FG off due to priming?

[Palmetto33]

Well, just bottled my first batch (Brown Ale) on Sunday; best feeling in the world by the way. It spent 1 week in the primary and 2 in the secondary.

I had a thread a couple of weeks ago after racking regarding my hydro reading being about 1.014 when the instructions specified 1.012 as the high end of the FG range. It was already transferred and I was told .002 wasn't a big deal (was probably operator error).

Problem. I boiled the priming sugar solution put it in the BB and racked the beer into the BB as well. THEN, I took a reading and I was getting 1.018-1.020 on the upper meniscus (keep in mind I had had quite a few stouts that night).

Question 1. Is the priming solution of 5 oz. sugar in 2 cups of water the culprit in this increased gravity?

Question 2. If it was the solution, then this obviously means it's necessary to take the reading before adding it to the beer...right?

 

[Bernie Brewer]

1. No

2. N/A




5 oz corn sugar isn't going to make any noticeable difference in 5 gallons of beer at all. I'd say it was the stouts talkin'.

 

[Palmetto33]

Stouts aside...

I assume there's no way for the gravity to increase after two weeks in the secondary so I either misread it 2 weeks ago or the other night then?

Also, will a reading after bottle conditioning be accurate as well?

 

[Yooper]

Remember to read the sg at the bottom of the meniscus, not the top. You want to read the level of the beer, not the level of displacement on the hydrometer.

I'm guessing you misread the last one. If you want to take an sg after it's carbonated, pour some into the hydrometer test jar, let it go warm and flat. Then see what you get. Don't forget to swirl the hydrometer to release any air bubbles under it.