All Inn FWK: Low SG.

[theQuinny]

Today I purchased a All Inn FWK, "Contraband White IPL", added 150g Crystal & topped up to 20L.

Took an OG reading at 1.038:

I'm wondering why it's so low when the label says 1.060 ?

Any ideas ?



Q

 

[MHB]

15L @ 1.060 = 20L @ SG
(15*60)/20 = 45 (1.045)
Possibilities are really limited
It wasn't 1.060 or 15L at the start (shouldn't but can happen)
A miss-measurement, some water in the tap of your fermenter diluted the sample (take another reading)
Some water in your hydrometer tube (I know, but I've done dumb shit to). If you sampled from the top and it wasn't mixed properly...
Your hydrometer is toast.
Added more than 5L of diluting water...

Pretty hard to go back and check the FWK as I'm sure you rinsed it out already,
Check your hydrometer.
I suppose you could ask the retailer if there have been any problems with production.
Or you could add some DME/sugar Dex... adding 0.007(0.175oP) to 20L comes to about 350g of sugar.
Mark

 

[DrewCarey82]

I'd take current to mean as is before top up? 1.040 would be about right for that style?

 

[theQuinny]

Thanks Mark,

I'll try to answer best I can... (this is my first post outside the comfort zone of the "Welcome" thread)

15L @ 1.060 = 20L @ SG
(15*60)/20 = 45 (1.045)

Ok - that makes sense.

Possibilities are really limited
It wasn't 1.060 or 15L at the start (shouldn't but can happen)

It was 15L, untested SG when I bought it ...

A miss-measurement, some water in the tap of your fermenter diluted the sample (take another reading)
Some water in your hydrometer tube (I know, but I've done dumb shit to). If you sampled from the top and it wasn't mixed properly...
Your hydrometer is toast.
Added more than 5L of diluting water...

"some water in the tap of your fermenter" yes - this is possible ... but took another measurement an hour or so later ... same result.

Pretty hard to go back and check the FWK as I'm sure you rinsed it out already,
Check your hydrometer.

I'm using the hydrometer that came with my noob "kit". Seems to have been ok on previous batches ...

I suppose you could ask the retailer if there have been any problems with production.
Or you could add some DME/sugar Dex... adding 0.007(0.175oP) to 20L comes to about 350g of sugar.

Could you explain that a little more please Mark. What sugar type are you referring to, dextrose?

 

[MHB]

sugar - just means common old household white sugar (Sucrose), its used as the base unit for most brewing calculation because it's very pure, very available, very cheap and doesn't have any water either in it or chemically attached to it.
So it contributes all of its weight to the solution, unlike Dextrose (Dex, Dextrose Monohydrate) which has a water molecule so its only about 91% "sugar" and 9% water (we have to allow for the water), same for DME (Dry Malt Extract) which isn't totally dry(3-4% water), or LME (Liquid Malt Extract) that is about 20% water.

~350g of sugar would add enough mass to bring you up to your target 1.045 (if that's your target)
~385g of Dextrose will give you the same gravity
~363h of DME
~437g of LME
Would all get you to about the same 1.045.

Sounds like there is a fair chance the FWK was a bit low in gravity, it can happen, sometimes the first one out has a bit of rinse water in the plumbing from the kettle to the cube.

Hope that makes sense Mark

 

[theQuinny]

Thanks Mark,

Appreciate your advice. Will let you know how I get on.


Regards,

Q

 

[fdsaasdf]

I'd email [email protected] or give them a call if you have any questions. They've been making FWKs for 5 or more years so I'm sure they will be well equipped to answer your queries.

 

[theQuinny]

I'd email [email protected] or give them a call if you have any questions. They've been making FWKs for 5 or more years so I'm sure they will be well equipped to answer your queries.

Will do ... thanks mate ...

Q

 

[theQuinny]

Just trying one of my "Riptide" All Inn FWK ... excellent

Another week or so in the bottle should be even better ...


Q

 

[theQuinny]

response from All Inn:

Hi Ian, it should read higher than that. The wort in the cube is 1.060.

It could be there was too much water added, but more likely the hydrometer is reading incorrectly.

It should be if 5 litres was added @ 1.046

Cheers

All Inn Team




I measured tap water at 25 Deg C & it’s a tad under 1.000 so I think that’s pretty close …

 

[theQuinny]

HBS just got back to me. He cracked one of his stock and tested it. Same problem as mine, so it's a bad batch by the look of things - I got store credit ... happy days !

 

[MHB]

Good outcome!
Shame the maker wasn't a bit more forthcoming. Sounds like a HBS you should support.
Mark

 

[theQuinny]

Sounds like a HBS you should support.

They're in Wacol if you know the one I'm talking about ... Great shop.

 

[MHB]

I don't, it's a fair hike from Newcastle. If you have a good Local support them, really good ones are few and far between.
I have a great local and am happy to say so!
Glad you got to the bottom of the problem.
Mark

 

[theQuinny]

Yeah, I saw you are in Newcastle. I noticed the site has a few sponsors - so didn't want to name them outright.


To be fair to All Inn, they did offer this:

"Are you local to Brisbane?

We can run a sample through our Alex 500 to see what the OG was and FG and the total alcohol

Cheers

All Inn Team"