Concerns about gravity while racking to secondary

[silas_clark]

Hi All, this is my first post to any forum regarding home brewing! I've brewed about 10 5-gallon batches in the last three years. 10 days ago I brewed a Belgian dark tripel with an original gravity of 1.087, measured with a hydrometer from Northern Brewer. When ordering the batch, I mistakenly ordered only one packet of Wyeast 1388, but luckily I had an extra packet of SafAle BE-256 Belgian Dry Yeast, so I added that in combination with the Wyeast.

I racked the brew a little early (10 days) to a secondary carboy so I could use the 6-gallon primary for another brew. I measured the gravity and it came high at 1.040. But this time I measured the gravity with refractometer, the first time I used it, after I zeroed the refractometer with water.

With my new brew, a Scottish winter warmer, I measured the original gravity with both the hydrometer and the refractometer. The hydrometer measured 1.061 and the refractometer measured 1.068, a big discrepancy!

The advice I'm looking for is two things, 1. what should I trust, the hydrometer or the refractometer? 2. Is the gravity of the tripel too high and should I add more yeast to the secondary, or is it still early and should I be patient?

 

[BOB357]

Once fermentation has begun you'll need to convert the refractometer reading with a calculator in order to get the actual gravity of the beer. Also, when using a refractometer, you need to figure the wort correction factor which is specific to your refractometer. as well as zeroing it.
Here's a link with to the necessary calculators and all the procedures you'll need to follow:

Refractometer Calculator - Brewer's Friend

www.brewersfriend.com

Be sure to read everything on the page as well as all of the linked pages.

You can also set up and use the calculator in BeerSmith but it's best to understand the functions and have a stand alone calculator to double check with.

 

[Kevin58]

I would also suggest you stop using a secondary vessel. It is a practice that was once thought to be important but we now know that the supposed benefits... like removing beer off the wort to avoid off flavors... are things that simply weren't happening. The most important reason however is that you are exposing your beer to oxygen which we know 100% will ruin your beer.

Another risk is that if you move the beer from the primary fermenter too soon... as in before fermentation is complete... you are in effect halting fermentation. Your FG is not going to get any lower on that Belgium now. So no matter how eager you are to get that next beer going be sure to give the first one all the attention and patience it deserves.

 

[silas_clark]

I would also suggest you stop using a secondary vessel. It is a practice that was once thought to be important but we now know that the supposed benefits... like removing beer off the wort to avoid off flavors... are things that simply weren't happening. The most important reason however is that you are exposing your beer to oxygen which we know 100% will ruin your beer.

Another risk is that if you move the beer from the primary fermenter too soon... as in before fermentation is complete... you are in effect halting fermentation. Your FG is not going to get any lower on that Belgium now. So no matter how eager you are to get that next beer going be sure to give the first one all the attention and patience it deserves.

Great advice Kevin. I have read, and tend to agree, that the secondary fermenter is not necessary. However, I only have 1 6-gallon carboy and 3 5-gallon carboys. So I continue the practice to free up the 6-gallon. After 10 batches, this hasn't backfired on me yet, though I know it's a matter of time.

 

[silas_clark]

Once fermentation has begun you'll need to convert the refractometer reading with a calculator in order to get the actual gravity of the beer. Also, when using a refractometer, you need to figure the wort correction factor which is specific to your refractometer. as well as zeroing it.
Here's a link with to the necessary calculators and all the procedures you'll need to follow:

Refractometer Calculator - Brewer's Friend

www.brewersfriend.com

Be sure to read everything on the page as well as all of the linked pages.

You can also set up and use the calculator in BeerSmith but it's best to understand the functions and have a stand alone calculator to double check with.

Thanks Bob! I didn't realize the hydrometer is not function when measure liquid with alcohol in it like it does with just water. After using the calculator you posted it's saying I had a specific gravity of 1.014. I think that may be slightly low from an OG of 1.087, but I'll take it!

 

[BOB357]

Thanks Bob! I didn't realize the hydrometer is not function when measure liquid with alcohol in it like it does with just water. After using the calculator you posted it's saying I had a specific gravity of 1.014. I think that may be slightly low from an OG of 1.087, but I'll take it!

Using a wort correction factor would likely change that some.