Jim's Beer Kit

Thanks, both.

I have just brewed a session IPA, OG 1042 using US-05. Within four days the krausen has started to dissipate and it looks as if it is finished fermenting. I took a hydrometer reading which is 1.010. Beersmith suggested it should reach a FG of 1.009, so it could just be finished but it seems a trifle...

I've done a few calculations; if the only potential source of loss was to 100g of hops then I agree with the above, the numbers aren't what I'd expect. The sugars don't evaporate, they just get more concentrated or diluted, so unless there was some loss of them other than to the hops, IMO there can...

chefgage wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:55 pm

Paddington wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:41 pm

I retook the pre boil reading several times. I've just gone to the fermenter and retaken that one, plus I've tested the hydrometer with clean water.

I take it you have compensated for temperature?

Sorry, missed this, yes I did.

Yes, I’m clutching at straws. It just makes no sense.

I can see how I’d lose some to hops, but that shouldn’t be more than 600mls (6mls per gm apparently) and if it was excessive evaporation then obviously the SG would be ok once I diluted it so, in the absence of any other explanation, I can only think my hydrometer is faulty.

I retook the pre boil reading several times. I've just gone to the fermenter and retaken that one, plus I've tested the hydrometer with clean water.

I drained the brew from the boiler into the fermenter through a sieve (it's such a small brew). When I realised it was short, I poured two litres of sanitary water through the hops in the sieve, obviously hoping to flush out any remaining wort (plus a bit of hop flavour!).

I have done maybe 25 AG brews, so I wouldn't class myself as an old timer but I'm also not a complete novice and I'm confident of all of the measurements I've taken but this makes no sense to me. I've just done a 10l mini brew of a heavily hopped US IPA. I was aiming for an OG of about 1.048. I batc...

If you don't dry hop heavily usually, it can drop the pH a few points so might feel more acidic. Always hard to say without brewing water modification, but if it's manky it'll probably come through in a few weeks. Well, Rob, I’ve been drinking these pretty quickly expecting the infection to get wor...

Rob, manky... is that a Midlands term? I’m from your neck of the woods originally and still have family over your way. Didn’t you do a Keystone Brew a few years ago? Hahah, must be, like Gambole! That's the other Weatheroak... we're Weatheroak Hill. They moved out and this started up in the same bu...

Rob, manky... is that a Midlands term? I’m from your neck of the woods originally and still have family over your way. Didn’t you do a Keystone Brew a few years ago?

You see, that’s why I was unsure if it’s infected, it’s not so bad I’d throw it away.

I found doing 10 litre brews made it easier to fit a brew in if time is your problem. 2 x cheap 14 litre stockpots, one turned into a mash tun with some camping mat and a tap, the other is the boiler. No need for a tap on the boiler, I can just pick it up and pour the wort through a sieve into the F...

Oh, and as I always do, I tried the sample I took and it is very pleasant. I have recently improved my mash efficiency, so I have gone over one end and under the other end and I’m looking at an unexpected ABV of 8.5% plus.