I brewed my first lager 5 days ago. Preboil volume was 7 gallons, should have been slightly more. Preboil gravity was 1.044. Estimated was 1.043. My estimated preboil volume didn't calculate correctly and I didn't take the time to figure out why. So I was (guessing) that 1.044 (11 brix) was in the ballpark.
After a 60 minute fairly rigorous boil I ended up with just under 5.25 gallons. I took a refractometer reading and got 11 brix. I rinsed the refractometer in distilled water, checked that it was 0 brix, and took another sample - 11 brix. 1.044???
I threw it in the fermenter and pitched my yeast starter. It's been sitting at 50F degrees for 5 days, I just took a hydrometer reading and it's at 1.022, very, very slight diacetyl taste. I ramped the temp up to 60F
I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on the refractometer readings? 7 gallons preboil at 1.044 and then 5.25 gallons post boil at the same 1.044 gravity? I got the refractometer off ebay for $20 - not sure if that could have been the issue. I double checked the post boil reading and got 11 brix both times. I only checked the preboil sample once. I got 11 brix and moved on.
I'm baffled.
After a 60 minute fairly rigorous boil I ended up with just under 5.25 gallons. I took a refractometer reading and got 11 brix. I rinsed the refractometer in distilled water, checked that it was 0 brix, and took another sample - 11 brix. 1.044???
I threw it in the fermenter and pitched my yeast starter. It's been sitting at 50F degrees for 5 days, I just took a hydrometer reading and it's at 1.022, very, very slight diacetyl taste. I ramped the temp up to 60F
I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on the refractometer readings? 7 gallons preboil at 1.044 and then 5.25 gallons post boil at the same 1.044 gravity? I got the refractometer off ebay for $20 - not sure if that could have been the issue. I double checked the post boil reading and got 11 brix both times. I only checked the preboil sample once. I got 11 brix and moved on.
I'm baffled.