No O.G. reading.

Greetings!

We brewed our very first beer yesterday, but unfortunately we were unable to take an O.G. reading. We have a hydrometer, but we simply didn't have a vessel large enough to hold a sample in order to submerge it. I guess my question is this; Without the O.G., is there a point in trying to determine final gravity? Is it going to be harder to tell when fermentation is done? I've read that the air lock isn't as reliable as other methods. The beer in question is an IPA. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I would not worry about it wait about 2 weeks then it will be done

I actually am going to disagree with RandomBeerGuy. I had a kit one time that I waited 2 weeks and bottled it, followed the recipe exactly and when I opened my bottles it foamed up out from the top. I am thinking that I wasn't entirely done fermenting in the primary, but I never checked a F.G. to know... I learned my lesson, I'm not going to bottle unless I get two exact F.G. readings consecutively. But one kit I did I just waited 2 weeks and bottles and it was fine, so who knows.....

If it's an extract kit, and you followed the directions pretty close, and had the right amount at the end, then it's pretty much going to be real close to what the OG of the recipe states.

Measure it after 10 or 14 days and see where it's at. Then move forward after 3 days of no change.

Buy a testing vessel before then, they are cheap.

FATC1TY said:

If it's an extract kit, and you followed the directions pretty close, and had the right amount at the end, then it's pretty much going to be real close to what the OG of the recipe states.

Measure it after 10 or 14 days and see where it's at. Then move forward after 3 days of no change.

Buy a testing vessel before then, they are cheap.

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My hygrometer actually came in a tube that I pour my fermenting beer in (sanitize the cup, of course), and it works well to see what my gravity is. Best of all, it was free w/ the hygrometer .

Use the tube the hydrometer comes in to take the measurement. It takes less wort/beer than the graduated cylinders to make a reading and you can't beat the price.

MistFM said:

My hygrometer actually came in a tube that I pour my fermenting beer in (sanitize the cup, of course), and it works well to see what my gravity is. Best of all, it was free w/ the hygrometer .

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I'm a chemist, and just use a graduated cylinder I have from work. I don't sanitize it, because I don't put my beer back in after I pull a sample, I drink it. I like the cylinder because the hydrometer has plenty of room to float, and I'm able to spin and degas the sample to ensure it's accurate.

Also, I'm assuming it's a typo, but it's probably hard to measure your specific gravity with a hygrometer, since those are used to measure humidity.

Thanks for the replies gentlemen (and ladies of there are any). It never occurred to me to use the tube that the hydrometer came in. I guess we'll take the first reading in a few days. It's been sitting at a constant 75 degrees, but then again it's been over 100 degrees where I live. I can't possible get the closet any cooler. I hope this won't affect the final product. I believe the yeast that we used has a pretty wide temperature range.

Sea_of_Shells said:

Thanks for the replies gentlemen (and ladies of there are any). It never occurred to me to use the tube that the hydrometer came in. I guess we'll take the first reading in a few days. It's been sitting at a constant 75 degrees, but then again it's been over 100 degrees where I live. I can't possible get the closet any cooler. I hope this won't affect the final product. I believe the yeast that we used has a pretty wide temperature range.

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Id try to get that temp down the best you can. If the ambient temp is 75 degrees, theres a real possibility that the beer can get up to 85 when fermentation peaks. Thats too warm for 95% of yeast strains. Search "swamp coolers" or the wet tshirt and fan method for ideas on how to cool it down. Doing your best here is a whole lot more important than getting an og reading.

So the fermentation bucket is at 82 degrees. I'm assuming this is outrageously high. Potentially damaging to the beer. Besides the wet towel/fan combitnation, is there another way to cool it? I'm at work, but the wife is home trying her best to cool it. Again, I live in SoCal and it's bee 95 plus every single day. The coolest part of the house is the downstairs closet, but it's still too hot. Sorry to bug, I'm an amateur. Thanks again guys.

If you give us an ingredient list we can show you how to so some very simply math to determine your OG.

FATC1TY said:

Also, I'm assuming it's a typo, but it's probably hard to measure your specific gravity with a hygrometer, since those are used to measure humidity.

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Aha! That's why my hydrometer doesn't work in my humidor.


OP, the other option for cooling mentioned is to put your fermenter in a large bucket of water and add ice to cool the water down. Some people freeze plastic jugs of water and then swap them out as necessary once or twice a day.

The only problem with hydrometers is that no matter what you do, they always turn so that the side you want to read is facing away from you.

kingwood-kid said:

The only problem with hydrometers is that no matter what you do, they always turn so that the side you want to read is facing away from you.

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Just tape it to a cat and some buttered bread and the universe will implode.

Sea_of_Shells said:

Thanks for the replies gentlemen (and ladies of there are any). It never occurred to me to use the tube that the hydrometer came in. I guess we'll take the first reading in a few days. It's been sitting at a constant 75 degrees, but then again it's been over 100 degrees where I live. I can't possible get the closet any cooler. I hope this won't affect the final product. I believe the yeast that we used has a pretty wide temperature range.

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Yes, it will definitely affect it. After sanitation, proper fermentation temperature control is crucial for nearly all beers. You'll still have beer after the process, but fermentation control often is the difference between a good beer and a great one.

When you set up the swamp cooler, check it often – they require attention to keep the temperature within the desired range. I like the fermometer for checking temperature, but keep the bath water level below it because it isn’t water proof – only water resistant.

MistFM said:

I actually am going to disagree with RandomBeerGuy. I had a kit one time that I waited 2 weeks and bottled it, followed the recipe exactly and when I opened my bottles it foamed up out from the top. I am thinking that I wasn't entirely done fermenting in the primary, but I never checked a F.G. to know... I learned my lesson, I'm not going to bottle unless I get two exact F.G. readings consecutively. But one kit I did I just waited 2 weeks and bottles and it was fine, so who knows.....

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Maybe it's from my experience with fermentation. I never had to wait longer then 2 weeks (besides lager) for an ale to ferment. I've been recently having fermentation take about 4-6 days to fully ferment from 1.060's to 1.010 or lower so far. Maybe for some it's a matter of temp control, yeast health blah blah.

You will likely have some off flavors (banana?) from fermenting that warm but it will still be beer. I made a few like that when I was not able to control temp and it faded with time. A dorm fridge off craigslist is well worth it to be able to control temp.

Make a swamp cooler. Get a tub (like the round ones you see at backyard bbqs filled with ice and bottled beer). Fill it with water. Put an old tshirt/towel over the fermenters with the bottom of the towel/tshirt in soaking in the water. Put some frozen water bottles (the 20oz PET soda bottles work great) in the tub water, and turn the fan on it. The fabric will wick the water up the sides of the fermenter, cooling it, then the fan will evaporate the cool water, further cooling it.

It may be too late, but next time, do this.

Also, it's spendy, but I bought a chest freezer for 60 bucks off Craigslist, and a temp controller off the net for 50 bucks. I don't have to ever worry about summertime socal temps again with this setup. It fits two fermenters perfectly, and has room on the side/step for my stirplate and any starter I might get going.

110 bucks to never have to worry about the weather again? Don't think, just do it-provided you can find one on CL. As another poster mentioned, just get ANYTHING that fits a fermenter in it (large dorm fridge etc) and a temp control. If you're handy you can do the temp controller for way cheaper then I did it to. You could have temp controlled fermentation chamber for less then 100 bucks easily.