Brewing issues

I am so pleased to read this. Thank you. We are brewing a Spring Beer - it is a pale ale but should end up around the 5% mark.

I guess I need to get some sort of Brix conversion device. Or perhaps just bear in mind that after fermenting, the Brix device will read a touch high. In future I will take my OG after cooling and pre adding the yeast.

I have just been taking more readings at every stage just so I can replicate and get a nice consistent brew each time.
Good! So you’re probably targeting an OG around 1.050 and a FG around 1.012 to get a 5% abv pale ale.

It is my understanding that hydrometer readings are required for the comparison to compute a WRI correction factor. @Yooper and @Pricelessbrewing is it possible to generate WRI correction factor using only refractometer measurements?
 
also, if you dont care what the exact FG is. a refractometer will work to tell when fermentation is done with no correction. just dont use those reading for anything.

you take a reading..............wait 2 days, take another reading. if they are the same, its not fermenting anymore. done this for years before I got a tilt.
 
It sounds like your efficiency and OG were likely just fine and your ABV is in line with the recipe assuming you ended up with the expected volume in the fermenter. And it sounds like your FG is probably fine as well since an uncorrected 1.02 refractometer reading on a 5% ABV sample is inline with what you'd expect.

You can use the refractometer conversion calc with the default 1.0 a wort correction factor to confirm that. You have some things to brush up on in terms of process and terminology. Still ... so far so good on this batch if you ask me.

I just entered your readings into the refractometer calculator and if you had:

OG 1.049
FG 1.02 (refractometer reading)
Wort correction 1.0
----------
ABV 5.26%
 
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It sounds like your efficiency and OG were likely just fine and your ABV is in line with the recipe assuming you ended up with the expected volume in the fermenter. And it sounds like your FG is probably fine as well since an uncorrected 1.02 refractometer reading on a 5% ABV sample is inline with what you'd expect.

You can use the refractometer conversion calc with the default 1.0 a wort correction factor to confirm that. You have some things to brush up on in terms of process and terminology. Still ... so far so good on this batch if you ask me.

I just entered your readings into the refractometer calculator and if you had:

OG 1.049
FG 1.02 (refractometer reading)
Wort correction 1.0
----------
ABV 5.26%
thank you so much. This is great. I’m in the log phase of learning at the moment so yes totally agree, I will nail down the process and terminology and soon we will have consistent brews.

I can’t tell you how great it feels to create something!
 
To clarify one important point: a refractometer will ALWAYS read much higher than reality when alcohol is present.

Only a hydrometer can tell you the real FG.

(kinda. It is possible to calibrate a refractometer to read accurately when alcohol is present. It takes some time and each refractometer is different. But you still need a hydrometer to be able to determine the correction factor for your refractometer. )
 
To clarify one important point: a refractometer will ALWAYS read much higher than reality when alcohol is present.

Only a hydrometer can tell you the real FG.

(kinda. It is possible to calibrate a refractometer to read accurately when alcohol is present. It takes some time and each refractometer is different. But you still need a hydrometer to be able to determine the correction factor for your refractometer. )

+1. Check out this link on BF for more info. on wort correction factor.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/how-to-determine-your-refractometers-wort-correction-factor/

basically, it’s needed to adjust a refractometer reading because there’s “stuff” other than sugar in the wort. FYI, and average correction is 4% or 0.96 when using the online calculator. Mine came out to 0.9686. I use a digital refractometer which, although pricey, is very accurate, easy to use and I find it worth the cost.
 
batch 4 - currently bubbling frantically but smelling quite yeasty

Welcome to the forum, you will find there are lots of people here with tons of experience who are all willing to help. Already a lot of good information provided, the only thing I will add / reemphasize is patience, patience, patience. Let the yeast finish it's job before you worry too much about it. This has been the hardest thing for me, just waiting. As it has been discussed already, BRIX needs adjusted once fermenting has started, you can read more about it under the How to Determine your Refractometer’s Wort Correction Factor. And as already discussed, clean and sanitize. If you are not using something like Star San, you need to start. I use BPW cleaner on all of equipment and then sanitize it with Star San. Enjoy
 
Welcome to the forum, you will find there are lots of people here with tons of experience who are all willing to help. Already a lot of good information provided, the only thing I will add / reemphasize is patience, patience, patience. Let the yeast finish it's job before you worry too much about it. This has been the hardest thing for me, just waiting. As it has been discussed already, BRIX needs adjusted once fermenting has started, you can read more about it under the How to Determine your Refractometer’s Wort Correction Factor. And as already discussed, clean and sanitize. If you are not using something like Star San, you need to start. I use BPW cleaner on all of equipment and then sanitize it with Star San. Enjoy

lovely thank you. How long would you expect to leave a beer in the fermenter?. I was led to believe that it would normally take 7-10 days before priming and then bottling. Measure the SG at 2 day intervals and if they are the same, go ahead and bottle.

I have primed batch 3 by transferring it into a sterile fermenter with a small amount of boiled water containing the right amount of dextrose (7.4g/l). I planned to bottle it 24hrs later.

the latest batch (batch 4) is still bubbling through the fermenter but still smells quite yeasty and not very beery. It has been going a week now.

many thanks, I’m using a sterisan concentrate that I dilute down.
 
Don't wait 24 hours. Put in the priming sugar and bottle it. You don't want the yeast eating up the priming sugar and then nothing left once in the bottles.

7-10 day can be a good rule of thumb. But sometimes it takes more. Testing every couple days once bubbling stops is a good way to tell.
 
I have primed batch 3 by transferring it into a sterile fermenter with a small amount of boiled water containing the right amount of dextrose (7.4g/l). I planned to bottle it 24hrs later.

Like Minbari stated, you should bottle immediately after priming. My first few batches I would wait maybe 7 to10 days, transfer to a bottling bucket with priming sugar and bottle it. But the longer I let the bottles condition the better the beer would taste.

Now I let my beer ferment a bit longer, out to 2 weeks or so, and slowly cold crash it and let it condition cold for a week before I move it to a keg. Happy with the results so far.
 
Don't wait 24 hours. Put in the priming sugar and bottle it. You don't want the yeast eating up the priming sugar and then nothing left once in the bottles.

7-10 day can be a good rule of thumb. But sometimes it takes more. Testing every couple days once bubbling stops is a good way to tell.
I’ll second this on bottling. When you feel certain that fermentation is complete (and I would still wait another week to let the yeast clean up), then it is time to bottle. Transfer from your fermenter into a bottling bucket to mix the beer with an appropriate amount of priming sugar solution, then bottle immediately. Once bottled, then you will need to practice more patience, as the beer will need at least a week to condition in the bottle before it is ready to drink. Generally for me, it takes at least 4 weeks after brew day before my beer is ready for consumption.
 
Thank you all, this is great feedback. I have bottled batch 3. The dregs left over (didn’t complete the final bottle) I just tasted and spat out and it tasted great. I have shelved them in the garage and plan to leave them there for 6 weeks before chilling and drinking.

I think batch 4 has spoiled as it was fermented in a fermenter where I didn’t clean out the spigot properly. The gas doesn’t smell quite right so the outlook isn’t great. I may leave it a bit longer to see if the yeast cleans it up.

batch 5 we did today. I’m optimistic as I feel I’ve learned so much already. Good wort volume but probably mashed a bit hot (should have been 65 but mine was closer to 70).
 
For batch 4;
If you think it was infected. The worst that can happen is it is undrinkable, you chuck it 6 weeks later.

I would take one precaution and cover the bottles. Sometimes infected batches in bottles will pop the caps or explode. Not terribly dangerous, but worth taking the extra step
 
For batch 4;
If you think it was infected. The worst that can happen is it is undrinkable, you chuck it 6 weeks later.

I would take one precaution and cover the bottles. Sometimes infected batches in bottles will pop the caps or explode. Not terribly dangerous, but worth taking the extra step

thanks for this. I can do that. I have some metal shelving in my garage and I could put those bottles in a big box.

So if when you go to bottle it (or transfer to a priming container) it smells really bad, can it still be saved after ageing in bottles for 6 weeks? When I did the first batch that smelled bad, I chucked it.
 
Bad how? Sulphur, kinda normal, will fade. Sewage? Not so much. Same with vinegar.
 
As a fellow bottle conditioner, just a tip: the beer will be naturally carbonated after two weeks. No need to wait for six.
 
thanks for this. I can do that. I have some metal shelving in my garage and I could put those bottles in a big box.

So if when you go to bottle it (or transfer to a priming container) it smells really bad, can it still be saved after ageing in bottles for 6 weeks? When I did the first batch that smelled bad, I chucked it.
What he said. How bad? Does it taste bad? I mean if it's sour or vinegar, then chuck it. If it just harsh or sharp, conditioning might help
 
As a fellow bottle conditioner, just a tip: the beer will be naturally carbonated after two weeks. No need to wait for six.
I bottled for 5 years. Had many batches take 4-6 weeks to carb up
 
My only addition to all the excellent advice so far is regarding bottling. I exclusively bottle and therefore always ferment for 3 weeks. I say "therefore" because if fermentation isn't quite done and you keg, you just have an overpressurized keg. However, an overcarbonated bottle could build up enough pressure to explode. Now if I had something like a Tilt hydrometer and could monitor when fermentation completed, I might be tempted to bottle sooner. I could also take a ton of gravity readings but, that wastes beer and increased the risk (slightly) of an infection.
 

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