudder) dried corn syrup in there

Jovial Monk


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## Rod (18/5/04)

If I use ultrabrew for my sugars , the final sg is rarely below 1012 . The initial sg is usually 1038 if I make a coopers lager

Rod


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## Booga (18/5/04)

Thanks guys, I used 1kg of dextrose plain and simlple as a std kit.

With 1030 OG I was expecting around the 1005 FG.........

Is it possible that my hydrometer is playing up?? Has anyone had a problem with bad hydrometer readings and is there a std test to see if it is accurate or not??

And it would appear that from your feedback that I am brewing my largers too warm and I should be closer to 20-22c........And I should be looking for an OG of around 1038 is this correct??

Booga.


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## Wreck (18/5/04)

The temperature you take your reading does have an affect the SG. Also, if the wort wasn't well mixed, your readings could also be a bit funny. 

BTW, I think the yeast that comes with Coopers Lager is really an ale yeast. Lager yeasts like cooler temps around 10C. Anyone know for sure?

Wreck.


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## Jovial_Monk (18/5/04)

I bet the extract from the kit was not mixed very well into the wort and the real OG was closer to 1040, still should get to below 1012FG, esp with only dextrose added.

1012 something is WRONG!

Jovial Monk


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## Gout (18/5/04)

from what i remember of my kit brews 1012 was normal for me ... so i wouldn't be worried. The kits never seem to ferment out as well as grain (to me anyway)

Also, somtimes when i take a reading, i get a some what high reading but when racking i took a reading after a few lt flowed out the tap and then the reading was more what i was expecting. Not sure but maybe its all the gunk that initialy comes out the tap?

relax and drink up


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## Jovial_Monk (18/5/04)

Bet it is bubbles clinging to the hydrometer, lifting it up. with Fg, always twirl the hydrometer a couple of times to dislodge the bubbles

Jovial Monk


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## Gout (18/5/04)

JM, i tried that with my little experiment but it would notsink  so i was rather "pissed off"and half way through racking i thought no way, i must try it again and them wam it was ok with the sample taken once some beer had flowed clear

it tastes great no matter


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## Rod (19/5/04)

To check your hydrometer 
for all intents and purpose , tap water ( distilled would be better ) at 20'c , the hydometer should read 1000

Rod


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## metters (20/5/04)

Booga,

I'm with JM on all points, Next time save a few bucks on A/C and brew @ 20 degrees, SG readings OK, Drink and enjoy.
If it tastes ORF tip it out.

cheers nm


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## Booga (20/5/04)

wow........

This has got to be the most informative home brew forum on the net.

Thanks for all responses. There is a good deal of info that I have collected here. I tested my hydrometer in 20c water and it apears to be spot on.

I don't normally spin my hydrometer when testing my beer and so I ran a bit off from the coopers larger in question and gave it a "spin" and got 1003 FG. Thanks JM for that little trick........heh, I would normally just plonk it in the test tube :unsure: 

Also, when thinking back I can't remember if I stirred the wort into the cold water or not so this could have been another thing not helping.....I was quite wobbly while making this brew.

I have decided to make a whiteboard in my brew kitchen with a check list.....and tick off as I go. I know that may sound silly but 9 times out of 10 I am half cut when making my beer  

All points mentioned here will be on my check list.

Cheers to you all.
Booga.


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## Jovial_Monk (21/5/04)

Hmmm beer and brewing don't mix, funny that, eh? All that boiling water and a tipsy brewer, not on.

Add more than the 2L recommended by the kit instructions, 5L might be better, can always let wort cool down b4 pitching yeast. And stir well to dissolve the extract form the kit.

Also, add the cold topping-up water from a height, so there is lots of splashing and foam inside the fermenter. This will allow the yeast to multiply and ferment your wort fully

Jovial Monk


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## Booga (24/5/04)

Jovial_Monk said:


> Also, add the cold topping-up water from a height, so there is lots of splashing and foam inside the fermenter. This will allow the yeast to multiply and ferment your wort fully
> 
> Jovial Monk


 I thought that was a no-no.........as you are airating the wort and increasin your chances of a bug??

Booga.


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## Snow (24/5/04)

Booga,

you MUST aerate your wort, or the yeast will not have enough oxygen to ferment it fully. Just make sure the wort temp is below 30C before you aerate it, or you may get hot-side oxydation, which is bad. If you have sanitised everything properly, you shouldn't have any problem with bugs. Before pitching the yeast, stir the wort like buggery until your arm hurts and you have a big pile of foam in the fermenter. Then, pitch the yeast and do it again. Insufficient aeration (followed closely by too low fermentation temperature) is the most common cause of stuck fermentation known to man.

- Snow


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## Jovial_Monk (24/5/04)

Yes, not that our wort is ever bug free!

But remember, a vigorous ferment allows the yeast to stomp on the bacteria ever-present in out wort.

Another way to ensure a healthy ferment, if you are brewing from kits, boil your booster pack for at least 30 minutes and empty the contents of the little packet of yeast found under the lid of the kit into the wort and boil that yeast in the wort for at least 30 minutes.

That will provide plenty nutrients for the REAL yeast that you pitch later. No serious brewer would pitch 5 or 7g of dried yeast that had not been kept under refridgeration. Even Safale is better!

Nottingham, Windsor ale yeasts and 34/70 lager yeasts are much better than Safale

Jovial Monk


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## Booga (24/5/04)

ok.......thanks snow, another checkbox for the whiteboard "keep mixing till arm hurts". I now realise I have been doing everything wrong even when following the directions on the bloody can. :angry: 

wrong temps, dunking hydrometer, not mixing and airating, and now JM is totally confusing me with his wisdom on yeast :blink: 

JM, I thought that the temp of the brewkit was not to get over 60c as it will change the flavours and possibly burn the syrupy goo in the can. Also, If I pitch the yeast into boiling water won't that kill the yeast?? Also, your saying the standard yeast in the kit is no good?? I know you guys use special yeasts but I thought that was because you guys don't use kits, don't you guys brew from scratch.........

I dunno........I dunno if I feel stupid or pi**ed off............. :unsure: 

Oh, by the way, thanks for all your helps.........LOL, I really really appreciate it.

Is there a book called "Home Brewing for Dummies"??

Booga.

P.S. After this post I don't think I have earned the "Kit Master" post level


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## RobW (25/5/04)

Don't get too down on yourself mate. We've all had to learn & we've all made mistakes.  
Main things to remember:

Cool the hot wort before you start splashing it around.

When you do aerate give it a real good go - lots of froth to get as much oxygen in as you can.

Use good yeast & add some other cheap yeast to the boil for nutrients like the monk suggests. Maybe make a yeast starter to kick things off quicker.

Ferment cooler rather than hotter. Keep ales under about 22oC and lagers down as low as 10-12oC if you can.

After fermentation finishes let it stand for a few more days then rack to a secondary container & leave for another week. Then cold condition if you are able to. 1-2 weeks for ales & 2-4 weeks or even longer for lagers.

Bulk prime & in 2 weeks enjoy (but leave it longer if you can).


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## GMK (25/5/04)

Booga

There is a book tittled "Home Brewing for DUmmies"
Do a search on Amazon and you will find it...

You will end up finding your own way and doing what works for you...
Here are some things taht work for me..
- i never boil the can contents.
- adding old dried yeast to the boil for nutrients is good.
- make a yeast starter by rehydrating dried yeast first - in an old coffee jar, always add the yeast to the luke warm tepid water, let sit for 10-15mins, then add sugar (malt is better) and let it sit for another 15 - 20mins while the yeast gets active.
- Brew at temps Keneasy says.
- i primary for 10 days and rack to second fermenter for 2-4 weeks.
- cold conditioning is good if you have a spare fridge.
- i all most allways dry hop - adds really good flavour and aroma.
- use malts instead of sugar and progress to steeping specialty grains and liquid yeasts - when and if you want to.

And as DOC says " if things get a bit much...then RAHAHB (Relax And Have A Home Brew"

Hope this helps.


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## PostModern (25/5/04)

When I started brewing from kits, I found the following tips helpful:

1. Throw away the instructions.
2. Boil the kit yeast and pitch a better yeast.
3. Use malt in place of sugar.
4. Let the beer ferment in primary for AT LEAST one week (preferably two, but not much more).
5. RDWHAHB (Relax, Don't Worry, Have A Home Brew).


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## Jovial_Monk (25/5/04)

hehehehe lots of advice.

First kit yeast. At 20c dry yeast loses 20% of its vitality in a year, in the fridge it only loses 2%, so a kit that has gone through a hot Austalian summer might be half dead! Boiling the kit yeast, not in the contents of the kit, I never suggested that, but in the contents of the "booster Pack" i.e. the malts/sugars you add to the kit does provide good nutrients for the pack of real yeast you pitch. Best idea is, when you see a shop has fresh kits, buy a bunch, rip the lids of and put the yeasts in the fridge. Then pitch two packets per brew. But most kit yeasts are not much good, IMHO

Rehydrate dried yeast, at 30C for DCL yeasts and 40C for Danstar yeasts. Sprinkle the yeast on top of 10 times as much water by weight as the yeast (i.e. 120ml for a 12g packet) let stand for 15-20 minutes then stir and pitch into the beer. This is not a starter, BTW, never make a starter from dried yeast, you are going backwards.

Aeration. I don't much believe in shaking or whipping the beer. I drop it from one fermenter into one a metre below it--sanitise your bottling tube (minus valve) and insert into the tap of the top fermenter, forms the wort into a nice thin stream. For high grav worts (OG 1050+) I insert my aerating tube into the tap (bottling tube with 4 holes drilled around the circumference 2" below the top, another 4 holes 1/2" below that and a third set 1/2" below the second. I can adjust the rate of flow so I can actually HEAR air getting sucked into the wort falling pasted the holes!



23g of dry yeast is needed to fully ferment 23L of beer, but you can get away with 12g and good aeration.

Hydrometer samples I take using a turkey baster, a guy on the UK Alelist drills a hole in his fermenters and fits a second tap to take hydrometer samples. If you draw off a sample through your tap then you leave wort behind that will dry out and provide a haven for bugs. Bottle or rack through that tap and infect a complete batch. Take your reading, taste the wort or beer, chuck the rest on the garden, not back into the fermenter!!

I suggest you join CAMRA (www.camra.org.uk) and buy "Homebrewing" "Brew English Beers" "Brew European Beers" all by Wheeler & Protz and "IPA" and "Stouts and Porters" by LaPensee and Protz and "Real Ale Almanac" by Roger Protz. You won't be able to make much use of the last 3 initially but it is a cheap way to get them all.

Jovial Monk


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## Booga (25/5/04)

Cheers guys, I appreciate all your valuable advice. I have learned more in the last couple of days through this topic and a few others on this site than I have learned in the past few months reading homebrew books. I will be printing this entire topic and a few others and picking all the advise out and formulating a bit of a procedure for myself.

I spose the thing that really messed with my head was that rule #1 is through the kit instructions out the window....... :blink: and that I have been so far from a better method. No wonder I have been having trouble. I thought my beer was not to bad but now i'm thinking how much better it could be.

I have to be honest and say I still don't 100% understand about the yeast process but i'm reading up a lot more about it now. I will also be off to my HBS this week to inquire as to some non standard kit yeasts that they may be able to put me onto.

Thanks again for everyones help. I'm sure other newbies will benefit from this topic also.

Cheers,
Booga.


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