FINALLY getting a chance to brew tomorrow. I've got all the equipment in a bucket waiting for sanitizer, found a nice spot for my fermenter, and have all my grain weighed out and ready.
Man, this whole "learning to brew" thing is nervewracking! But it's gonna be a good time. I have two quick questions though:
1. My hydrometer came with a little slip of paper that describes how to use it. In the bit that describes how to correct for readings taken from a sample that's not 60 degrees, there's a little chart that looks like this:
Wort Temp. Correction
52.2 -0.001
60 none
66.6 +0.001
72.4 +0.002
Am I correct in understanding this to mean that as long as my sample is within 52.3 - 66.5 degrees, I don't actually have to make any correction in order to ascertain my OG? I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I have a pretty gnarly math learning disability, so I want to make sure I get this right.
2. When fermenting, roughly how many degrees outside of my target temp can I get without risking off flavors? My target temp for the beer I'm making (a stout) is 68F. The spot I'll be keeping the fermenter hangs out at about 71-73F. I was planning on setting the fermenter in a tub of water with a towel over it to help knock off a few degrees - but if this isn't gonna be enough to knock it down to a reasonable range, I may be able to relocate the fermenter to a somewhat cooler area.
So yeah - sorry for the huge post! Just making sure everything is on track for the A.M.