So when I take a hydrometer reading, I'm usually not that confident in my reading being super precise, so I just leave the hydrometer test tube out for a little while, then come back to check again to make sure I had the right reading. (I can be a little OCD about things like that, and as soon as I dump it out, I'm going to want another reading to confirm).
Anyways, the last several times I've done this, the hydrometer reading has been consistently higher after the sample had been sitting out for a couple hours than what it read when I took the sample in the first place.
Usually I do this for FG readings, and it'll be different by 1 or 2 points. This time, I brewed Saturday, took an OG reading of 1.065 Saturday night, and then forgot to dump it out before Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, it was reading 1.068. By Sunday afternoon, it read 1.069. (In this case I was dropping the house temperature for fermentation, but according to the hydrometer temperature adjustment tables, not nearly enough to make much of a change)
Two questions, the second more important than the first.
1. What is causing this?
2. Which one is to be believed?
I know it's not a HUGE different, but .004 is not insignificant, and even with a difference of .001 or .002, it makes it hard if I want to take hydrometer readings for three days to see if it's done.
Anyways, the last several times I've done this, the hydrometer reading has been consistently higher after the sample had been sitting out for a couple hours than what it read when I took the sample in the first place.
Usually I do this for FG readings, and it'll be different by 1 or 2 points. This time, I brewed Saturday, took an OG reading of 1.065 Saturday night, and then forgot to dump it out before Sunday morning. On Sunday morning, it was reading 1.068. By Sunday afternoon, it read 1.069. (In this case I was dropping the house temperature for fermentation, but according to the hydrometer temperature adjustment tables, not nearly enough to make much of a change)
Two questions, the second more important than the first.
1. What is causing this?
2. Which one is to be believed?
I know it's not a HUGE different, but .004 is not insignificant, and even with a difference of .001 or .002, it makes it hard if I want to take hydrometer readings for three days to see if it's done.