Was your volume low?
The wort was cooled to 58F.
Brewcat do you mean what volume of wort was in my sample tube?
If your temperature was high your gravity would actually read lower.
@brew_cat is asking about your boil off. Did you have the full volume you expected after the boil?
Was this an extract batch? Did you top off with water to reach the total batch volume prior to taking the gavity reading?
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No in the fermenter. If your recipe is calculated say 5.5 gallons you have to top up with plain water to get the exact volume or you will get a false reading.
Ok I see, the recipe was create 2.5 gallons of wort, and 2 gallons to the primary, add the cooled wort, then top off. I have to add around 1 gallon of additional water to top off as an estimate.
Now I think about it. I didn’t take the reading with the added water, just the 2.5gallons I’d chilled wort!
Ok so it calls for a total of 4.5 gallon to the fermenter? That is what to take your reading from. Volume is the culprit 90% of the time
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Also realize that with extract batches if you do a good boil and volumes are correct you will hit your OG or very very close to it. You may not get a perfect gravity reading due to stratification in the liquid after adding top off water even is you stir really well…
The total batch size was 5 Gallons. 2.5 wort. 2.5 added water. Is there any way to work out the OG from the 1.1 reading i got on the 2.5 g wort without the water?
2.5 gals of 1.100 wort and 2.5 gals of water should render 5 gals of 1.050 wort according to beersmith 2. Too early in the morning for my brain to calculate how it got there…
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Yes there are calculators online or you could do the math.
Brewer’s friend has a “dilution and boil off gravity calculator” Homebrew Beer Calculators for Brew Day | Brewer's Friend
That’s the one I use
Excellent, so this is where the OG should be. Thanks again for your help!
Brewcat, 40 hours after pitching looking ok? getting bubble through the air lock every 10/20 seconds.
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Very nice. Slow and steady. Lagers start slower than ales you won’t get a violent fermentation. They will take about 2 weeks and then we can let it rise in temperature. A lager is about patience. What temperature are you at?
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Using the probe on the outside of the carboy.
Started at 48F 9.6C, now 49F 9.8C.
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What does the stick on fermometer read?
Hi Danny,
It’s reading 10.C, but it’s highlight yellow, and the bottom of the scale. Normally the yellow colour on the gauge is the tempature above. If that makes sense?
Sounds like you’re in good shape then. The stick ons are pretty accurate and you have a nice layer of krauesen building up. All yeasts are different but I seldom see much more than 1/4-1/2 inch of krauesen on a lager even in the mid-high 50s.
Congrats on your first lager fermentation. I’m somewhat jealous of your dedicated lagering fridge if I’m honest. I do 10 gals at a time “ghetto-style” in swamp coolers. It’s not sexy and it’s high maintenance but it works.
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Fingers crossed!!l Thanks for your help!
I’m glad you said that about the Krausen,’I was worried it looked small!
