Cool mash for OG reading?

AG n00b question: After forgetting to take an OG reading on my first AG attempt (d'oh!), I'm getting ready for round 2 with EdWort's Haus Ale. As I'm planning out the steps a question occurred to me: does anyone bother to cool their mash sample for a 'spot on' OG reading, or do ppl just figure 'ah, pretty close to 150 deg' and adjust the OG reading accordingly?

I'd be tempted to just adjust for temp, as the time spent cooling the sample could be used for more productive purposes, say, sampling another homebrew

Thx!

I always adjust for temp, which I measure with a thermometer. Its easy.

When I first started AG brewing I used to take a pre-boil gravity. I couldn't be bothered anymore. I'm very consistently getting at least 80% now so I don't worry about it. If you are going to take the readings though, definitely cool the sample first (just throw it in the freezer, it doesn't take long to cool). The farther the wort is from the calibration temp of the hydrometer the less accurate the reading.

That said I have been considering getting a refractometer. While I'm not so worried about my pre-boil gravity I am concerned about over sparging and extracting tannins.

I only take an SG at the tail end of my runnings from the second batch sparge and do so for note taking only. It's mostly to see how well I've done sparging. If the efficiency is low and I noted a 1.020+ reading, I know I could have sparged more to fix that. If it's an off flavor and I noted a 1.010 or lower reading, I might have pulled some tannins. It's just good for troubleshooting.

bradsul said:

That said I have been considering getting a refractometer. While I'm not so worried about my pre-boil gravity I am concerned about over sparging and extracting tannins.

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Brad -- check this out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...30141703080 &ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=014
This is the same refractometer and vendor that I purchased. They guy is in Vancouver and charges reasonable shipping. The unit works flawlessly, and it is REALLY convenient. You definitely won't regret it!

Maybe I'm a little too comfortable. I don't take a reading until I'm racking out of the cooled kettle into the primary. What's done is done and I just want to get a mark for ABV readings later on.

I just place a cup of wort in a bucket of cold water. Take a reading when the wort has cooled to 60 or so - just for curiosity. Doesn't take too much effort - but I agree with BierMuncher - what's done is done. I just go with whatever the gravity is - I don't try to adjust it with water or extract.

I tend to do the same (not bother until I am done), but there is something to be said for knowing your efficiency before you go into the boil.

If you have a new system or your process isn't very repeatable, you really want to know whether you significantly under-shot or over-shot your mash efficiency. If you did, it is going to affect your hop utilization and your bitterness-to-gravity ratio, which is one of the most important taste aspects of your finished beer. If you have an idea that your are above or below concentration of fermentables going into the boil kettle, at least you then have the opportunity to re-calculate your hop utilization and predicted IBU's, and then make last-minute corrections to your hop additions, if required.

I take a cup or so out of the end of the boil with a pyrex cup and put it in the fridge. When everything is pitched, cleaned and put away the sample is under 80 and ready to go for measurement and tasting.

Like I mentioned, I don't test in order to compensate. I just do it to compare my sparge methods for learning purposes.

FlyGuy said:

Brad -- check this out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330141703080%20%20%20&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=014
This is the same refractometer and vendor that I purchased. They guy is in Vancouver and charges reasonable shipping. The unit works flawlessly, and it is REALLY convenient. You definitely won't regret it!

Click to expand...

Thanks! That is cheap, I was going to wait to get one but now I may not.

I've been looking for an excuse to purchase one so I went ahead and grabbed one!