Difficulty reading Hydrometer

[kentmark]

So my first kit is a youngs ubrew lager kit (the ones they sell in tesco). I've followed the instructions (and done a lot of reading online) so think I'm ok with the principle of taking readings, bottling at the correct stable SG level etc.

But where I'm coming unstuck at the moment is reading the hydrometer that came with the kit.

It has a handy (?) yellow colour round the scale to indicate when the brew is ok to bottle. It also shows a thick black bar just below it, for which on the hydrometer instructions it states that this black bar goes from 1.010 to 1.005. The Hydrometer instructions state do not bottle until this bar is just under the level of the fluid.

However, on my kit instructions it states that bottling can take place from 1.000 to 1.006. So this would put one end of that scale inside the black "do not bottle" bar on the hydrometer.

Now, when I am taking a reading (have taken readings tonight and last night) it has been steady on a reading of (I think) 10. I'm not sure what 10 actually relates to when everything else is 1.???, also from the explanations of where these coloured bands are I can't figure out the actual graduations so it may not be 10 but one graduation under it!

I'm getting really confused so any advice would be very welcome!

Cheers,


Mark

 

[thejesmonddingo]

The 10 reading should be 1.010
Please read this,it should help viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3326&hilit=hydrometer
Ian

 

[kentmark]

Hi, thanks for the link, I think that one was one of many I read before starting :)

Ok, so 10 = 1.010. Making some sense of the scale marked on it now. The bit I'm still struggling with is.. is it actually 1.010 that I'm reading? I ask as I'm not sure on which line on the scale is the 10 line, 10 is in big numbers and could be read for about 3 lines, also there are the "helpful" lines on the scale that I think are there so beginners don't have to worry about the numbers.

So I could actually be at a good number and ready to bottle or I could be just over still.

Does anyone else have experience with the hydrometer supplied in the youngs ubrew beginners kits?

Thanks again.

 

[jonnymorris]

If its anything like mine, the yellow band starts at 996 and stops at 1006. The black band then starts and stops at 1010 (though is a bit confusing as it has 10 marked in the middle of the band). Basically, the numbers sit on top of their lines.

Hope this helps.

p.s. measure the SG of a cup of water. This should give you a clue.

 

[kentmark]

If its anything like mine, the yellow band starts at 996 and stops at 1006. The black band then starts and stops at 1010 (though is a bit confusing as it has 10 marked in the middle of the band). Basically, the numbers sit on top of their lines.

Hope this helps.

p.s. measure the SG of a cup of water. This should give you a clue.

Ahhh making sense now, cheers!

The instructions on my hydro state the black band is between 1.010 and 1.005. So with this in mind looks like mine is numbers sitting on top of lines. That also makes more sense on the graduations. So my actual readings I'm getting are 1.008 as I was reading it one line out (thought the 10 was next to it's line).

So if I'm constant again today at 1.008 can I bottle now? The kit instructions state 1.006 max. Or am I looking at the fermentation having stopped a little too early and needing a little restart?

Thanks again for all the help guys :


Mark

 

[craigite]

could you pot a picture then we can give a definitive answer.

 

[jonnymorris]

Personally, and I'm no expert by far, but if its been going a week(?) at the right temperature and there are no more bubbles I'd say its finished and you're good to go regardless of what the hydrometer or box says.

 

[kentmark]

Personally, and I'm no expert by far, but if its been going a week(?) at the right temperature and there are no more bubbles I'd say its finished and you're good to go regardless of what the hydrometer or box says.

This was kinda my thinking, the temp was 19-21 degrees all week (went into brew Friday 6th Jan), varying between overnight and daytime. I monitored the temp through the week as my house can be a little tempremental, but with a blanket in use as well I think I managed to moderate the temp ok, it certainly didn't drop lower or go higher than that.

Off out to the zoo with my daughter shortly so will do some more readings when I get home later on today.

 

[carl_saint]

Personally, and I'm no expert by far, but if its been going a week(?) at the right temperature and there are no more bubbles I'd say its finished and you're good to go regardless of what the hydrometer or box says.

Even when the bubbles in your airlock stop there could still be some residual fermentation taking place. The only true way to know a fermentation has stopped is to take gravity readings with a hydrometer a couple of days apart. If the reading is the same then it's finished. If not then leave it another couple of days. If you think it's finished and it's not then bottling early could lead to problems with high pressures and exploding bottles.

 

[kentmark]

Just taken another reading. Still 1.008. That's 3 days running at that reading. Can't see any bubbles raising either.

My worry is that whilst the reading is stable, it's above the kit instructions. Last think I need is beer bomb bottles, so is this too high to expect to bottle?


Thanks again for all the help guys.

 

[carl_saint]

Again sometime the instructions are a bit optimistic. If its been the exact same for 3 days then fermentation has finished. Get it bottled! How long has it been going? I always leave mine for at least 2 weeks even if fermentation finishes before. Give it a chance to clear more and then you will have less sediment in your bottles.

 

[kentmark]

Again sometime the instructions are a bit optimistic. If its been the exact same for 3 days then fermentation has finished. Get it bottled! How long has it been going? I always leave mine for at least 2 weeks even if fermentation finishes before. Give it a chance to clear more and then you will have less sediment in your bottles.

Went in Friday last week (6th), so it's now been in there 8 days.

Think I'll give it a go at bottling then, it doesn't look too cloudy in the test tube so fingers crossed!

 

[carl_saint]

Should be fine mate. Just remember to prime, leave in warm (20c) for a week then chill for a couple of weeks before drinking! All will be good!

 

[kentmark]

Cheers! My plan is to bottle tonight, leave in kitchen for a couple of days (usually about the 20 degree mark) then move into a large cool bag (no cool block though) in the garage. Have a lads weekend planned for beginning of Feb so can ignore it until then!

 

[carl_saint]

Sounds good to me!

 

[kentmark]

Well that's interesting! I moved the FV from the kitchen floor up onto the worktop to help with syphoning. Did this earlier this evening. Just come back out to kitchen to begin bottling operations and it appears to be fermenting again! Small bubbles rising up again, took a hydrometer reading it's now at 1.006, so has dropped this evening.

Am guessing that it had actually stalled late on and moving (although done gently with minimal sloshing around) has given it a kick up the behind.

Not going to take any chances, so will leave it tonight, go enjoy a scotch and take another reading tomorrow night.