Hydrometer reading for dummies...
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I'd say 1.012. You read straight through the meniscus to the line on the hydrometer. The meniscus is where the fluid curves up the side of the hydrometer. You ad 1.000 to the numbered lines of 10,20,30,etc. The small lines are 2,4,6,8. Simple.
APietru
Active Member
If it were me I would just call it 1.011
broadbill
Well-Known Member
what the difference between 10 and 12?
At second look,I see the meniscus is at 1.012. Reading straight through,as is proper,would be 1.014,sorry. I need a new script for my glasses. Harder to see small stuff. The difference between 1.010 & 1.012 is .002,or 2 points of gravity. A very small difference in ABV%. But measurable. It's better to be acurate when determining if FG is reached. No bottle bombs that way,all else being equal.
To be clear, one should ignore the rise in liquid around the hydrometer and read at the level of the majority of wort, right?
downtown3641
Well-Known Member
I'd say 13 at the bottom of the meniscus.
crazyseany
Well-Known Member
Is that a FG I hope?
What's this one?
Probably hard to tell from that angle...
What's this one?
Probably hard to tell from that angle...
get a refractometer! saved me time and wort. i always felt like the hydro was touching the sides as well. i was never comfortable with my readings.
ClarnoBrewer
Well-Known Member
That last sample looks like 1.072 to me.
I wouldn't sweat it. I do my best to read through the wort, ass it's easier to see the line from the bottom side (assuming wort is clear enough).
However, a point or two either way shouldn't be a huge deal. By the time you adjust for temps and factor in a million other errors, you're close enough.
Just make sure you're reading the same way every time, and you're good.
I wouldn't sweat it. I do my best to read through the wort, ass it's easier to see the line from the bottom side (assuming wort is clear enough).
However, a point or two either way shouldn't be a huge deal. By the time you adjust for temps and factor in a million other errors, you're close enough.
Just make sure you're reading the same way every time, and you're good.
Yeah,that last one is def on the OG. 
And refractometers are ment to read the amount of sugar in the wort at the begining. Some say adjustment programs are out there to use it during fermentation...I'll stick with my hydrometer,it works better than I do at this point.
And refractometers are ment to read the amount of sugar in the wort at the begining. Some say adjustment programs are out there to use it during fermentation...I'll stick with my hydrometer,it works better than I do at this point.crazyseany
Well-Known Member
That last one was carboyed on the 1st...can't wait to bottle!
After posting this, I started reading "designing great beers", by Daniels and noticed that he says on p. 14, "the hydrometer reading should be observed at the top of the small meniscus that forms around the hydrometer shaft.". Said he did it wrong for six years!
Yup. you read through the meniscus,not at it. Leaned that in jr high living sciences.
JeffoC6
Well-Known Member
If I only have a 1 gallon carboy (do to space issues), I won't have a lot of finished product, so it's understandable that I want to keep as much wort as I can. With that said, if I have to take a few hydrometer readings, won't I be removing a pretty large amount of final product to conduct these readings? I've read that you should NOT be putting the tested wort back into the carboy due to potential aeration. If I do 3-5 hydrometer readings, I'm going to basically be losing about 2 bottles of beer or so, no? What is the minimum amount of wort you can use for an accurate hydrometer reading?
Just sanitize the hydrometer & test tube before taking the sample. then put a short piece of tubing on a small funnel. Sanitize,then put the end of the tube in the carboy just in the surface of the beer. Then pour slowly & gently back in to the carboy. It won't get infected. I've done things like this a few times.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
your options are are return it as best you can without infecting it as unionrdr does, or take less readings. You really don't need to take 3-5 readings, if you know how long your fermentations typically go.
Yeah,knowing how long it'll take to at least get close to FG def helps.
JeffoC6
Well-Known Member
Yea, I'm so new to this that I don't even have a hydrometer yet. I'm working with the Brooklyn Brew Shop kit so all I did was follow the directions and put into primary fermentation (which they said should take 2 weeks, but I'm leaving it for 3).
I guess I'm supposed to be taking the gravity once my wort is cooled, and then about 3 weeks after, right?
Sorry, very very very new to this process.
jumertens
Active Member
Looks like 1.072
Yeah,you can wait 3 weeks to take an FG reading. Some do. I take one at 2 weeks just cause I know I'm close to FG with an average gravity ale at that point.
dmbRedGetta
Well-Known Member
It's definitely smarter to wait 3 weeks or even longer, especially if you don't have a hydrometer yet. The first few beers I made I racked and bottled as soon as they were done fermenting (because that's what the instructions said to do), and I ended up with cloudy beer that didn't taste very good (granted, I made plenty of other mistakes when transferring the beer and so forth).
Now, I let it sit 3-4 weeks in the primary before even checking on it, and the flavor and clarity are MUCH better. Technically, most beers are done fermenting within a week, but it's a really good idea to give the yeast time to clean up things.
Now, I let it sit 3-4 weeks in the primary before even checking on it, and the flavor and clarity are MUCH better. Technically, most beers are done fermenting within a week, but it's a really good idea to give the yeast time to clean up things.
Mine get past initial fermentation in 3-5 days,but take a couple weeks on average to slowly get down to a stable FG. Not to mention clean up & settling out more in 3-7 days. So patience is def a virtue here.
And those cloudy beers def come from impatience & not allowing the yeasties all the time they need to do their thing. I think we all learn that at the start.
And those cloudy beers def come from impatience & not allowing the yeasties all the time they need to do their thing. I think we all learn that at the start.
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