Home_Brew_2022
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- Joined
- Mar 12, 2022
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Hello.
I've been home brewing beer for about a year now. Typically once a week.
I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong when using my refractometer.
I can't find anyone else describing this same issue so I'll try to explain thoroughly.
I brew small batches about 3 gallons to make a case of 12oz bottles.
When I'm done chilling I pour the beer through a strainer into my fermenting bucket and then take a small sample with a sanitized dropper.
I put a few drops on a clean and dry refractometer and close the cover.
Then I put the lid on the fermenter, shake it and add the yeast and airlock.
I go back to the refractometer and take a look at the gravity reading.
Set the refractometer down and clean up a little.
A few minutes later I'll lift the lid of the refractometer and drop it back down and take another reading and the gravity has gone up. If I set it down for a while more it keeps going up every time I do this.
For instance, today I brewed a barley wine that should of had an original gravity of 1.098.
When I checked it the first time it's 1.090. I wait 5 minutes and it's 1.093. 5 minutes more and it's 1.098. 5 more and it's 1.101.
I brewed a 10% stout recently and kept checking the OG reading (from the same sample) and eventually it was off the chart.
(The chart goes to 1.130)
Now I know I should probably use a hydrometer but honestly this reading isn't that critical to me, just nice to have.
And with these being such small batches I'd rather not waste a beer to take the reading. (I do use a hydrometer pre-boil and for the final gravity)
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks.
I've been home brewing beer for about a year now. Typically once a week.
I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong when using my refractometer.
I can't find anyone else describing this same issue so I'll try to explain thoroughly.
I brew small batches about 3 gallons to make a case of 12oz bottles.
When I'm done chilling I pour the beer through a strainer into my fermenting bucket and then take a small sample with a sanitized dropper.
I put a few drops on a clean and dry refractometer and close the cover.
Then I put the lid on the fermenter, shake it and add the yeast and airlock.
I go back to the refractometer and take a look at the gravity reading.
Set the refractometer down and clean up a little.
A few minutes later I'll lift the lid of the refractometer and drop it back down and take another reading and the gravity has gone up. If I set it down for a while more it keeps going up every time I do this.
For instance, today I brewed a barley wine that should of had an original gravity of 1.098.
When I checked it the first time it's 1.090. I wait 5 minutes and it's 1.093. 5 minutes more and it's 1.098. 5 more and it's 1.101.
I brewed a 10% stout recently and kept checking the OG reading (from the same sample) and eventually it was off the chart.
(The chart goes to 1.130)
Now I know I should probably use a hydrometer but honestly this reading isn't that critical to me, just nice to have.
And with these being such small batches I'd rather not waste a beer to take the reading. (I do use a hydrometer pre-boil and for the final gravity)
Any advice is welcome.
Thanks.