10 replies to this topic

[DaBearSox]

So I am bottling up an American Wheat tonight and I cannot seem to get a straight reading from my hydrometer...Hasn't happened to me before and I pulled it out to see if there is a crack and I am filling it with liquid somehow but it seems to be intact.I put it in and took a reading at 1.020 which is way too high from how this sound have ended...so i took it out dropped it back in and spun it...then it ended at 1.008 which is too low then what I would expect....walked away for a few minutes and it came up to 1.011 exactly where i wanted it with a correction for temp...There is some carbonation in there because I had the fermenter at 64...could it be because the temp in this apt is probably 78 and the bubbles are playing with me?damnit now its at 1.006

[stellarbrew]

My two recomendations would be to degass the beer and make sure that the hydrometer is not dragging on the edge of the sample glass.

[DaBearSox]

My two recomendations would be to degass the beer and make sure that the hydrometer is not dragging on the edge of the sample glass.

that was the crazy thing too it was trying to suck to the side like it was a magnet...and no I did not drink the kool aide tonight...i'll probably just let it go just assume I hit my FG i was shooting for...I mean there is no way it had 86% attenuation I mashed at 152 and fermented at 64

[stellarbrew]

I find that I can use the side of a needle to hold the hydrometer off of the edge of the glass. The needle seems to be slicker and has less friction to keep the hydrometer from floating to it's neutrally bouyant level.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Why dont you chill your beer or hydrometer sample down to 60 degrees where your hyrdometer is calibrated at as well. Then take your FG reading. I feel the closer I can get to 60 the better the reading and plus the chilling should take care of the gasing and such that might be playing tricks on you and your readings.

[Noontime]

I'd also check your hydrometer just to make sure; do a few readings in water to make sure it's consistent. I use my wine thief to check SG, so it always wants to stick to the side. I just tilt the thief till the hydrometer is in the center...it's almost like a game or puzzle trying to do it.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I usually let my samples hang out for hours to let the temp settle to something close to 60-70F and to decarb. Very often I forget about the sample and just read it the following morning.

[3rd party JKor]

If it tastes finished, than it probably is.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

If it tastes finished, than it probably is.

I find it's tough to tell if a beer is finished when it's not chilled and carbed. Carbonation really changes our perception. I guess if I tasted everything at the end of primary I could develop an ability to tell but right now I can't do it.

[jammer]

Why dont you chill your beer or hydrometer sample down to 60 degrees where your hyrdometer is calibrated at as well. Then take your FG reading. I feel the closer I can get to 60 the better the reading and plus the chilling should take care of the gasing and such that might be playing tricks on you and your readings.

+1

[zymot]

I find it's tough to tell if a beer is finished when it's not chilled and carbed. Carbonation really changes our perception. I guess if I tasted everything at the end of primary I could develop an ability to tell but right now I can't do it.

Some of my beers tasted great going into the bottle, and they came out great.I had some that were so poor going into the bottle I debated dumping it, bottled them anyway and they poured very good.And I had some that tasted great going into the bottle that came out meh.Much of it has to do with missing what I was trying to brew. Once I made a lousy red ale, but came out as a nice pale ale. Everybody told me how much they liked it, they did not know how far I missed the mark.zymot