Wobblygob - not fermenting and SG of 1.22(!)

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KevJ101

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Hi there,

So I'm brand new to brewing (2nd batch). I started my wobblygob batch 7 days ago (just juice, yeast and water). There had been very little activity, no froth/airlock, so I measured the SG and it is 1.22. This seemed very high so I repeated and took 3-4 readings and always the same.

I should say, it's been quite warm - 26-27 degrees.

I gave it a big stir last night but this morning not much happening.

Any ideas if this is normal, and why should the SG be so high? Also, what should I do next?

Thanks in advance!

Kev
 
A gravity reading of 1.22 sounds unbelievably high, it would equate to almost 600g of sugar per litre.

26-27°C would be pretty hot for most yeasts, try moving to a cooler spot and observe whether any activity commences.

I would check whether the juice you used contained any preservatives, which could inhibit the yeast from working.

If the juice was pure, then I would be tempted to take another gravity reading and if hadn't changed, pitch another sachet of yeast and try to maintain a cooler temperature (18-22°C)
 
Thanks MmmBeer,

I did as you suggest, and it's now at a happy 20 degrees. I also ordered some more yeast (arriving tomorrow) but just checked and it's fizzing and lots of airlock activity too - so clearly doing something! The SG is now reading at 1.18 - still seems incredibly high. I tested the hydrometer in tap water and it shows 1.000 so that's good. Not sure if wobblygob use preservative, but I suspect the high temperature was stopping fermentation. I'm still baffled as to why the SG is so high - I didn't even add any sugar to the wobblygob juice. Am a little concerned I'm going to end up with super strength paint stripper and I was hoping for 4-5%.

Thanks again for your advice.

Kev
 
the funny thing is, the lookup table that came with my hydrometer only goes up to 1.15, so I'll probably never know how strong the stuff is!
 
the funny thing is, the lookup table that came with my hydrometer only goes up to 1.15, so I'll probably never know how strong the stuff is!
I think you must be reading your hydrometer wrong as the don't go that high. It's more likely it was 1.022 and now 1.015
 

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