WildHawk
New Member
How important is it to measure your gravity? If I don't care about my ABV% and so on, is it really important to get my numbers and calculate?
How important are the numbers?
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they pretty much determine if you made water, beer, or paint stripper.
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
The only one I worry about is the OG. Like Gila said, it tells me what I can expect but it really tells me how well I did as the brewer. Creating a recipe and getting within the target OG range is all that I am concerned about. I brew ales and just trust the yeast after that.
WildHawk
New Member
Thanks. Sometimes I just get a little anxious and don't bother to measure. Does that make me a reckless brewer? 
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I'd say estimating Alpha is pretty important too.
lest you decide to pair 6 ounce of hops to 5 pounds Vienna.
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Thanks. Sometimes I just get a little anxious and don't bother to measure. Does that make me a reckless brewer?
Once you understand the numbers you can do that without being reckless and still create a beer within the range of balance you are looking for.
Otherwise, you just don't know til it's too late.
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
I'd say estimating Alpha is pretty important too.
Oh of course and its very relative to ones OG in terms of a balanced beer.
That's how I know that I am going to end up with an alcoholic version of Hop Tea when I miss my OG by a bunch. (Damn braid and its tendency to rise up in the grain bed.)
Much more consistent results thus far with the manifold!
BioBeing
Well-Known Member
I'd say to a certain extent it depends on if you are doing All-grain or extract.
If you are doing an extract recipe (specifically some sort of kit), the numbers aren't that important, as they have all been figured out for you. The OG will be what they tell you it should be, and the hops will generally be pre-measured. All you do is follow the instructions.
If you are doing AG, then there is going to be more variability in the numbers. The efficiency of the mash might vary from batch to batch, and, if you plan on making a beer to a certain style or with a certain hop balance, you might be too far off. Knowing the gravity pre-boil means you might be able to adjust your wort (add some extract, or dilute with water).
Then, of course, you'll want to know when fermentation is done, so getting a stable FG is pretty important.
If you are doing an extract recipe (specifically some sort of kit), the numbers aren't that important, as they have all been figured out for you. The OG will be what they tell you it should be, and the hops will generally be pre-measured. All you do is follow the instructions.
If you are doing AG, then there is going to be more variability in the numbers. The efficiency of the mash might vary from batch to batch, and, if you plan on making a beer to a certain style or with a certain hop balance, you might be too far off. Knowing the gravity pre-boil means you might be able to adjust your wort (add some extract, or dilute with water).
Then, of course, you'll want to know when fermentation is done, so getting a stable FG is pretty important.
Special Hops
Well-Known Member
If you do extract from kits it's really not that important, just make sure you let it ferment at least 3 weeks. Did that for years without taking gravity readings before I went all grain.
When you do all grain it becomes much more important. pretty much essential.
When you do all grain it becomes much more important. pretty much essential.
The numbers matter when you come here asking for trouble shooting help or if you care to know your exactly ABV.
It's important no matter whether you brew ag, pm or extract.
If you don't trust your yeasts, and go by faulty indicators like airlock bubbling, then it's important to your peace of mind.
If you believe in something like the arbitrary movement of beers based on something stupid and faulty like the 1-2-3 rule. Then it's an important tool to knowing where your beer is at. That way you can no really WHEN to rack your beers to secondary.
If you opt to do what a huge amount of folks do and leave your beer in primary for a month, then it's not important at all unless you are tracking your abv.
But the numbers really are the best way to get a handle on what is happenning in your fermenter.
The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in....
Thinking about "doing anything" without taking a hydrometer reading is tantamount to the doctor deciding to cut you open without running any diagnostic tests....Taking one look at you and saying, "Yeah I'm going in." You would really want the doctor to use all means to properly diagnose what's going on?
I've been brewing for years, and I still think the "numbers" are important.
If you don't trust your yeasts, and go by faulty indicators like airlock bubbling, then it's important to your peace of mind.
If you believe in something like the arbitrary movement of beers based on something stupid and faulty like the 1-2-3 rule. Then it's an important tool to knowing where your beer is at. That way you can no really WHEN to rack your beers to secondary.
If you opt to do what a huge amount of folks do and leave your beer in primary for a month, then it's not important at all unless you are tracking your abv.
But the numbers really are the best way to get a handle on what is happenning in your fermenter.
The only way to truly know what is going on in your fermenter is with your hydrometer. Like I said here in my blog, which I encourage you to read, Think evaluation before action you sure as HELL wouldn't want a doctor to start cutting on you unless he used the proper diagnostic instuments like x-rays first, right? You wouldn't want him to just take a look in your eyes briefly and say "I'm cutting into your chest first thing in the morning." You would want them to use the right diagnostic tools before the slice and dice, right? You'd cry malpractice, I would hope, if they didn't say they were sending you for an MRI and other things before going in....
Thinking about "doing anything" without taking a hydrometer reading is tantamount to the doctor deciding to cut you open without running any diagnostic tests....Taking one look at you and saying, "Yeah I'm going in." You would really want the doctor to use all means to properly diagnose what's going on?
I've been brewing for years, and I still think the "numbers" are important.
Special Hops
Well-Known Member
lol - beer is not quite a life and death situation. - I have made many good extract batches without ever taking a reading. But now that I all grain I do take readings a lot more. It helps you understand the process of fermentation, and can tell you when the beer is done - but is by no means necessary for extract.
SisterThelonious
Active Member
Gravity readings can be useful if you want to duplicate your recipe or modify the recipe.
JNye
Well-Known Member
seems to me they are only important if you want to improve. if that isn't a concern then just start with proven recipes and enjoy.
No? Then why don't YOU answer the countless "Is my beer ruined?" Or "It's been 10 minutes since I pitched yeast, nothing happened so I dumped my beer" threads. Like I have for the last several years. Maybe you'd sing a different tune, and realize how many new brewers treat their airlock like it is a sacred brewing icon, and do all sorts of foolish things in their fear.
Other than you the doctor analagy has made since to thousands of brewers over the last few years I've been using it. They seem to get the idea, it may not be life or death, but a)some new brewers think it is, and b) it's just a simple analogy that seems to get into brewer's heads, and they understand the role the hydrometer plays in GOOD brewing, whether it's extract or Ag.
Many new brewers are more willing to dump their wort or pitch more yeast, that they are to do a simple thing like take a reading. There's a certain segment of new brewers who are so afraid of contamination, that they think a hydrometer is something scary/dangerous to use, rather than an important tool to get using.
No they don't have to use it all the time, but if a new brewer is stuck, or worried, then it's a good brewing practice. It tells them what their beer is doing, rather than supposing or going by something that isn't accurate.
Go ahead and do what you want, brew how you want. But a new brewer shouldn't be afraid to reach for the hydro, before they reach for the new yeast OR start another "my beer's ruined" thread.
BendBrewer
Well-Known Member
I think every new brewer should have and know how to use a hydrometer from the first batch. Sort of like every guitar player knowing how to play a standard G chord.
But then it's a personal preference on how much one uses it. But when things don't appear right or flat out aren't right one needs to know where to begin in diagnosing their problems and that normally begins with the hydrometer.
And when asking for help around here, a lot of time it's your hydrometer readings that people are going to want to know and if you can't provide those, your going to have a hard time explaining your problem in a way that allows it to be identified.
I used one when I first started and then stopped. After I while I realized I had no idea what my beer was doing so I started taking readings again.
Now that I brew AG I take readings all the time. That way I know exactly where I stand and what's going on with my brew.
Do you need to take gravity readings? No.
Can you learn a lot from taking gravity reading? Without a doubt.
Now that I brew AG I take readings all the time. That way I know exactly where I stand and what's going on with my brew.
Do you need to take gravity readings? No.
Can you learn a lot from taking gravity reading? Without a doubt.
TipsyDragon
Well-Known Member
the only real important SG number in my opinion is the final gravity. if you haven't reached it or the fermentation has stalled out to high you risk bottle bombs.
