After I brewed a partial-boil recipe and before pitching, I took a hydrometer reading from the bottom of the fermenter and got a ridiculously high OG of 1.112. I later figured that this was due to poor mixing of the wort with the top-off water. (I only shook it for about 60 seconds.) Also, the liquid I drank from the hydrometer seemed fairly thick. I've got 5 gallons in a 6 gallon better bottle, and I topped off with the right amount of water.
Fermentation appeared to take off, at least judging by airlock activity. Today, 10 days in, I took another hydrometer reading, this time from near the top of the fermenter. The corrected reading is 1.012. That seems really low, and the beer from the hydrometer tasted somewhat watered-down.
So my question is whether active fermentation should have taken care of the poor mixing? Or should I give the fermenter a swirl? What about aeration concerns?
Fermentation appeared to take off, at least judging by airlock activity. Today, 10 days in, I took another hydrometer reading, this time from near the top of the fermenter. The corrected reading is 1.012. That seems really low, and the beer from the hydrometer tasted somewhat watered-down.
So my question is whether active fermentation should have taken care of the poor mixing? Or should I give the fermenter a swirl? What about aeration concerns?