I took a gravity reading yesterday for a batch of cider I made last week and was kind of surprised. When I spun my hydrometer in it stuck at 1.050'ish and had quite a bit of bubbles come up. However as I was standing and looking in amazement I noticed the hydrometer slowly sinking. Is that normal?
First Cider Question
- Thread starter WTexan
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
It may help to give the sample a good hard shake. I found that my samples are pretty carbonated and the bubbles stick to the hydrometer, making it float a little high. On my last sample I had to cap it with my hand, shake it multiple times, and then test to get a more accurate reading. Needles to say, I considered the sample contaminated by my hand, and had to use it as a taste test, rather than pour it back in.
You may need to give the sample a good shake to remove carbonation. I found that my samples were pretty bubbly and the bubbles were clinging to the hydrometer, giving me an incorrect reading. Spinning the hydrometer didn't help, so I ended up capping the sample with my hand, shaking the heck out of it and reinserting the hydrometer. I considered the sample contaminated by my hand and had to taste test it rather than add it back to the fermenter
