Gravity Reading

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Jmacd16

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Supposed to have a FG reading of 1.0132-1.0144. See pic below. I believe I’m there or damn close but want to
Make sure I’m reading the hydrometer correctly.
 

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Supposed to have a FG reading of 1.0132-1.0144.
I am curious where those numbers come from. Generally, a hydrometer has a resolution of about +/- 0.001. Actually predicting a FG based on all the variables involved widens that range. For the most part, if I predicted a FG of 1.013, I would accept a value from 1.011 to 1.015 as being "on target".

It is a little hard to tell with the picture, but 1.013 seems reasonable, which sounds like you are pretty close to your target. No need for any adjustments. Just make sure the gravity is stable before packaging.
 
I suspect software or a spreadsheet is giving you too many digits past the decimal. As said above, with a standard hydrometer the resolution is to the nearest 0.001. The photo looks like 1.014 to me, which seems right on. If you ignore those last digits, you are saying that your target should be between 1.013 and 1.014. You’re there.
 
It’s a festa brew kit and that’s the FG target on their site, this is their red ale. I thought it was too many digits as well, especially for the hydrometer I use.
 
You don't need the precision of four digits to the right of the decimal. I curious what beer recipe or recipe software gave that much precision.

And with that 3 place that we often refer to as a point, if you are off by two or three points with your FG it's not a big deal. And most of the time more than that it's still not a big deal.

When it is a large number of points, and it's often you miss the FG, then you might start trying to figure out why you are missing it from the recipes prediction so often.

But as best I can tell from the info you gave, you are close enough.

Okay I looked a Festa Brew kit and see they do indeed report SG to the 10,000th. Seems a little useless to me. But I'd be interested to hear what they have to say about it.

Original Gravity​

1.0500-1.0508

Target Final Gravity​

1.0124-1.0132
Festa Brew Pale Ale

If they come up with a good reason, then maybe we should buy stock in the companies that sell hydrometers that report to that precision with accuracy.
 
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If they come up with a good reason, then maybe we should buy stock in the companies that sell hydrometers that report to that precision with accuracy.


wait, i just saw a thread reporting with a FG hydro in the 1.0000 range? he posted a link to them too... i'll try and find it and post back....
 
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Couple things, @Jmacd16
What temp is the solution you are measuring, and what is the calibration temp of the hydrometer?
SG goes down as sugar water is converted by fermentation into alcoholy, less sugar, water. If the SG started going up, that would be, in a word, unusual, to say the least.
Remember that one reading does not mean "Done! Bottle!", as the yeast may not have finished and if you bottle too soon you will have more carbonation than desired in the bottles, which in the extreme case can be dangerous.
Additionally, how long has the fermentation been going?
 
Supposed to have a FG reading of 1.0132-1.0144. See pic below. I believe I’m there or damn close but want to
Make sure I’m reading the hydrometer correctly.
When you get a chance, check your hydrometer in plain water at the calibration temperature (it's printed on the scale). It should read 1.000.
Note any deviation from that, to correct for on your gravity readings.

For example if the bottom of the meniscus* is at 1.002 (the first line underneath 1.000) it's reading 2 points higher than it should, so subtract those 2 points on your readings from then on.

* Usually we read the bottom of the fluid's meniscus, that's the way most (if not all) such science instruments are calibrated.
 
do your readings at 60 degrees. 60 degrees is a "standard day" for engineering, science, charts, etc...

You are supposed to read at the bottom of the liquid...the meniscus effect causes the edges of the liquid to wick up the sides of things (hydrometer and the tube).

But the reality...for most of our needs, as long as all the measurements are taken at the same temperature and liquid level...every time... then you will get a good OG-FG difference and get an accurate ABV.
 
do your readings at 60 degrees. 60 degrees is a "standard day" for engineering, science, charts, etc...

Hydrometer readings should be done at whatever temperature the hydrometer is designed/calibrated for. Most new brewing hydrometers these days are calibrated to 68F (20C).
 
Hydrometer readings should be done at whatever temperature the hydrometer is designed/calibrated for. Most new brewing hydrometers these days are calibrated to 68F (20C).
hmmm....never actually looked at mine....all my life, everything in physics was at 60'... when i was a pilot, all the performance charts were based on 60'

but 68' for hydrometers marketed for brewing does make sense...that's kinda the universal fermentation temp since ales are by far the most common style brewed I think
 
I have an older one and a newer one from Brewing America. Both are calibrated at 60F.

I don't doubt it. But most of the newer ones (say, last 5-10 years) are 68F. I see very few 60F. Luckily, the cal temps tend to be marked on the paper inserts.
 
hmmm....never actually looked at mine....all my life, everything in physics was at 60'... when i was a pilot, all the performance charts were based on 60'

but 68' for hydrometers marketed for brewing does make sense...that's kinda the universal fermentation temp since ales are by far the most common style brewed I think
You know your talking in feet here right? Not degrees 😂. Stupid Science.
 
It's kind of silly of them to provide that tight a range. Yeast attenuation is more variable than the 0.0012 range they are suggesting. Consider a beer with an OG of 1.050 using WLP005 yeast. White Labs states an attenuation of 67-74%, which would drop the gravity by 0.0335 to 0.0375. That would be a FG between 1.0125-1.0165, and the difference in this example is 0.004. On top of that, some yeasts attenuate more, for example WLP001 whose range is 73%-85%. That would shift the mean FG down as compared to WLP005 and have a wider range of FG as well. Maybe they provided the yeast and it has a very narrow attenuation range?
 
°= (degree)
Shortcut: [Alt] 0176 (keypad) on PCs.
;)
too much work. If they ain't gonna give me a degree key then I ain't gonna bother with keyboard trickery...

y'all can figure out what I mean by " 60' "
 
hmmm....never actually looked at mine....all my life, everything in physics was at 60'... when i was a pilot, all the performance charts were based on 60'

but 68' for hydrometers marketed for brewing does make sense...that's kinda the universal fermentation temp since ales are by far the most common style brewed I think
I have one calibrated at 68 and two precision ones both calibration temps are 60.
 
why quarel over meniusia.... ;) :mug:
See, you even confused Google as to what this is..... meniusia

Showing results for meniscus
Search instead for meniusia

Featured snippet from the web​

The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of tough, rubbery cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the shinbone and the thighbone. It can be torn if you suddenly twist your knee while bearing weight on it. A torn meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries.Jan 6, 2022

I won't quibble about the spelling of quarel.

:cool:
 
See, you even confused Google as to what this is..... meniusia


honestly when spell correct corrected it to that i thought it was funny, and left it misspelled for just that reason..... :mug:


spell check might not know what a sparge or vorlauf is... but it knows how to read a hydro!
 
honestly when spell correct corrected it to that i thought it was funny, and left it misspelled for just that reason..... :mug:
I did think it funny and intentional. Especially when google thought it might have been meniscus which was part of the conversation.

Besides, I always have to look up minutiae when I try to spell it. Can't ever seem to get it right the first time around.
 
I did think it funny and intentional. Especially when google thought it might have been meniscus which was part of the conversation.

Besides, I always have to look up minutiae when I try to spell it. Can't ever seem to get it right the first time around.


the day is young i've only had one drink! ;) :mug:
 
I did think it funny and intentional. Especially when google thought it might have been meniscus which was part of the conversation.

Besides, I always have to look up minutiae when I try to spell it. Can't ever seem to get it right the first time around.
Tru dat
Same for me.
And guarantee
And pageant
And occasion
And menee uthurs that I simply spel how thay sound
 
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