I've got that sinking feeling

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I've got that sinking feeling

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sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 9:47 am Post subject: I've got that sinking feeling
Please can someone help me? I tested my wine at the weekend with the hydrometer. One is blackberry wine and the other is rhubarb wine. In both cases the hydrometer sank all the way to the bottom. Please can someone advise me as to what might be wrong and what I can do to rectify it? Many thanks.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 10:54 am Post subject:
That's truly remarkable. I can't imagine how you'd get the S.G. so low that a hydrometer would sink. What do they smell/taste like?

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 10:55 am Post subject:
What does it read if you float it in a glass of water?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 11:01 am Post subject:
Sean, they smell and taste a bit like wine. What does it mean by getting the SG so low? Trea, not sure on that but I'll test it when I get home and report back.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 11:29 am Post subject:
The Specific Gravity (which is what a hydrometer measures). I think Treac's suggestion is good. You could let us know what range the hydrometer says it covers too.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 11:48 am Post subject:
Thanks Sean. I'll have a look later and let you know.

DorsetScott

Joined: 23 Oct 2011
Posts: 500
Location: Bournemouth

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 14 10:16 pm Post subject:
I'll ask the obvious question, but you have more headroom than the length of the hydrometer right as in it's sunk and fully under? AS for what does it mean, it's either witchcraft, a dodgy hydrometer or you've created something possibly stupidly alcoholic (although the yeast should die or the sugar run out way before that happens)

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 14 9:18 am Post subject:
Scott, Yes there is enough room for the hydrometer. OK I tested it in water and it sank up to the 1.000 mark

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 14 9:31 am Post subject:
How much sugar did you use and does the resulting wine taste very dry or sweet?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 14 10:25 am Post subject:
Trea, these are the recipes I used. Rhubarb. 3lb rhubarb 3lb sugar 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient wine yeast Blackberry. 4lb blackberries 2lb sugar water to 1 gallon 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient 1 teaspoon citric acid (or juice of a lemon) 1 cup strong tea 1 teaspoon pectinase Red wine yeast As for the taste, I didn't try the rhubarb one but the blackberry one tasted sweetish. Hope that helps.

DorsetScott

Joined: 23 Oct 2011
Posts: 500
Location: Bournemouth

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 14 12:47 pm Post subject:

sgt.colon wrote:

As for the taste, I didn't try the rhubarb one but the blackberry one tasted sweetish.

Curiouser and curiouser.

Have you used it succesfully before? If not I'd suggest maybe you have a specialist one which is only calibrated to read a small range.
Or you didn't have a large enough sample for it to float in.

Either way I wouldn't worry, you've created wine, drink it and enjoy.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 14 1:32 pm Post subject:
Strange things are afoot at the circle K. Thanks Scott, the hydrometer was new last year, so this is really it's first outing. I've cut the lid off a 2 litre lemonade bottle so I'll fill it this weekend and try the hydrometer again. The hydrometer has wine readings on there, as you can hopefully see in the picture.

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