What Did I Do Wrong?

[woodwormm]

I did my usual Kit and kilo boil up with some extra hops today.

Real Ale can, Wheat malt.

I've done this process at least 30 times previously and always get drinkable beer that myself and my mates like... pretty much always get a reading around 1040 - 1050.

I got an OG reading of 1090! and the same reading on 2 different hydrometers..

what would cause such a stupid high reading?

 

[thedragon]

I did my usual Kit and kilo boil up with some extra hops today.

Real Ale can, Wheat malt.

I've done this process at least 30 times previously and always get drinkable beer that myself and my mates like... pretty much always get a reading around 1040 - 1050.

I got an OG reading of 1090! and the same reading on 2 different hydrometers..

what would cause such a stupid high reading?

Most likely the kit has not mixed in well with the water you've added.

Being mindful of sanitisation, give the kit a real good stir and take the reading again.

 

[woodwormm]

great diagnosis,

was still high this morning,

gave it a good shake and tonight it's blooping away and sitting on 1040

happy times , it's got nottingham so it's going quick.

oh and i figured out why... I normally fill the fermenter with a cube of chilled water, pour it in nice and violent like, sloshing and mixing.

this fermenter was filled with a slow hose as the temp of my rainwater tank was cool enough to chill the boil... but the brew room is a long way from the tank for the little pump

 

[thedragon]

Happy to help mate. It's funny how little changes to our routines can result in different outcomes. Like the time when... no that's a story for another time...

Sounds like this one will turn out well. Happy drinking!

 

[woodwormm]

Happy to help mate. It's funny how little changes to our routines can result in different outcomes. Like the time when... no that's a story for another time...

Sounds like this one will turn out well. Happy drinking!

yeah smells great in the hydrometer already (i don't taste my hydro readings as i think something lives in the bottom of my hdryo tube!)

can't wait it's got a whack full of hops a mate grew for me

 

[fcmcg]

yeah smells great in the hydrometer already (i don't taste my hydro readings as i think something lives in the bottom of my hdryo tube!)

can't wait it's got a whack full of hops a mate grew for me

I highly recommend you taste your hydrometer samples...
How else can you appreciate the phases your wort goes through as it becomes beer...
Also gives you an opportunity to see if it's infected...I always spray my hands and the tap with sanitizer before I take a
sample....
Cheers
Ferg

 

[woodwormm]

yeah i used to, then my hydrometer tube broke and if 'fixed' the end of it with silicon and gaff tape -

doesn't leak anymore, but it doesn't look like the most sterile environs to be drinking from. (insert stern sanitization comments here )

so now i just sniff my samples or if i'm really keen i just pour a glass out of the barrel.

 

[JakeSm]

Yeah i often pour a little glass from my brews when taking a reading especially when i notice it is smelling great through the airlock. It does help to understand the stages the wort goes through in becoming the liquid gold we love.