Soundawake Posted June 21, 2011 Posted June 21, 2011 Hello all, Was wondering if I could tap into the collective knowledge here regarding low SG readings. I've put down 3 brews now, an OS Lager, an APA and a Sparkling Ale. Every single batch was done with 20 L of Marble Hill spring water and 2L of boiling water. Starting off temp has always been around 22 degrees. Using the Coopers supplied hydrometer, and always pouring off a bit and tipping it out before filling the tube again, the SG has ranged between 1.022 to 1.030. The FG for the Lager was 1.010, and the APA 1.009. The Sparkling Ale is still fermenting. From what I've read the SG should be around the 1.040 mark, any ideas what could be happening?
Matty A Posted June 21, 2011 Posted June 21, 2011 Since the FG was in the round about ball park, it could be that you just hadnt mixed in the ingredients correctly. This won't make any differance to the beer as the yeast will still find it but it will stuff up your hydrometer reading at the start. Try testing your hydrometer in the water you use when it is around room temperature and the reading should be around 1000
Soundawake Posted June 21, 2011 Author Posted June 21, 2011 I've put some tap water into the tube and put in the hydrometer and I'll leave it a while so it gets to room temp. Right now its reading .995. When I did the Sparkling Ale I gave the wort a rigourous stir to get it all mixed properly before I took a reading. It read 1.027. Weird!!! Edit - I should point out when I said SG I really meant OG.
JarrodN Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Although I'm only a new brewer so this could probably be completely wrong but my 3rd brew was a sparkling ale done as per the recipe and started off at the 1.060 mark and FG of 1.014. My question is did you add all the ingredients from memory this is the Sparkling can a can of light malt, 500g LDM and 300g dextrose?
Soundawake Posted June 22, 2011 Author Posted June 22, 2011 Yep added exactly that. The only thing I can put it down to is it still wasnt mixed thoroughly. We'll see what happens next time.
Matty A Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 It seems that your hydrometer is .005 points out when using that water. This means that you could add .005 to your readings and it would be a little more accurate.
Guest Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Tap water at room temps will give an incorrect reading unless the room temp is 20C. Calibration is done accurately when using water at 20C.
Matty A Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 Your right Bill, should have specified. My Room temperature sits around 20C so I just guage it like that.
LeonardC2 Posted June 22, 2011 Posted June 22, 2011 I roughly pour the wort in the BK into the fermenter,then do the same with the spring water top off. Then take my long spoon & stir like it owes me money for 5 minutes. I wind up with 3-4" of foam this way. But I get more accurate SG measurements.
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