Specific Gravity Readings

I bought my brewkit for my dry Irish stout at a brew supply store that assembles your kit for you from bulk quantities of ingredients. I don't have information on what the specific is supposed to be before I bottle. My recipe says that it should start at 1.044. My measurement in the primary immediately after adding the wort was 1.033.

Do any of you have any links to information regarding SG measurements for different styles of beers?

Thanks

Did you adjust for temperature when you read your reading? If not you can go to this site http://www.leebrewery.com/beermath.htm which will do conversions for you.
You also could get a homebrew recipe calculator for use on your computer. The one located here http://bradyshomebrew.com/mojocart/dispproduct.cfm?prod_id=945 contains style guidlines for comparing your brews to different styles. I've never brewed a stout with a initial sg reading below 1.040, but that doesn't mean you did anything wrong. I'm sure it will be good either way so just relax and have a homebrew!

rhinostylee said:

Do any of you have any links to information regarding SG measurements for different styles of beers?

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The Beer Recipator will give you target OGs and SGs for any style, as will ProMash, BeerSmith, or any of the other software tools.

Thanks, those links are awesome.

I think think perhaps the reason my SG was on the low side may have had something to do with my sample. I took my sample after topping up my brew . . . it probably wasn’t a good representative sample . . . probably a bit on the thin side.

Do you stir you brew once you top it up? My instructions didn’t tell me to, and I was kind of drunk and paranoid of contamination at that point, so I topped it up, took the SG and sealed it up. Should I have stirred it up?

After topping off, you need to stir at least a little to make sure it's well mixed before you take your OG reading. Most probably stir the hell out of it at this point, or take other measures to oxygenate the wort as much as possible prior to pitching the yeast.

rhinostylee said:

I think think perhaps the reason my SG was on the low side may have had something to do with my sample. I took my sample after topping up my brew . . . it probably wasn’t a good representative sample . . . probably a bit on the thin side.

Click to expand...

Actually that's the best/only time to check gravity is after a top off to get your real SG. The stirring like El P mentioned is the important part along with hydro adjust for temp.