Really low OG reading....

davemorton

I have just used a Coopers Stout kit with Brew Enhancer 2 followed the destructions to a tee and only used 21 litres of water instead of 23.

When I took my OG reading however i got a reading of 0.009!!!

Anyone got any ideas?

HBO_Staff

Just double check, that must be 1.009, some hydrometers are difficult to read, and that would sound about right, just check the reading is exactly the same 24 hours later at a good room temperature, and it will be about ready for bottling/kegging

davemorton

1.009 was the starting gravity before any fermentation though?  12 hours after adding the yeast though I got a good 6 inches of foam in my FV so something has happened, maybe a dodgy hydrometer?

HBO_Staff

You would expect any initial reading before fermentation to be higher than that, it's possible it could be a faulty hydrometer, as long as you've followed the instructions on the hydrometer, perhaps just sterlise it and pop it straight into your fermenting vessel and take a reading where it sticks out of the brew, there is not a lot that can go wrong. It would be interesting to hear what the reading is when it has finished as that would help highlight any problem with the hydrometer. It sounds like your brew is fermenting nicely, so there shouldn't be too much to worry about

davemorton

That is what I thought. Only my second brew, my first was a Coopers English Bitter which has (so far) turned out very well - starting gravity of 1.042 final gravity of 1.008 steady for 30 hours. Bottled it 4 days ago for second ferment and moving it to garage at the weekend for a couple of weeks.

I am going to buy another hydrometer as the one I have at the moment is the one that came with the Coopers kit and is a bit too plasticky for my liking. 

HBO_Staff

The English Bitter readings sound about right, and it does make an great beer, just leave it to condition for a few weeks for the best flavours and body. A good few days in the warm will help get secondary fermentation going before moving it somewhere a few degrees cooler to help it clear. The plastic hydros are a great idea as they are safe and don't smash, but it sounds like it may be giving misleading readings and is the prime suspect for the problem. We have heard that there may have been a problem with the hydros early on, but it was supposed to have been fixed. Do let us know how your brews turn out though and ideally leave a review for others to use as a guide