Confession time

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usnsti

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I have a confession to make.

I have been homebrewing for almost a year, I have almost 20 different brews under my belt. None of which have been any less than good. Even a few that the most critical of critics would call excellent.

I own a wine thief and a hydrometer, but I have never used either one. Not once have I taken a sample and tested it to find out how much alcohol, or if my fermentation was really done.

Does this make me a bad person?

:drunk:

:cross:

;)
 
Not at all. There are several on this forum that never used a hydrometer, or only used it when starting.

It's all a matter of choice. I personally use one to figure out when to bottle, because I don't have the confidence to be sure.

If your beers are awesome, do what works.
 
Using extracts, you can be pretty well assured of winding up with a relatively predictable product, so no big deal.

Contrast that with when someone does an all grain batch. Once I shot for an OG of 1.120 and wound up missing my mash temperatures and my OG was at 1.039. You can imagine the disappointment. Can't say I wouldn't have been MORE disappointed if I'd let the wort ferment and then bottle condition for 4 months only to find that it barely delivered a buzz. The rest of my batches have been good, but the hydrometer can be a pretty important tool for All Grainers... much more so than for extract.
 
I have 41 brews under my belt and have used a hydrometer on about every one, but only just to check the alcohol. I have never used it to run to the primary, pull a sample, and then ask myself "Is it done?" I just let time do that for me.
 
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