I can't hear my hydrometer

[realestatecat]

So, I've read all of the stickys about from racking off to the secondary and one comment seems to be popping up quite a bit, "your hydrometer will tell you".

From a basics standpoint, I understand how to read it, but for some reason it's not telling me anything simply because I'm not sure what it should say.

So, my OG was 1.056 and now after 1 week in the primary it's at 1.020 and I just put it into my secondary.

So, what is it exactly that my hydrometer should have or did say to me?

 

[mandoman]

by this statement people mean "You'll know when to transfer by reading your fg". By this they mean after about 3 days without a change to your gravity you can consider fermentation done. But, that doesn't mean you need to do anything, just that the MAJORITY of fermentation is complete. At 1020, it's probably not finished unless it's a really big beer. With a 1056 OG you can probably finish around 1012 or even lower depending. I don't think anyone here would suggest transferring at 1020 simply b/c no one would think your beer was done with primary fermentation. Several folks will suggest NOT using a secondary, although there are good reasons to do this like clarity or dry hopping. Anyway, leaving the beer on the yeast (in the primary) is never a bad thing and yeast can help 'eat' some of the bad things that may remain in the beer. In your case, the yeast need to be there b/c your gravity suggests there are still fermentable sugars in the beer that can be broken down. A 1020 gravity means a lot of sugars are still around. You can read up more about this - it's a big issue.

All this said, there are probably enough yeast in your secondary to bring the gravity down a few more points. Just don't bottle or keg until several days with no gravity change.



cb

 

[Tweaker]

I have been having SG numbers identical to yours. I have let brew sit in primary for 3 weeks and it is hard get FG below 1.020. In secondary I have seen SG go down .002 or so, well within the range of readability.

I have bottled many batches at 1.020 because I could not get them lower. I have had one bottle bomb, and have reduced the priming sugar to avoid this.

I say it is OK to bottle, but do not be in any hurry to do so. 3 weeks in primary or going to secondary is always better for a host of reasons.

I have been placing freshly bottled beers in a huge cooler to serve as a bomb containment vessel. Consider that when bottling with high FGs (1.020 and higher).

good luck!

 

[boo boo]

by this statement people mean "You'll know when to transfer by reading your fg". By this they mean after about 3 days without a change to your gravity you can consider fermentation done. But, that doesn't mean you need to do anything, just that the MAJORITY of fermentation is complete. At 1020, it's probably not finished unless it's a really big beer. With a 1056 OG you can probably finish around 1012 or even lower depending. I don't think anyone here would suggest transferring at 1020 simply b/c no one would think your beer was done with primary fermentation. Several folks will suggest NOT using a secondary, although there are good reasons to do this like clarity or dry hopping. Anyway, leaving the beer on the yeast (in the primary) is never a bad thing and yeast can help 'eat' some of the bad things that may remain in the beer. In your case, the yeast need to be there b/c your gravity suggests there are still fermentable sugars in the beer that can be broken down. A 1020 gravity means a lot of sugars are still around. You can read up more about this - it's a big issue.

All this said, there are probably enough yeast in your secondary to bring the gravity down a few more points. Just don't bottle or keg until several days with no gravity change.



cb

Good advise, but we would really have to know your recipie and method of brewing to be of more help. Was this extract based, and if so, what brand of extract were you using?
If this is AG, then what was your ingredients and mash schedule?

Just looking at your question and the info you supplied, I'd say it just wasn't finished before you racked to secondary. You should go by what your beer and hydrometer says to you with regard to racking. Using an attentuative yeast at correct fermenting temps, any wort made of normal sugars, will usually ferment down to 1012 or there-a-bouts.

 

[Revvy]

Just looking at your question and the info you supplied, I'd say it just wasn't finished before you racked to secondary. You should go by what your beer and hydrometer says to you with regard to racking. Using an attentuative yeast at correct fermenting temps, any wort made of normal sugars, will usually ferment down to 1012 or there-a-bouts.

Yes. Whether or not you chose to secondary, there really is no point to doing it until you reached whatever your target final gravity is supposed to be, which will be on your recipe or your software...your hydrometer will tell you if you are there or not...

 

[Ecnerwal]

A single hydrometer reading does not tell you much.

One at the start is needed, and easy to obtain.

One at the end of a week or two will tell you where you've gotten to - and depending on MANY factors - fermentability of wort (brand of extract, or mash temperatures for all grain), attenuation of yeast, amount of yeast pitched - you will have an expected range for that, though many poorly written recipes will give a specific number.

One a bare minimum of 3 days later, preferably another week, will tell you if the gravity is still dropping (fermentation continues) or not (fermentation is done). If fermentation is done, you can bottle, or leave it in the fermenter for a few more weeks without a problem.

If you have a low-fermentability wort and a low-attenuating yeast, you could be done with a 1.056-1.020 start-end. On the other hand, if you didn't do much to help the yeast get started, (starter or using dry yeast and rehydrating it, shaking fermenter or otherwise aerating wort at pitching time) they may want a few more weeks to work on it. If the gravity is 1.020 after another week or so, it's probably done. If it's 1.018, wait another week and see if it stays there, or drops further. When it stops dropping, it's done.