High gravity wherry?

[davelee212]

Hi all

I've done a couple of kits over the last couple of years with varying results; failed once due to having too much water and making a really weak wort, another time due to problems with temperature, etc. So I got all the stuff together this afternoon and I'm determined to do justice to a Woodfordes Wherry kit to kit off the new year!

The wort is at 26c at the moment so just waiting for it to cool a little before pitching the yeast. I've taken a reading with the hydrometer and got 1054. Using the calculator on this site to adjust for the temperature, that comes out at 1056. The instructions on the wherry kit say it should get to at least 1014 which, according to the ABV calculator that would be 5.8% which is far more than the 4.5% the kit instructions suggest.

I'm sure the markings on my fermenter are correct as I checked them at 1 litre intervals using a jug so not sure why it's so off where it should be. Should I add a little extra water to dilute the wort? It should be about 1048 I think so how much should I add for that?

thanks for any help (with what is probably a really stupid question!)

Dave

 

[Sean_Mc]

That's very high Dave, off the top my head mine used to be around the 1045 mark and most finishes around 1010-1012

I'd leave it at the forty pints (23litres), might be your hydrometer out of whack :wha:

 

[davelee212]

I've tried putting the hydrometer into tap water and it's coming out at 1000, which is correct isn't it?

Dave

 

[davelee212]

stupid me... although I had thoroughly stirred it after dissolving the malt extract, I hadn't stirred it again after topping up with cold water. I assumed that the cold water would just mix up as it went in. School boy error I suppose!

Once stirred again, hydrometer reading is 1043 which seems a bit more reasonable!

Dave

 

[darrenwest1]

that sounds better bud
wherry is a very nice pint

 

[davelee212]

it's got about an inch of foam on top now and the smell is good :)

dave