How to use hydrometer correctly to establish alcohol content

[Will B]

Hi there - just trying, for the first time, to use a hydrometer to measure alcohol content on Festival Summer Ale homebrew kit. Hydrometer reading before yeast I think was 1.3 (2 pix above with garden in background) and measured again just before kegging and before adding sugar (2 pix with kettle in background).

Grateful for any help
a) Am I reading the hydrometer correctly?
b) Am I taking the readings at the right time?
c) How do I then use these readings to measure alcohol content of final brew?

Any help much appreciated..have not done hydrometer readings before (despite good beer) as they seemed so complex!

Thank you in advance for any assistance...

Will

 

[Caramel Ox]

Your OG is about 1.027 and Fg about 1.010. You put these in a calculator eg

https://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

To get 2.2%.

As to whether the numbers are correct - the samples need to be around 20 degrees for the hydrometer to be accurate so you would need to measure that as well.

Those general purpose hydrometers are very confusing for new brewers in my opinion.

 

[Agentgonzo]

 

[Will B]

Thank you - 2.2% seems very low! Will it change at all during secondary? Should I be concerned? Tasted OK when I tested it last night. .

 

[An Ankoù]

It's important to calibrate your hydrometer with water at the calibration temperature.
My hydrometer says to read the bottom of the miniscus at 20C, but the paper scale must have slipped in the glass tube and 1000 is read at the top of the meniscus at 20C.
No problem. It's still a usable and reliable hydrometer.

 

[Caramel Ox]

Thank you - 2.2% seems very low! Will it change at all during secondary? Should I be concerned? Tasted OK when I tested it last night. .

The main thing is how it tastes to you.

I would suggest the most likely explanation for your readings is that the water and concentrate were not well mixed at the start, so your sample was watery.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Also as long as you read the hydrometer the same way at the same temps, whilst the OG and FG may be off a bit the drop in points between the two will give you the ABV%

 

[Twostage]

Also as long as you read the hydrometer the same way at the same temps, whilst the OG and FG may be off a bit the drop in points between the two will give you the ABV%

Hadn't thought of that, if you read it consistently "wrong" the result will be right.

 

[Stu]

Is it this one? It sounds like it's not unusual.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/festival-kit-low-abv.105004/

 

[Chippy_Tea]

@Will B

 

[hoppyscotty]

View attachment 100054

Not necessarily. My hydrometer reads from the top of the meniscus..check the instructions for your hydrometer.

 

[matt.]

Hadn't thought of that, if you read it consistently "wrong" the result will be right.

So 2 wrongs do make a right?
I must tell my old maths teacher.