When do you take your pre-boil gravity reading

[Adr_0]

OK I just ran a test on todays forerunnings which are at ~75 oC.

I took a sample and cooled it to 20.0 oC. Three sub samples measured 18.8, 18.7 and 18.8 (all readings in Brix) after approx one minute to equilibrate on the machine.

Three samples taken from the runnings (hot) and each allowed to equilibrate* for approx 1 minute on the machine read 18.8, 18.8 and 18.8.

Equilibration was performed by taking successive readings on the same sample until it stabilised. The machine takes approximately 6 seconds to take a reading then it takes me another second or two to note the reading and press the go button. A typical sequence was 18.0, 18.3, 18.5, 18.6, 18.7, 18.8, 18.8, 18.8, you can see the equilibration actually takes less than a minute.

The stated accuracy of the machine is +/- 0.2 oP but I find it's usually repeatable to within +/- 0.1 on similar samples.

That's fine... As you stated your instrument is ATC'd from 0-100°C while most people would have instruments only ATC'd for 10-30°C. I understand that your instrument settles within about 1min, and theoretically the scope instruments should be the same - though maybe this assumption is not correct.

18.8 Brix sounds like a nice beer by the way...

I'll be brewing in the next few days and will do a similar check.

 

[SBOB]

they measured 18.8, 18.8 and 18.8.

so, just a low gravity brew today

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

That was taken on the forerunnings (AKA vorlauf). Gravity into the fermenter will be 13.3.

 

[SBOB]

That was taken on the forerunnings (AKA vorlauf). Gravity into the fermenter will be 13.3.

well thats less exciting then

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Less exciting but more drinkable.

IMO there is precisely one beer in the world >7% ABV which is worth drinking and that's Duvel.

 

[manticle]

Trois monts, Rochefort 10, westvleteren xii, st bernardus 12, westmalle tripel?

There's others.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

I've tried them all. They just confirm my opinion, which is exactly that, an opinion.

 

[manticle]

I love duvel but I rate all.
For me, trois monts is like a slightly funkier version of duvel.

Anyway OT and each to their own.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

I agree, but that's what I don't like about it: it's Duvel without the finesse, which IMO is what makes Duvel special.

BTW that's also the description I would use of my latest "Belgian" golden ale: it's too strident and lacks the finesse and delicacy of Duvel. The previous version didn't have quite Duvel's intensity. Back to the drawing board.

 

[manticle]

Funnily enough my last golden strong was the same.

Blended with my dark strong, more d2, more months/years of ageing.

Will have anothe crack at golden strong in a few weeks.

No guulden draak for you either, I'm guessing?

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Yeah, I'm hoping that another couple of months aging will calm mine down to the point where I can drink it.

Or it might make it worse: I did a spiced red ale in winter and added too much pimento due to a glitch with one of my sets of scales. When first tried it was a bit OTT but I thought maybe it would calm down with time. Five months later it's going down the sink: I don't cook enough Jamaican food to be able to use it.

 

[contrarian]

I might be crazy but I wouldn't imagine that it takes very long for the 3 drops of wort I put on my refractometer to reach ambient temperature. It's such a small volume that surely it matches environmental conditions in a few seconds.