really low final gravity - WTF?

Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:55 am

Getting ready to keg my Hefe this weekend, it will be 3 weeks in the primary this Sunday. I probably underpitched by not using a starter, but it's been a slow and steady ferment and I assumed all was well. I thought it was a bit odd that this far out it still is popping the airlock every few minutes.

The OG was 1.050. I took a gravity reading last night - it was 1.003, that's rediculously low is it not? We're looking at a 6.1% alcohol, but I was expecting it to finish out more at the 1.010 range.

Is it possible there is a bug of some sort in their finishing off the residual sugars, or did I just make a really dry hefe by mistake?

Other than that, the color is good, the smell is good. Hmmm...
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Todd
 
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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Fri Aug 29, 2008 10:02 am

Taste?
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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:16 pm

From what I tasted out of the hydrometer tube it was hard to tell, it didn't taste BAD like something had run amok in there and fouled everything, just a little "thin" and not as flavorful as I was expecting. Being non carbonated and 70 degrees couldnt' have helped it any, of course.
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Todd
 
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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:48 am

Did you make sure your hydrometer was properly calibrated first?
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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Sun Aug 31, 2008 12:29 pm

did you degas the sample? co2 will stick to the hydrometer and make it float higher,giving the impresson of lower gravity than it really is.
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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Sun Aug 31, 2008 2:28 pm

I just degassed.


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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Sun Aug 31, 2008 4:26 pm

BDawg wrote:did you degas the sample? co2 will stick to the hydrometer and make it float higher,giving the impresson of lower gravity than it really is.

BDawg, your hydrometer is upside down. The fat end goes in first.
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Re: really low final gravity - WTF?

Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:55 pm

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