Forgot to take Gravity Readings...

After a long lay off I just started brewing again with some new equipment.


I just brewed up a fresh batch of Pale Ale, but I forgot to take the gravity readings. I chilled the wort to 65 and added the yeast, it started fermenting almost immediately. Today It's burping off every 5 seconds or so and looks good. I'm thinking I should be fine, should I just eye it and watch for it to slow to a stop?

It's ruined! Send it to me, and I'll dispose of it properly.

You can estimate what the OG should be pretty easily. I like this website: TastyBrew.com | Recipe Calculation.

If it's off a little from what your actual OG was, it won't matter. The FG will be when it stays at the same reading on your hydrometer for a few days.

As many have mentioned before me, airlock activity isn't a quality indication of anything really. Wait two weeks then check the gravity and make your next decision based on that reading. If it isn't finished after two weeks, wait another week and take a reading again.

Wait a couple weeks then take a sample for hydrometer reading 3days in a row, if it doesn't move and hopefully is below 1.020 then it's finished.

Edit: Wow, you guys are fast posters.

Mankind has been brewing beer for, what, 4000 years?
Mankind has had hydrometers for 200 years, tops.

Yeast are smart, just give them time to do their work, and you'll end up with beer. If you are: (a) brewing with extract and have good volume measurements, or (b) brewing with grain and have dialed in your process and brewhouse efficiency, you can easily estimate OG for %ABV calculations.

jds said:

Mankind has been brewing beer for, what, 4000 years?
Mankind has had hydrometers for 200 years, tops.

Click to expand...

A bit of history on the hydrometer:

IMSS - Multimedia Catalogue - Glossary - Hydrometer

Mankind has been travelling for millenia, but we tend to use today's technology that makes it a bit more reliable and efficient (i.e. motorized vehicles). Moral of the story....use your hydrometer.

Thanks guys! I will calculate the original gravity with that calculator and test after a couple weeks.

I already want to pick up another primary (6.5 gallon Carboy) to get another batch going.

LiMbTwIsTeR said:

I already want to pick up another primary (6.5 gallon Carboy) to get another batch going.

Click to expand...

That's the spirit!

ThickHead said:

That's the spirit!

Click to expand...

Yes, I already see where this is going......

I see your from Ashville and like Johnny Cash. I have a friend who is the frontman for an Ashville based band called "The TrainWreks". Lots of Cash influences and covers. Check em out!

LiMbTwIsTeR said:

Yes, I already see where this is going......

I see your from Ashville and like Johnny Cash. I have a friend who is the frontman for an Ashville based band called "The TrainWreks". Lots of Cash influences and covers. Check em out!

Click to expand...

Yep...from Asheville. I'll have to look for a TrainWreks show and check them out. I am a fan of Johnny Cash, however, my avatar is actually somewhat of a memorial to a fallen HBT member (Greenwood Rover). I pilfered the avatar photo from another HBT member who designed a label (using Greenwood Rover's Johnny Cash avatar) for a memorial brew in Greenwood Rover's honor, to be named Shiver Me Bitters.

Anyway...best of luck with this batch and the many to follow. You'll be drowning in homebrew, carboys and nice shiny equipment before you know it!