Question:

[Allen C]

I’m working on my own recipe that I created (Imperial IPA). My starting SG was 1.082 using a Tilt Hydrometer.
After transferring to secondary fermenter and dry hopping for a week, the SG has dropped to 1.004 with 95% attenuation which I was very happy with. Then starting week 2, I added another oz of Citra Hops.
I plan to keg it today and the SG is back up to 1.008.

My question is - what would cause the SG to rise instead of staying at 1.004? I’m just curious.

Thank you in advance.

Allen C

 

[oliver]

sounds like hop creep? or the Tilt is doing something weird, 95% attenuation is a lot, what yeast did you use?

 

[Allen C]

sounds like hop creep? or the Tilt is doing something weird, 95% attenuation is a lot, what yeast did you use?

Wyeast 1056 x 2

I was under the impression that Dry Hop Creep created the opposite effect - increased attenuation - not decreased.
For now, I’m just assuming it’s just a funky thing with my Tilt.

 

[J A]

Most likely neucleation from the hop material interacting with CO2 causing the reading to be off. I don't use a Tilt but I'd never trust that it's 100% accurate until I confirmed the reading with a trusted hydrometer.

 

[Ward Chillington]

And yeah....a 4 thousandths delta? You are still well within the ball park so I wouldn't sweat what part of home plate you touched. RDWHAHB! Neither your tongue or your brain can tell the difference!

Like J A, I'm not a Tilt user nor do I recall ever looking at one in a catalog but I bet there is a tolerance given for the specs on the meters' readings and I would not be at all surprised that you are inside at range.

 

[Group W]

I have a Tilt and found it most useful to visualize the entire fermentation process as opposed to OG or FG values. I suspect 1.004 was a false reading.

 

[J A]

I suspect 1.004 was a false reading.

That's where my money's at. I suppose it's possible to get to 95% attenuation on a DIPA but it would be very unusual...and not necessarily a great beer as a result of it.

 

[Mark Farrall]

I've had it happen to me. Your 1.004 was probably higher than actual due to gas bubbles on the tilt changing the angle. When you dry hopped some of those bubbles were removed and you got something closer to actual. I gently swirl the fermenter every now and again to minimise the bubbles/debris on the tilt. I also confirm the gravity with hydrometer/refractometer once fermentation has stopped .