Alcohol content

[chefzilla]

I'm totally new at this and I've made my first batch.
The problem is I forgot to take my initial gravity reading.
Before I bottled it the reading was 1.010
It's been 3 weeks, I opened a bottle, carbonated beautifully, tastes wonderful.
but I took a gravity reading and it goes up to 1.036 (which the hydrometer says is almost 5%) for about 30 seconds and then slowly goes back down to 1.010.
I'm a little confused.

 

[amandabab]

ignore the %alcohol scale for beer.

co2 in the carbed beer is pushing it up, then it sinks to normal

 

[chefzilla]

So there's really no way of knowing without an OG reading then...
If I paid attention to the %alcohol scale my beer would only be 1.2% or something like that.

 

[Upthewazzu]

Was it a kit recipe? If so, then if you followed directions it will be exactly what the kit says it should be.

 

[lowtones84]

Was your recipe all grain or extract? Did the recipe have an OG listed? If it was extract you should be darn close to whatever the recipe predicts, if it has that info.

 

[reverendj1]

The alcohol scale is the POTENTIAL alcohol, and is meant for your OG reading to give you a quick idea. Nothing more. I think it also assumes you ferment down to 1.000, which would be pretty odd for a beer. The only way to accurately tell your abv is to take an OG and an FG.

 

[amandabab]

The alcohol scale is the POTENTIAL alcohol, and is meant for your OG reading to give you a quick idea. Nothing more. I think it also assumes you ferment down to 1.000,

right, much more useful for wine/cider than for beer.

 

[chefzilla]

I had to look for the papers.
It was a brewers best American amber kit (came out a little darker than expected).
Using the OG from that and my reading, my beer should be between 5.25 and 5.75.
They said it should be 4.75-5.25.
Thanks guys!