When to take first gravity reading?

[ganu]

When I take my first reading, do I do it right before I pitch my yeast or right after?

I don't know if the yeast would make a difference, except that when I DO take another reading a week or two later, the yeast is obviously in the batch.

Thanks in advance for answering such a rookie question.

 

[tlael]

Before you pitch.
After everything is mixed up(if you use top up water).

 

[Revvy]

I take it once get my wort in the fermenter, but before I pitch my yeast.

 

[Calder]

I very rarely take one. It just seems like another chance of contaminating the wort when it is very susceptible to spoilage. I trust the ingredients give me the gravity they are supposed to.

I partial mash, and always take a gravity of the mashed wort (pre-boil) to check my efficiency. But I find extracts and sugars to be very predictable.

I probably take a sample pre-pitch about once a year to ensure my calculations are correct.

 

[devilishprune]

It shouldn't matter if it's pre or post pitch because yeast don't dissolve into the beer. I do mine whenever I think to do it. It works best if you do it before aerating so you don't have to deal with all that foam in the sample tube.

 

[ganu]

Good deal. Again, thanks to all.