Gravity reading in Primary

[b33risGOOD]

Brewed a stout on nov 24th and I was wondering when most people dip into the primary and take a gravity reading?

Also I did a 5 gallon batch in a very large demijohn and im wondering how to extract a sample without letting too much co2 out so my beer doesnt oxidize.

I was considering moving this thing to a seconday sitting at 50F for a few weeks. After longer primary of course.

 

[HexKrak]

CO2 is heavier than O2. The only o2 that will be pulled in will be from the displacement of liquid that you pull out, and even then should float on the top.

If you're taking a really large "sample" like a gallon out of aging wine, you can blow more c02 in from a tank or corny charger.

 

[nilo]

I think this will vary a lot from people to people, but I think most wait until signs of fermentation slow down (not much airlock activity) before they take a gravity sample.
Some freak like me (perhaps only me), take daily samples. But I have a spigot and refractometer so just 1 oz is all I takes. I also like to taste the beer during fermentation for all the changes it goes thru.

 

[b33risGOOD]

Well fermentation has most definitly slowed down. No more air bubbles

 

[HexKrak]

Bubbles from the air lock is not, in any way, a good indication of fermentation. A gravity reading or a number of more complex lab procedures would be your only good way of telling.

Depending on the recipe I use, I have a good idea as to about how long (under ideal conditions) my fermentation should take. I wait until that date, and take a hydrometer reading. Then in 2 days I'll take another reading. If it's the same, my ferm is done. I wouldn't bother taking a reading until at least 7-10 days unless there's something specific to your process that you need to stop it or make adjustments, in which case sample daily.

 

[b33risGOOD]

So I took a reading, I got 1.014

So I guess this beer has done fermenting. So my stout looks brown and not black, at least it tastes decent lol

This has only been 8 days at 65f

 

[frazier]

I generally wait until the krausen falls. No real point in checking gravity before that.

 

[b33risGOOD]

Now im wondering how long I should wait to bottle, already tastes quite good.

 

[str8wire]

So I took a reading, I got 1.014

So I guess this beer has done fermenting. So my stout looks brown and not black, at least it tastes decent lol

This has only been 8 days at 65f

Brown color could be from yeast still suspended in the beer. The sediment is light in color and will reflect light.
Black plus light equals brown (and you can take that to the bank!)