How do you monitor your gravity

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Korben

Korben

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I was wondering how you all monitor you gravity... I was thinking of keeping about 10 oz in had a small jug with an airlock and use it to monitor the gravity periodically so I won't have to open my primary and risk infection. Of course this sample would be collected right after I mixed my yeast. Is this a good idea or will it not represent the larger brew going in my primary?
 
Korben said:
I was wondering how you all monitor you gravity... I was thinking of keeping about 10 oz in had a small jug with an airlock and use it to monitor the gravity periodically so I won't have to open my primary and risk infection. Of course this sample would be collected right after I mixed my yeast. Is this a good idea or will it not represent the larger brew going in my primary?
Click to expand...

Having never done this, I can't say for sure...however I would advise against it. There's no guarantee that you will get the same concentration of yeast in the sample, unless you're mixing your yeast really well.

EDIT: Re-read my post and realized it made no sense...

Just sanitize a turkey baster. You'll be fine.
 
Don't bother. Just give your beer ample time to ferment and all will be well. I tend to let everything ferment for 2 weeks before I take a reading. Most average gravity beers are well done by this point.
 
Sometimes I just let the original gravity sample sit next to the fermenter. It's fun to watch it drop, but the sample will always finish faster than the main fermenter. But, once the sample has stopped dropping for 3 days, it's time to check the main. I've never had a case where the final gravity for the batch varied from the sample's FG, just the timing changes.
 
Evets said:
Don't bother. Just give your beer ample time to ferment and all will be well. I tend to let everything ferment for 2 weeks before I take a reading. Most average gravity beers are well done by this point.
Click to expand...

This is my philosophy as well. After taking the original gravity right before pitching, I usually only take one other sample - 10-14 days later and before racking into secondary, to make sure it's done. I don't bother taking any more after that because I already know it's done.
 
I'm with others here just let it sit for a couple of weeks and then take a reading, unless you do not observe active fermentation after a day or two, then you may want to take a sample. Forgetting to pitch the yeast because your too druk can be a problem ;)
 
There might be a fermentation cabinet in my future, so I'm a little curious to hear what works.

When making a lager, you want to do a diacetyl rest right at the tail end of primary fermentation right? To figure out when to do the rest, you'd have to measure the gravity periodically right?
 
Made my first batch a few weeks ago, was a Pale Ale. The initial gravity was around 1.042. After about 10 days or so of fermentation I transferred to a glass carboy and the gravity was only around 1.020...needless to say, the beer wasn't very strong (although it tasted great). The temperature for the primary and secondary was around 68 F or so...not sure what I might have done wrong. I know I did not do a lot of aerating when transferring to the primary fermenter..maybe that could have been it? Maybe I should have give it more time, or used a yeast nutrient? I used 1 packet of Muntons Ale yeast.
 
chapmandew said:
Made my first batch a few weeks ago, was a Pale Ale. The initial gravity was around 1.042. After about 10 days or so of fermentation I transferred to a glass carboy and the gravity was only around 1.020...needless to say, the beer wasn't very strong (although it tasted great). The temperature for the primary and secondary was around 68 F or so...not sure what I might have done wrong. I know I did not do a lot of aerating when transferring to the primary fermenter..maybe that could have been it? Maybe I should have give it more time, or used a yeast nutrient? I used 1 packet of Muntons Ale yeast.
Click to expand...

Welcome to HBT!

If you do a search on Munton's yeast you will find many threads about it stopping at 1.020. It is more of function of that particular yeast rather than anything you did.
 
Hi, Thank you...I like the place. Definitely plan on being a supporter.

So, as a general rule, stay away from Muntons ale yeast?
 
Thank you...I really like the site. I definitely plan on becoming a supporter.

So, as a general rule, stay away from Muntons yeast? I bought some new yeast for future batches yesterday. I got a smack pack of Wyeast, and a couple of Danstar packs....
 

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