Why do I always forget to check my OG???

[JayWeezie]

Been brewing for about 2 1/2 years and it never fails that I forget to check my OG. So I never know what my abv is.

What do you always forget to do?

 

[finley]

When I used an immersion chiller I forgot to take the OG all the time. Since I've switched over to using a counterflow type chiller I don't forget it, as I don't need to remember to sanitize anything else, I just point the hose at the hydrometer tube for a second.

 

[beerkrump]

Hrm... I think I see your problem.

Maybe it's your process of drink, grind grains, drink, heat mash water, drink, mash, drink, lauter, drink, boil, drink, chill, drink, pitch, drink, aerate, and drink.

My process is grind grains, drink, heat mash water, drink, mash, drink, lauter, drink, boil, drink, chill, drink, take OG reading, drink, pitch, drink, aerate, and drink.

See, I move the first beer back a step and add the OG reading.

 

[JayWeezie]

Hrm... I think I see your problem.

Maybe it's your process of drink, grind grains, drink, heat mash water, drink, mash, drink, lauter, drink, boil, drink, chill, drink, pitch, drink, aerate, and drink.

My process is grind grains, drink, heat mash water, drink, mash, drink, lauter, drink, boil, drink, chill, drink, take OG reading, drink, pitch, drink, aerate, and drink.

See, I move the first beer back a step and add the OG reading.

That's genius i'll try that. Let me ask this. How quickly after I pitch my yeast could I still her an accurate OG?

As soon as I pitched I realized I hadn't done my OG but I figured it was to late.

 

[beerkrump]

The amount of yeast in your sample is not going to change your beer or your reading.

 

[Mrott]

Yep it never fails... I have very rarely remembered every step. I even write out checklists (which will include everything) and then I go all cowboy on it and lose the checklist and just wing it as usual. Luckily I've always still made beer but sometimes I forget a minor ingredient, or forget to take readings.... If I were only a little more vigilant with my check lists (and drank less while brewing) I would probably be slightly more successful.

...or blackmail someone into being my brewers assistant...

 

[ceannt]

Don't feel bad, I've been brewing for coming on 26-years, and I still forget to take an O.G. more than half the time..... but I'm fairly confident that it is "close enough" to what I calculate, so I don't really "shive a git"....

 

[Daybis]

I've been pretty good about checking my OG. However, I always manage to forget to use irish moss or whirlfloc. I have managed to forget to pitch yeast on one occasion.

 

[Nightbiker]

Yeah, more often than not, I fail to take an OG -when friends ask me what my ABV is, I just tell 'em "enough". The last several times though, I've diverted wort to a sanitized bottle and capped it full so I could use as a starter -Its a cinch to pop the cap, take a sample reading and re-crown it. I just make (darn) sure everything is squeaky clean and sanitized.
Otherwise, I just don't worry about it.

 

[JonM]

When I go make a starter, I almost always forget to take the yeast out of the fridge and let it warm up, which usually delays the starter by a couple hours or a day.

 

[jtakacs]

whirfloc... if i get it into beersmith, i remember, but i always forget to add it in...

 

[BendBrewer]

I take a pre-boil reading with a refractometer. Easier to remember when you're waiting for your kettle to boil than during the rush of activity that happens at the end of the process.

 

[beergolf]

When I am setting up to brew I always place my hydrometer next to the yeast so I see it when I go to grab the yeast..........

 

[jmf143]

I take a pre-boil reading with a refractometer. Easier to remember when you're waiting for your kettle to boil than during the rush of activity that happens at the end of the process.

Pre-boil reading won't be indicative of what the OG is going into the fermenter unless you know your exact pre-boil and post-boil wort volumes.

 

[BendBrewer]

Pre-boil reading won't be indicative of what the OG is going into the fermenter unless you know your exact pre-boil and post-boil wort volumes.

Or know that your system gains 5-6 points during a one hour boil.

 

[Jefathome]

I always forget to take my OG (post boil and cooling) as well. I think it is because I get too excited to pitch the yeast and/or I want to get the wort into the bucket ASAP in order to minimize contamination.

 

[jmf143]

Or know that your system gains 5-6 points during a one hour boil.

Well, you must know your brewhouse efficiency then, so why bother even taking a rafract reading? Just calculate your OG based on the grain bill.

 

[BendBrewer]

Well, you must know your brewhouse efficiency then, so why bother even taking a rafract reading? Just calculate your OG based on the grain bill.

I just make the same beer over and over again. I am one of those boring brewers. I like to check that the mash went as expected and hell, I have to use that damn refractometer for something.