45 replies to this topic

[Mynameisluka]

LOL . that is what I said .. Now JK owns both of mine because I got sick of them.

i have looked into them before. i was torn between them being really nice to have with a lot of convenient features and they seem like they would be a pain in the ass and take up a lot of room.

[djinkc]

I hardly ever take FG. OG, always. Unless it's a beer that I know will attenuate quite a bit, or if it's a big beer I don't bother. Since it's all kegged I don't need to worry about bottles blowing up. When it's in the glass I go more by taste than numbers. But, it's good info to have and I probably should do it more often.

[Brauer]

I've actually considered skipping OG readings before skipping FG readings. My system has become so reproducible over the years, that it seems redundant some days. But then it's so easy to take a pre-boil gravity, that just seems lazy.

[Humperdink]

I used to take them all the time. Now that I have a refractometer, I don't necessarily trust the conversions. I think I still have a hydrometer, but I'm not sure it survived the move. I haven' had an issue with an unfinished beer for literally years. I think a large portion of that is never really making BIG beers. Highest OG for probably three years now is ~1.060, and that's definitely the outlier. Most my beers are 1.038-50 range.

[BarelyBrews]

I do take OG/ and FG samples, like to drink the samples,find out how attentive my yeast and process was. Unless of course i've broken my last hydrometer.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I've been using the refractometer since doing all grain just to make sure I have an expected number of gravity points going into the kettle. I started getting lazy on SG/FG hydrometer readings until one day I realized it was very easy to pump enough for the sample using the autosiphon before attaching the transfer tubing to it.

[shmgeggie]

I don't open the fermenter to take samples to see if it's done but I measure FG when I'm racking to the keg, just out of curiousity.

[Kellermeister]

I do not find the taste of unfinished beer particularly helpful in determining what the carbonated, conditioned product will taste like. It is interesting to taste it, but I do not find it helpful for recipe or process evaluation.

[positiveContact]

I do not find the taste of unfinished beer particularly helpful in determining what the carbonated, conditioned product will taste like. It is interesting to taste it, but I do not find it helpful for recipe or process evaluation.

I think if you had a beer where something went wrong you might be able to tell. it's true it's not the same but if you taste a enough before and afters you get a sense of where the beer is headed and it can be useful.

[denny]

I check it every single time. I like to know what's going on. Although I'm about as lazy as they come, I'll do things that I feel will help me produce better beer. If other people don't want to check, that's fine.

[No Party JKor]

I brewed an oktoberfest last Sunday and my regular checks of gravity came in handy. It was taking a while to get going, on wednesday the gravity was 1.052 and on thursday it was only 1.050. I decided to raise the temp a few degrees. That really kicked off the fermentation. on Saturday the gravity was down to 1.040. I'm not sure if the ferment was too cold or if it would've taken off on it's own, but it at least I knew how the ferment was progressing so I could make a decision on how to proceed.

[Deerslyr]

I'm hot and cold on taking gravity. If I have a newbie around with me, I will take gravity readings. Sometimes I will do it if I'm not lazy and want to keep good notes. If I'm just brewing and powering through the process, I don't bother. I figure that, during the brew day, I am extracting sugars and that the yeast will chew away at whatever sugars I extracted. At the end of the process, it tastes like beer. I know... lazy. But sometimes I just want to brew beer the old fashioned way. I mean really... when did they start taking gravity readings? Out of curiosity, does anyone know?

[denny]

Boy, I must be really different...I take readings after the mash runoff, during the sparge, pre boil, post boil (into the fermenter) and at packaging time and maybe (not usually) once or twice during fermentation.

[beach]

I've only been brewing for about 3 years and at this point I rarely check final gravity. I did earlier on but not so much any more

Boy, I must be really different...I take readings after the mash runoff, during the sparge, pre boil, post boil (into the fermenter) and at packaging time and maybe (not usually) once or twice during fermentation.

After giving this question more (realistic) thought I'd say I actually check FG ~50% of the time. It's really a matter of remembering to do so. I don't during fermentation. I do, however, check it throughout the sparge (fly) as well as pre & post boil.....most of the time

I'm hot and cold on taking gravity. If I have a newbie around with me, I will take gravity readings. Sometimes I will do it if I'm not lazy and want to keep good notes. If I'm just brewing and powering through the process, I don't bother. I figure that, during the brew day, I am extracting sugars and that the yeast will chew away at whatever sugars I extracted. At the end of the process, it tastes like beer. I know... lazy. But sometimes I just want to brew beer the old fashioned way. I mean really... when did they start taking gravity readings? Out of curiosity, does anyone know?

But, sometimes, it's just this ^^ Beach

[toonces]

Boy, I must be really different...I take readings after the mash runoff, during the sparge, pre boil, post boil (into the fermenter) and at packaging time and maybe (not usually) once or twice during fermentation.

no, there's a few of us anal-retentive types out there.

[CoastieSteve]

Boy, I must be really different...I take readings after the mash runoff, during the sparge, pre boil, post boil (into the fermenter) and at packaging time and maybe (not usually) once or twice during fermentation.

Do you use a refractomoter? I find all the measuring and hydrometer use to be a bother, especially since each sample needs to be chilled to close to room temp.

[positiveContact]

Do you use a refractomoter? I find all the measuring and hydrometer use to be a bother, especially since each sample needs to be chilled to close to room temp.

that's what stops me.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I take many more measurements since I got a refractometer. I think it has helped me adjust things more in my process so I have less screw ups. Cheers,Rich

[denny]

Do you use a refractomoter? I find all the measuring and hydrometer use to be a bother, especially since each sample needs to be chilled to close to room temp.

Nope. I've got one but after a couple years of use it wasn't very accurate any more so I went back to the hydrometer. For taking a sample during the boil, I use a Pyrex measuring cup to take about 8 oz. from the kettle and put it in an old metal cocktail shaker. Put the lid on and swirl it in a bowl of ice water. In just about a minute it's down to the lower 60s and I can get a reading.

[CaptRon]

Nope. I've got one but after a couple years of use it wasn't very accurate any more so I went back to the hydrometer. For taking a sample during the boil, I use a Pyrex measuring cup to take about 8 oz. from the kettle and put it in an old metal cocktail shaker. Put the lid on and swirl it in a bowl of ice water. In just about a minute it's down to the lower 60s and I can get a reading.

That's a really good idea.