Oh bugger.....!

[PD]

I bought a beer hydrometer recently er well it seemed recent was actually 1975, but time passes fast when your having fun.
It came in a plastic tube with a push fit lid and full printed instructions on how to use a it, it had an amount of sugar calculator, potential % alcohol scale and was well made in glass with a nice sexy black painted bottom......
I went to use it today to check the FG on my Old Conkerwood Ale that's already been racked once and is awaiting bottling. I picked up the tube by the wrong end ! Out popped the hydro like an Exocet missile, landing belly first on the solid garage floor. Aaaagh!
Oh bugger.... yet another trip to the lhbs required.
Its quite upset me tho... a long standing friend passing away. I know the shop only stocks unsexy plastic ones.....

 

[Moley]

That's a bummer .... and also why you should always keep a spare.

Your LHBS sounds a bit pathetic if they don't stock long stemmed Stevenson Reeves, or even the Young's stubbies.

 

[Sideboard]

You can never have enough hydros, I have one in each of my carboy fv's throughout fermentation. sometimes have to get one out to clean krausen off. I slide my racking cane over it, nice fit, and fish it out. better than pulling samples I thought.

 

[PD]

Yes I have 2 spare one... cheap plastic thingies.....

But good news is....................... I just bought a new glass one Stevenson Reeves Yay ! £3.10p

 

[PD]

Hmmmm. Just took a reading with the new hydrometer of the Old Conkerwood Ale starting SG was 1.052 ( temp corrected ) on the 12 August It was racked off into 2nd fv on 16 August. The FG is now showing.... 1.003 ( temp corrected ) the lowest I've had for any kit beer. That gives me a % abv of 6.5 by my calculations ! Seems a bit strong, anyone else made Muntons Old Conkerwood Ale ? is this right ? or has having to use a different hydrometer affected the results. Both hydrometers are calibrated at 20 degrees

 

[wilsoa1111]

i suppose u did this but do u check ur hydros every now and then with water-should read at (about with dif waters) 1 if so any differnce between hydros could be eliminated

 

[PD]

Yes do that often old one was spot on at 1.000 and the new one checked also showed 1.000 ( temp of 21 degrees )

 

[The Goatreich]

Are Stevenson Reeves the ones to go for then? I've always been a bit concerned with mine as it says it's calibrated for 20C but actually reads 1.000 at 30C.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

That's a bummer ....

Nice play on words there Ade. :thumb:

BB

 

[Sideboard]

I don't know what yeast goes into them kits. never done one. nothing written on the yeast pack I suspect?

 

[PD]

Well had a taster of the Old Conkerwood Ale tonight its 4 weeks in the bottle.
Very " Strong " taste lots of liquorice after tase. Certainly not like a Stout but as its a Black ALE I suppose that's not surprising.
Still needs time to mature and although nothing wrong with it, its too " Raw ".
It has a head that lasts halt the time in the glass and leaves a little lacing. Carbonation is ok but I'm thinking to up my priming sugars a little. I seem to prefer my drinks with a decent amount of fizz and the half tsp from my cooks measuring spoon doesn't seem just quite enough ( not only on this brew but on the majority of my ales ). They might not turn out typical examples of their types but I'm reckoning they are my ales and I can drink them how I prefer without being constrained to type.

 

[joe1002]

I'm reckoning they are my ales and I can drink them how I prefer without being constrained to type.

Just one of the great things about homebrew :thumb:

 

[Baldbrewer]

Sorry Brian , slightly off topic question for Joey:
" how's your brew going?"
We busted our cherry on the same day, mine is now bottled and sat at 20 C in ferment fridge.

You can have your thread Back now Brian :

 

[PD]

quote

We busted our cherry on the same day

Does that mean your engaged or something....

 

[Baldbrewer]

Hope not SWMBO would go nuts!

 

[joe1002]

how's your brew going?

I trasferred it to a cornie last weekend and it has been sat in my kegerator since. I have had a few "testers" and it tastes good. It is a little too bitter as I didn't sparge for long enough thus had a reduced amound of wort in the boiler. I used the same amount of hops as the recipe called for . Bit of a newbie error but I know where I went wrong and can fix for the next brew (planned for this weekend).

How is yours getting on?

And PD, NO!!! :nono: :lol: :lol: