Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Reaching Final Gravity  (Read 3449 times)

Offline Brewtopalonian

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
Reaching Final Gravity
« on: December 03, 2017, 10:02:14 am »
Hey all!

I'm having a hard time reaching final gravity on my brews.  I just got a new setup and haven't been able to fully ferment to 1.010.  I've been shaking the crap out of my fermenters and still not quite getting there.  I've tried making starters, still nothing.  This last brew, I added yeast nutrient hoping it will correct the problem.  Anyone else have this issue?  What did you do to correct it?
Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2017, 10:04:51 am »
Not enough information. Methods? Recipes?

Offline Brewtopalonian

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2017, 10:16:15 am »
Not enough information. Methods? Recipes?

Single infusion mash, 60 min boils, plate chiller single pass, fermentation chamber with temp control, conical fermenters, Star-san everything.  I made a SunKing Sunlight clone, a Fuller's London Porter clone, a Fuller's London Pride clone, a Dogfish Head 60min IPA, and a Weissen recipe I created from scratch.  All were under the final gravity. 

Update:  I may have found the problem.  It isn't that I'm not reaching my gravity it's that I'm measuring it with a Refractometer instead of a hydrometer.  Is there a good conversion tool out there?
Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27129
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2017, 10:28:00 am »
Not enough information. Methods? Recipes?

Single infusion mash, 60 min boils, plate chiller single pass, fermentation chamber with temp control, conical fermenters, Star-san everything.  I made a SunKing Sunlight clone, a Fuller's London Porter clone, a Fuller's London Pride clone, a Dogfish Head 60min IPA, and a Weissen recipe I created from scratch.  All were under the final gravity. 

Update:  I may have found the problem.  It isn't that I'm not reaching my gravity it's that I'm measuring it with a Refractometer instead of a hydrometer.  Is there a good conversion tool out there?

http://seanterrill.com/2011/04/07/refractometer-fg-results/
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2017, 10:28:06 am »
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

Denny beat me by a few seconds. Quick fingers.

Offline Brewtopalonian

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2017, 10:31:09 am »
Thanks Gents!  That surely solves that well enough!  I'm hitting exactly my gravity's I'm just an idiot.
Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27129
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2017, 10:58:49 am »
Thanks Gents!  That surely solves that well enough!  I'm hitting exactly my gravity's I'm just an idiot.

Boy, do I know THAT feeling!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6074
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2017, 02:54:05 pm »
Thanks Gents!  That surely solves that well enough!  I'm hitting exactly my gravity's I'm just an idiot.

Welcome to the club.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Offline a10t2

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4696
  • Ask me why I don't like Chico!
    • SeanTerrill.com
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2017, 03:18:23 pm »
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

Denny beat me by a few seconds. Quick fingers.

At almost 12 minutes, Denny was practically slacking off. ;D
Sent from my Microsoft Bob

Beer is like porn. You can buy it, but it's more fun to make your own.
Refractometer Calculator | Batch Sparging Calculator | Two Mile Brewing Co.

Offline brewinhard

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3272
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2017, 04:13:48 pm »
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

Denny beat me by a few seconds. Quick fingers.

At almost 12 minutes, Denny was practically slacking off. ;D

Very unacceptable....

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27129
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2017, 08:22:53 am »
http://seanterrill.com/2012/01/06/refractometer-calculator/

Denny beat me by a few seconds. Quick fingers.

At almost 12 minutes, Denny was practically slacking off. ;D

Hey, I've been sick.....😉
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6074
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2018, 10:20:53 am »

Hey, I've been sick.....

Hope you’re feeling better now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27129
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2018, 10:33:01 am »

Hey, I've been sick.....

Hope you’re feeling better now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes, thanks!  Heart procedure appears to be working.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6074
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #13 on: January 01, 2018, 11:18:57 am »

Hey, I've been sick.....

Hope you’re feeling better now.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes, thanks!  Heart procedure appears to be working.

Well good. Fair seas and following winds to you.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Offline couchsending

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Reaching Final Gravity
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2018, 10:00:08 am »
So I seem to be having issues but just with my lagers... 4th one so far that just isn’t really attenuating like I think it should and for the life of me don’t understand why.

Avangard Pils
3% Carahell

Step Mash 145 (45) 155 (20) 162 (20) 168 (10)
  -Grainfather

Can’t remember exact brew day but I think it was 29th.  Used the Wyeast Hella Bock PC yeast.  Date on the yeast was 10/30.  Used 4 smack packs in a 2.5L starter on a stir plate..  Built the starter on 12/19.  Had to leave town for 5 days on 12/22 so starter sat for those 5 days at 40* while I was gone.  Wanted to try to ferment this one cold as long as I could.  Pitched at 46, ferment at 48 in SS Chronical.  I aerated for 2 minutes at .5 with pure O2 through a .5 micron Stone.  Used yeast nutrient at 10.  Ferment has been very slow.  Checked last night and only down to 1.018.  Three days ago I turned temp control off and let it free rise to ambient which is between 58 and 60 usually.  With my mashing schedule, theoretical amount of yeast (pitch rate should have been over 2 I believe, aeration I was thinking I would have had a much faster and seemingly healthy fermentation.  Only thing I can think of is the starter didn’t produce as much yeast as I thought?  Sure looked like a lot.