Rack or wait?

[sonnyboybrew]

Coopers Dark Ale dry hopped for 2 days. Og 1.032, Sat 14.02.

• Wed 18.02 - 1.010
• Sat 21.01 - 1.002
• Today 23.02 - 1.002

According to my calculations that should be about 4.5%, I think?



Do you think It's ready to rack'n roll or should I leave it until this Saturday? :???:

 

[Covrich]

Personally I wait.. I leave mine in the FV for a minimum 2 weeks.. preferably 2-3

 

[sonnyboybrew]

Yeah, I'm going to wait until Saturday then.
What about the hops though. Will a week of dry hopping be overkill?

 

[Sandimas]

No, a week of dry hopping is just about right.

Are you sure about those gravity readings, as both appear to be too low - never seen an ale get down to 1002, 1012-1010 is the norm. Stick your hydrometer in water, it should read unity, the gauge inside might have slipped hence the odd gravity readings.

 

[sonnyboybrew]

I've just checked the hydrometer in water and it was bang on 1000.
Any ideas to why the beer would show gravity readings as low as this. TBH I did think it was a bit odd when the OG was 1032.

 

[Kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Doesn't sound right to me mate, it's got the same gravity reading as water!

 

[sonnyboybrew]

Do you mean the beer has the same gravity as water at 1002? Do you reckon its no good then? Can't understand it as I did everything as described in the instructions!

 

[clibit]

Dodgy readings seem to happen quite a lot. My advice would be to chill out, I'm sure everything is fine. Allow at least two weeks for fermentation, then bottle, it'll almost certainly turn out fine. Make sure your hydrometer is not touching the sides when you take a reading. And no bubbles cling to it.

 

[sonnyboybrew]

This was the reading just now! I don't have a vessel to take a reading in so I've been doing it in the FV, sterilising before of course.

Done a taste test too.... and it's a... :thumb:. To say it's flat it seems ok! A bit on the bitter side but hopefully after the second fermentation period it will sweeten up?

Was going for a Dark Mild anyway.... honest!:wink:

 

[Slid]

If the kit was made up with 1kg brewing sugar, then the readings make some sense and there is no need to panic at all. Just bottle on Saturday.

It is difficult to get "accurate" hydrometer readings, espacially as a beginner. So many variables. However, I would have guessed about 1004 from the picture.

If anyone else remembers a device called a "slide rule", it was often referred to as a "guessing stick" and that might be a good description of a cheap hydrometer.

 

[clibit]

That looks like 1.008 ish to me. Maybe 1.007. Which is fine. And tasting ok is a good sign too.

 

[sonnyboybrew]

Yeah, cheers. I'm just going to relax a bit with it.
Tell you what though, I've learnt a hell of a lot since I started this hobby a week ago especially with thanks to this forum. :