So I got done with the boil and cool down. I tested the gravity before pitching the yeast and got 10.20? Is that right? Only measure about 2.6% Abv. Pithed the yeast about 65% shook up threw my airlock on and now in a dark closet
Gravity reading question
- Thread starter azfalcon
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It sounds like you have a triple-scale hydrometer, which is what most models these days are. On a guess, the 10.20 is in degrees Brix or degrees Plato (which with the equipment homebrewers have, are close enough to each other as to make no difference), while the 50 is significant gravity, in which case it is indeed 1.050. The ABV scale will tell you the maximum alcohol by volume for the given gravity, assuming that the density of the wort is entirely from fermentable sugars; if you take a reading again when fermentation is complete, and subtract the final value from the original, you should get the actual alcohol content.
shrug It depends on the style of beer you're making. Different styles are going to be in different gravity ranges; 1.050 is about median for beer in general, with the lightest practical beers usually coming in around 1.030 and the strongest, sweetest homebrewed beers going up to around 1.120 or so (broadly speaking). What type of beer were you aiming for?
It will lower, as the fermentables get converted into actual alcohol.
Ah, that helps, a 1.050 for a stout is a bit heavy, but still in the right range. According to the BJCP style guidelines, 1.050 is right at the top of the scale for dry stout, so you're in a good position with that, I would say. While you don't have to follow the style guidelines, they can help you understand your beer a bit better.
