I hope someone can share some insight on this situation and still without resolve, I implore any and all of you to help me:
SCENARIO 1 (and the focus of my post) -
Using a refractometer, I cut runoff once the gravity was 1.077.
After 85 minutes (of a 90 minute boil), I took a pre-sugar gravity and I measured a gravity of 1.080 (w/ same refractometer).
I took a post-sugar gravity at flameout which measured 1.087-1.088 (w/ same refractometer).
Knockout into fermenter 66-68F
Pulled sample from fermenter ~45mins after knockout and completely to my surprise, only measured 1.078-1.079 with a hydrometer.
SCENARIO 2 (used as a comparison) -
We recently brewed a much lower gravity beer (target OG of 1.050) and had the following metrics:
- Pre-boil: 1.048 (w/ refractometer)
- Pre-sugar (55mins of a 60min boil): 1.050 (w/ refractometer)
- Post-sugar: 1.054 (w/ refractometer)
- Post knockout (still waiting ~45mins after knockout to take hydrometer reading): 1.052
QUESTIONS:
What is the nature of the discrepancy with the higher gravity wort as compared with the lower gravity wort...and which reading should I trust? For a high gravity beer such as this (I was actually targeting an OG of 1.088 which is what I got post boil but pre-knockout), would the higher gravity wort stratify that much after ~45mins post-knockout?
NOTES/OBSERVATIONS/COMMENTS/SPECS:
-10bbl brewhouse and knockout into a 20bbl fermenter...yield of high gravity wort was 9-10bbls into fermenter and yielded about 11bbls of the lower gravity wort (into a separate fermenter...but I assume that is understood).
-Dry Yeast pitched for both beers...no starter or slurry used (sprinkled on top of the wort through the manway when fermenter was filling)
-The sightglass on the fermenter had a very noticeable color gradient. The fluid at the top was much, MUCH clearer than the rich, golden color observed at the bottom
Thank you in advance for any and all feedback.
Cheers,
Brent
SCENARIO 1 (and the focus of my post) -
Using a refractometer, I cut runoff once the gravity was 1.077.
After 85 minutes (of a 90 minute boil), I took a pre-sugar gravity and I measured a gravity of 1.080 (w/ same refractometer).
I took a post-sugar gravity at flameout which measured 1.087-1.088 (w/ same refractometer).
Knockout into fermenter 66-68F
Pulled sample from fermenter ~45mins after knockout and completely to my surprise, only measured 1.078-1.079 with a hydrometer.
SCENARIO 2 (used as a comparison) -
We recently brewed a much lower gravity beer (target OG of 1.050) and had the following metrics:
- Pre-boil: 1.048 (w/ refractometer)
- Pre-sugar (55mins of a 60min boil): 1.050 (w/ refractometer)
- Post-sugar: 1.054 (w/ refractometer)
- Post knockout (still waiting ~45mins after knockout to take hydrometer reading): 1.052
QUESTIONS:
What is the nature of the discrepancy with the higher gravity wort as compared with the lower gravity wort...and which reading should I trust? For a high gravity beer such as this (I was actually targeting an OG of 1.088 which is what I got post boil but pre-knockout), would the higher gravity wort stratify that much after ~45mins post-knockout?
NOTES/OBSERVATIONS/COMMENTS/SPECS:
-10bbl brewhouse and knockout into a 20bbl fermenter...yield of high gravity wort was 9-10bbls into fermenter and yielded about 11bbls of the lower gravity wort (into a separate fermenter...but I assume that is understood).
-Dry Yeast pitched for both beers...no starter or slurry used (sprinkled on top of the wort through the manway when fermenter was filling)
-The sightglass on the fermenter had a very noticeable color gradient. The fluid at the top was much, MUCH clearer than the rich, golden color observed at the bottom
Thank you in advance for any and all feedback.
Cheers,
Brent
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