Zephyr259
Landlord.
I get 1.058 from this calculator.
When to take a gravity reading
- Thread starter Attwell
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Yep I just looked at my hydrometer and it's at 20 degrees so would be 1.058..
@Zephyr259 so basically I've just had a low efficiency... If I took a reading in the FV and it was at 1.058 at 23 liters does this mean I should of taken a reading before topping up and topped up until I hit my target OG instead of worrying about volume?
Drunkula
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@Attwell it's up to you if you want to have the beer as the recipe dictates or you want the full volume. I typically go for a conventient volume. If I was going to do a keg and a few bottles and the efficiency took a knock but I could still fill the keg then I'd leave it. But if the volume change is only going to change the alcohol level a bit then I thin it out so I've got more boozing.
I would calibrate an hydrometer @ 20C as that is the ambient temperature in a female dominated, centrally heated house.
As an aside, I got a plastic Coopers hydrometer with the Starter Kit bought in 2013. The thingy at the top end dropped off and I stuck it back on with superglue, after which it has always been "out" by 3 gravity points. I think these are the weight of the glue. The point is, that you are trying to measure the difference between the OG and the FG, and it actually does not matter too much if both guesses are out by much the same amount.
As an aside, I got a plastic Coopers hydrometer with the Starter Kit bought in 2013. The thingy at the top end dropped off and I stuck it back on with superglue, after which it has always been "out" by 3 gravity points. I think these are the weight of the glue. The point is, that you are trying to measure the difference between the OG and the FG, and it actually does not matter too much if both guesses are out by much the same amount.
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It should be printed on your hydrometer what the standardised temperature of your instrument is most are 20 degrees C
Yeah mine is 20
Zephyr259
Landlord.
Either works as you've since been told. 1.058 is a good OG for a beer, should get 5 - 6%. It will be interesting to see how bitter this ends up as the lower gravity of the boil will have increased your hop utilisation, but probably not by a massive amount, and time will mellow it.
Easy to calibrate an hydrometer by bunging it in water at the most suitable temp - usually 20C for HB. If all you want to know is the drop from OG to FG, calibration is rather less important, as in - if it were out by 1.003 or 1.005 , so what?
So after two weeks I've taken a FG and it's at 1.020 when it should be 1.012... Fermentation has seemed like it's been going alright, bubbler bubbling away. Think it needs more time?
Zephyr259
Landlord.
Currently, yes. Is your airlock still bubbling away?
Was bubbling regularly for the first week, the second week it slowed down a lot. Now bubbles maybe once an hour at most.
Going to swirl it a tad and raise the temps it's been at 18 degrees for the past two weeks..
Zephyr259
Landlord.
A gentle rousing and a bit more temp sounds like a fair plan to help out finish.
