Reading the Hydrometer

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KDM

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Greetings, gang. I have just completed brew number 2, a Double Bock kit, just got 'er in the fermenter and finished cleaning up. I'm still not absolutely sure I'm reading my hydrometer correctly, would appreciate a little reassurance. I get 1.021 and shall call it my O.G., izzat correct?

db1.jpg


Also got the temperature since I bought another hydrometer with built-in thermometer. Am I cool or what? Oh wait, it says to add .001, so 1.022 as my O.G.?

db2.jpg


I've been told the double bock is a prime candidate for necessitating a blowoff tube, and I've been wanting to try one anyway, so here she is:

db3.jpg


Finally, the recipe directions call for Perle hops for bittering, and Hallertauer hops for finishing. The hop packets in the kit - they're all pellets - were Crystal hops and U.K. Challenger hops. Whoops. Oh well, figuring it probably makes no great deal of difference with me being no connisseur <sp?> or anything, and not feeling like aborting the launch, I finally said RDWHAHB and blithely proceeded. Afterwards, I noticed tags on the back of the packets reading "bittering hops" and "finishing hops" . . . and naturally I got 'em backwards and added the finishing hops first and bittering hops last. At this point I'm really hoping it's a RDWHAHB moment, and thinking the worst that can happen is I don't get a double bock out of the deal. Which is okay by me, I'm not sure I know what a double bock even is. I just drink beer, I don't ask their names. :eek:
 
I read the hydrometer at 1.022 since its read at the bottom of the meniscus.

I can't help you on flipping bittering and aroma but RDWHAHB is always sound advice.
 
I'm not sure I know what a double bock even is.

Pretty much anything that ends in -ator. Salvator, Optimator, Celebrator, etc. It's a big, heavy, malty lager. Look here for guidelines.

If you stirred up the wort adequately, you've got more like a third-of-a-bock.

I don't think you'll need a blowoff for ANY lager.
 
If it wasn't floating the reading would be high ie you get higher readings from a hydrometer thats not floating because of a lack of wort.
 
Hydrometer is floating. The recipe is a kit from the LHBS, who says all their recipes, even the "lagers", are really ale kits. Keep in mind I'm a big time n00b, don't know sh*t about what I'm doing. I siphoned a 2.5 -3 gallon wort into a 6.5 gallon PET carboy, then topped it off with cool tap water, didn't stir.

Should I open 'er up and stir? Or will it stir itself once the yeast takes off? The last batch, a Flat Tyre kit and my first ever, churned like a washing machine when fermenting took off. I wish I had a little more snap, I shoulda thought about my Flat Tyre being more like 1.075. Oh well, I'll get it straight one of these days...

BTW, I floated my hydrometer in its test tube with plain water ahead of time, then marked it with a Sharpie, to assure proper samples. I also used plain water to learn how the autosiphon works, and will likewise use it to practice bottling before trying it with the real thing (next week).
 
I hate this issue when I first started. You have to stir the living crap out of it when you use that much top-off water. Then you have to give it a few minutes to mix together.

That is way low for that beer.
 
If you post the acutual recipe ingredients and the total finishing volume we can approximate what the "real" OG is. An extract batch is really really hard to miss the OG.
 
C' mon, anybody? Stir it or don't stir it? I'm gonna RDWHAHB unless I hear differently...

5 gal batch, recipe as follows...

6 lbs dark unhopped malt extract
3 lbs amber unhopped malt extract
2 lbs Munich dark malteed barley
1/2 lb medium crystal malted barley
1/2 lb Melanoidin malted barley
1 oz Perle hops (bittering)
1 oz Hallertauer hops (finishing)
1 pkg Winsdor ale yeast
 
C' mon, anybody? Stir it or don't stir it? I'm gonna RDWHAHB unless I hear differently...

Don't stir! The yeast know where to find the sugars.

All the talk of stirring was before the yeast is pitched. After the yeast is pitched, then no stirring!

If you post your recipe, we can tell you your assumed OG.
 
I posted the recipe as I understand it. I just transcribed what's on the instrux that came with the ingredients kit.

I wasn't gonna stir since I so vividly remember how the little yeastie beasties caused my first batch to rock-n-roll and swoosh up things good. Washing machine is the only thing I can think of to describe it. And this batch is already showing plenty sign of life; I fully expect this 'un to put on just as good a show.
 
If you just steeped the grains, the OG should be around 1.068. If you mashed, you could expect 1.079. So, either way you'll be fine. You can just wait until it's finished, and check the SG then. You may expect 1.020 or so from the Windsor yeast.
 
Good god, how do you KNOW that? Will I be as smart someday? I am awestruck... :cool:

It all comes with time my friend...or brewsmith! Free Trial for 21 days.


You need to stir before you pitch the yeast, I prefer to put the lid on and shake well for about 1 minute.

Then a neat little trick from Revvy (I think, one of the very active members or mods), get a Tennis ball, and after you pitch the yeast, place the fermenter on the ball and roll around. Probably one of the best tricks in the homebrewing business.
 
Good god, how do you KNOW that? Will I be as smart someday? I am awestruck... :cool:

I'm so intelligent!



Actually, I have Beersmith. Well worth the price, and it makes me look smart!
I'm mathmatically challenged- we have many members on this forum who will calculate it all out. I learned how to do that, but I sure don't want to! I like the softwared.
 
Brewsmith, yeah yeah yeah... I know it's swell advice and all, but I'm still at the how-do-you-read-a-hydrometer? stage. :::where's the rolling eyes emoticon?:::

But lest I sound ungrateful (actually I'm just a garden-variety smartass, and drinking beer on top of that), THANKS for the ball hint! In return to the thread, here's my favorite hint received so far: Use plain water to learn how to operate your new stuff like hydrometers, autosiphons, bottling wands, etc. It's fun to play with the toys, and removes one more stress point when the n00b hits the wort.
 
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