Brewing My first batch tonight!

[lroog]

Just put my first hops in.

I'm going with a pale ale for my first time. I used two types of grain and two types of hops. This is supposed to be a fool proof recipe, we'll see.
:mug

One question, how do I use the hydrometer?

 

[mciaio]

Drop it in the liquid at close to 60 degrees, read where the liquid line reaches on the graph. Make sure the hyrdrometer is not touching the sides of the vessel the fluid is in. You meter should have came with a piece of paper with the adjustments for different temps.

 

[alee]

Once your wort is cool, put some in your hydrometer cylinder, or the tube it came in if you don't have one. Make sure the sample is close to 60 deg F. You can put it in the fridge for a while. Then gently put the hydrometer in and give it a little spin to knock off any air bubbles clinging to it and take a reading at the meniscus (the lowest point in the curve that the liquid forms at the surface). Use the specific gravity scale. If the sample isn't 60deg, your hydrometer should have came with a chart for temperature correction. (should be anywhere from 1.040 to 1.060 depending on the recipe.

 

[lroog]

Thanks guys!!

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 on using a sample container rather than just dropping your hydrometer right into the wort.