Ruddles County - Specific Gravity

Waywood · Post by **Waywood** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:48 pm

Have just mashed and boiled Ruddles County per Dave Line. The wort is now cooling, however to produce a specific gravity of 1050 I have only collected 4 gallons.

Mash seemed fine (used wheelers widget), temp between 63 and 67. Needed to add more liquor mid mash to raise temp.

Boil fine.

I will try another hydrometer reading (diff hydrometer) when cool. Can anyone suggest a reason for this?

The hydrometer also shows abv of 6% against 1050SG.

Prompt assistance appreciated. I will be pitching the yeast in around 3 hours.

Cheers.

anomalous_result · Post by **anomalous_result** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:59 pm

Have you made recipes from him before and found those under? Perhaps he assumed a higher efficiency than the one you achieved?

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:59 pm

What temperature are you taking the reading of 1050 at? If the wort hasn't cooled, the actual OG will be much higher by the time you get to pitching temperature so you may need to top up with water to hit the OG you are after. That would probably explain why you are short on volume too.

EDIT: I use the hydrometer correction tool HERE

BarnsleyBrewer · Post by **BarnsleyBrewer** » Sat May 31, 2008 4:45 pm

Reading other posts on here suggest that Dave Line expected a higher efficiency rate than most brewers have got a hope of achieving with limited equipment.
Most recommend adding more grain to achieve a more realistic O.G

John

Waywood · Post by **Waywood** » Sat May 31, 2008 5:08 pm

Thanks for the responses. I thought it would be low efficiency as I was not altogether sure that the mash was fully successful. That said the temp was maintained adequately.

I took a reading direct from the boiler 15 mins following boil completion and having added some half a gallon of cool-ish water from the liquor tank. So I guess the temperature would have been around 60oC, which according to the hydrometer correction tool gives an OG of 1063.

Will consider adding more grain for the future if I cannot get to five gallons.

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » Sat May 31, 2008 5:54 pm

Isn't Ruddles County only about 4.7%

If your OG does work out to be 1063, you can add more liquor to increase the volume prior to pitching and not compromise on the target ABV

Waywood · Post by **Waywood** » Sat May 31, 2008 7:15 pm

Have just checked OG at 25oC, which came in at 1055+. Then added more water to 5 gallons and took another reading - 1048. Accoding to the hydrometer correction tool that works out at 1050 (hope the hydrometer correction tool is accurate)!

Buzz - thanks the OG of the original Oakham beer was 1050. I recommend that anyone visit the Grainstore next to Oakham station and try their '1050' brew which is the nearest thing to the original County that I have had!

Thanks all - lets hope the fermentation is problem free!

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:07 am

Well done Waywood. I'm sure it will turn out great

Out of interest, what yeast are you using?

jubby · Post by **jubby** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:55 am

I brewed Ruddles County a couple of days ago Waywood. My OG was 1058 in the FV but i miscalculated the water and ended up with 22 litres instead of 25 so it's a bit stronger than it should be. Pretty close to what you got though. I think my mash efficiency was around 70%.

Waywood · Post by **Waywood** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:35 am

Using Saf-Ale 04 yeast (first time) which was bit improvised as my reliable wide necked old style Ruddles bottle decided to give up. Landed up using another bottle without the benefit of airlock, simply covering with a sterilised piece of aluminum foil. Prepared the yeast culture the night before and by 7pm yesterday when I pitched it was amasingly lively. More so than the Munton's yeast I've used previously. By 10pm fermentation was firmly established - sorry a bit long winded but you get the picture.

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