I am confused on how to calculate specific gravity. I made the following recipe:
3 lbs Frozen cherries
3/4 TSP percic Enzyme
1/4 tsp potassium carbonate
3/4 tsp DAP (1/4 at start and 1/4 at each sugar break)
1 1/2 tsp Fermaid K (1/2 at start and 1/2 at each sugar break)
2.5 lbs Orange Blossom Honey (will add more to step feed)
Wyeast 1388 smacked for 3 hours
1. Sanitized everything
2. Allowed cherries to thaw
3. Added warm water to bring total to 10 cups at about 90 degrees
4. Added pectic enzyme and allowed to sit 1 hour per manufacturer instructions
5. Added 2.5 lbs of honey to bring SG to 1.105 (little over a gallon
6. Added potassium carbonate, DAP, and Fermaid K
7. Aerated for 10 minutes with oxygen
8. Waited till must was 72 degrees and pitched wyeast 1388 that had been smacked for 3 hours
9. Each day I aerated and degased. 1/3 sugar break is 1.060 and 2/3 is 1.020
10 my plan is to add 2-3 oz of honey when SG is 1.020 till yeast gives up. with a final SG of 1.025
Here are my readings with a refractometer
12 hours 1.095
1 day 1.085
1.5 days 1.074
2 days 1.065 Added DAP and Fermaid K
3 days 1.051
The must has been consistently 70-71 degrees.
This evening while reading the forum I saw that you cannot use a refractometer to measure SG after fermentation starts. I read that I should use a hydrometer, but that I can use a calculation to convert post fermentation measurements using a refractometer to actual SG. I used this site
https://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/refractometer-calculator/
Using this site my reading should be:
12 hours 1.090
1 day 1.074
1.5 days 1.056
2 days 1.042 Added DAP and Fermaid K a little past 1/3 break
3 days 1.020 2/3 break now
So . . . . which is right? I am not saying that I do not believe what I have read but I am a little confused and want to make sure I am doing it right. Also is it possible for Wyeast 1388 to go from 1.100 to 1.020 SG in 3 days?
Thanks for all your help. While my main question is about the SG so I understand what I am doing, I welcome any advice on my recipe.
3 lbs Frozen cherries
3/4 TSP percic Enzyme
1/4 tsp potassium carbonate
3/4 tsp DAP (1/4 at start and 1/4 at each sugar break)
1 1/2 tsp Fermaid K (1/2 at start and 1/2 at each sugar break)
2.5 lbs Orange Blossom Honey (will add more to step feed)
Wyeast 1388 smacked for 3 hours
1. Sanitized everything
2. Allowed cherries to thaw
3. Added warm water to bring total to 10 cups at about 90 degrees
4. Added pectic enzyme and allowed to sit 1 hour per manufacturer instructions
5. Added 2.5 lbs of honey to bring SG to 1.105 (little over a gallon
6. Added potassium carbonate, DAP, and Fermaid K
7. Aerated for 10 minutes with oxygen
8. Waited till must was 72 degrees and pitched wyeast 1388 that had been smacked for 3 hours
9. Each day I aerated and degased. 1/3 sugar break is 1.060 and 2/3 is 1.020
10 my plan is to add 2-3 oz of honey when SG is 1.020 till yeast gives up. with a final SG of 1.025
Here are my readings with a refractometer
12 hours 1.095
1 day 1.085
1.5 days 1.074
2 days 1.065 Added DAP and Fermaid K
3 days 1.051
The must has been consistently 70-71 degrees.
This evening while reading the forum I saw that you cannot use a refractometer to measure SG after fermentation starts. I read that I should use a hydrometer, but that I can use a calculation to convert post fermentation measurements using a refractometer to actual SG. I used this site
https://www.northernbrewer.com/learn/resources/refractometer-calculator/
Using this site my reading should be:
12 hours 1.090
1 day 1.074
1.5 days 1.056
2 days 1.042 Added DAP and Fermaid K a little past 1/3 break
3 days 1.020 2/3 break now
So . . . . which is right? I am not saying that I do not believe what I have read but I am a little confused and want to make sure I am doing it right. Also is it possible for Wyeast 1388 to go from 1.100 to 1.020 SG in 3 days?
Thanks for all your help. While my main question is about the SG so I understand what I am doing, I welcome any advice on my recipe.