Need Beer God Help

[mxd]

again

R U using the refactometer for fermenting fg testing ?

If so then you need to convert from using the OG e.g. 1:055 and the current (pluto) to get the real value.

 

[np1962]

I am using a refractometer.

Comments are great. I just would expect FG to drop down below 1.020.

Was brewing the Smurtons golden ale.

As you are using a refractometer you need to be aware you cannot just read the measurement in brix and convert it to SG after the beer has been fermenting, alcohol changes the reading.
Thinking that you are reading something like 6 brix at the end of fermentation and usin the Beersmith tool I would say your FG is more like 1.006- 1.008.
So not that bad after all.
Confirm your brix readings and we can give you a more accurate FG reading.
Cheers
Nige

 

[QldKev]

Are you measuring the FG with the refractometer or the hydrometer

ie. If using a refractometer and my maths is correct, and your FG is 5.1 Brix (I assume thats how you got the 1.020) using an OG of 1.055 you actually have a corrected (for alcohol) gravity of 0.999 which is about 7.5% alc; doesn't make sense to have fermented that low?

How are you measuring it?

QldKev

edit: too slow at typing, Nige beat me to it.

 

[kevin_smevin]

I am using a refractometer.

Comments are great. I just would expect FG to drop down below 1.020.

Was brewing the Smurtons golden ale.

Does the beer taste sweet - 1020 should taste pretty sweet. If it doesn't taste sweet then maybe your readings are out.

Refractometers dont work on fermenting or fermented beer as the alcohol screws around with the light refraction (I think). I've attached an excell spreadsheet which will correct for it. View attachment Refractometer_Chart___During_Fermentation___Brix_to_SG.xls

The other thing to think about is your yeast handling. How much yeast are you adding? Are you doing a starter? Are you oxygenating/aerating your wort prior to pitching you yeast? What batch size are you doing? Have you noticed any off flavours like diacetyl - may suggest yeast is struggling.

Another thing to do is on your next brew, take 1-2L of your work and stick it in a bottle or flask with about 1/2 a tsp of dry yeast (like US-05). Stick this in a warm spot (warmer then you would usually ferment at) and wait until it ferments out. Test the gravity of this. Ferment the rest of your wort as normal. Take the final gravity of both the test beer and the 1-2L test batch. If the test batch has a significantly lower FG it would suggest that the yeast your pitching in your main brew is not very healthy - which could be due to a number of things. If both FGs are high then that would indicate that your mashing too high and you have too much unfermentable sugars in your wort. This is called a forced ferment test or apparent attenuation limit (AAL) and is standard practice in alot/most of commercial breweries.

 

[np1962]

QldKev,
Looks like you used Beersmith for those figures, can be fairly inaccurate at times. Have had beers that the formula said were 1.002 and measured with hydrometer were actually 1.008. Another small problem with formulas used for adjusting readings.
If people don't have beersmith there is a chart HERE
Cheers
Nige

 

[usastman]

I am using a refractometer that gives specific gravity - doesn't show brix.

I think that I need to concenrate on mash temp. I will mash at a lower temp next brew.

Beer isn't really sweet. But I did do a wheat beer that appeared to be not as thin (if that is the word) than would be expected - i.e. heavy body.

Cheers Peter

 

[WarmBeer]

I am using a refractometer that gives specific gravity - doesn't show brix.

That is fine, there is a linear relationship between SG and Brix, but a refractometer is only accurate for unfermented wort, as it reflects light based on the refractive index of sugary water.

Alcohol, which is "thinner" than water will alter this refractive index, so you can't just read off the SG reading on your refractometer.

If you want an accurate SG reading, use a hydrometer. If you don't have a hydrometer, you're welcome to one of mine, I have recently inherited 2.

 

[usastman]

So - a refractometer is not necessarily accurate for fermented beer.

So - when the reading is stable - its a fair likelyhood that the beer has fermented out.

SO maybe my issue is a non issue - I should go and buy a hydrometer......

 

[np1962]

So - a refractometer is not necessarily accurate for fermented beer.

So - when the reading is stable - its a fair likelyhood that the beer has fermented out.

SO maybe my issue is a non issue - I should go and buy a hydrometer......

You got it!

 

[katzke]

Now lets work on your other observation. Unless you are drinking so much that you are fall down drunk you should not be getting hangovers. You may be susceptible to them though.

The only time I get hangovers from home brew is when a brewer does not monitor their fermentation and gets nasty alcohols. I would check your fermentation temperatures and make sure they are always in range.

Also make sure you are letting the yeast finish.

 

[QldKev]

QldKev,
Looks like you used Beersmith for those figures, can be fairly inaccurate at times. Have had beers that the formula said were 1.002 and measured with hydrometer were actually 1.008. Another small problem with formulas used for adjusting readings.
If people don't have beersmith there is a chart HERE
Cheers
Nige

I was using an old spreadsheet I played with from a few years back; it must use the same one as BeerSmith if they both work it out incorrectly. I'll have to check out the difference in the formulas and save that new one.

QldKev