Gravity Readings

[nstorm1121]

Quick question on Gravity Readings...

I took my original gravity (post boil), of a wheat beer and there was a bunch of crap floating around in it. Now I expect that, since my strainer didn't catch all of the pelleted hop remains, and I didn't use irish moss, since i want it cloudy.

Here is my question: I know that a lot of that stuff will fall out in my fermentation vessels, so how can a calculation using OG and FG product an accurate ABV? Doesn't the trub that falls out affect the OG and is obviously not longer there when you take the FG? That would make your OG-FG higher than just the sugar converted to alcohol.

Maybe i'm looking to far into this, but I want to make sure that I understand how things work, and that i'm doing things correctly.

 

[BoisePorter]

Being a beginner, I'm no expert. But the hydrometer is reading based on what is dissolved in the water. If you have things floating, they're just suspended, not actually dissolved. So they shouldn't affect the hydrometer reading, unless you get some stuck to the hydrometer itself.

 

[rjwhite41]

Being a beginner, I'm no expert. But the hydrometer is reading based on what is dissolved in the water. If you have things floating, they're just suspended, not actually dissolved. So they shouldn't affect the hydrometer reading, unless you get some stuck to the hydrometer itself.

What the newbie said. As long as the trub doesn't prevent your hydrometer from floating in the solution it will be accurate. It only measures dissolved material in the liquid.

 

[frazier]

^^Yes this is correct. Particles in suspension do not affect the specific gravity; only what is in solution.

 

[Haputanlas]

I have noticed that if you don't wait for things to settle though, I've been off by as much as .01 points.

As an experiment, try taking the reading right when you pour the wort into the container. Next, take another reading about 30 - 40 minutes (After you see the separation)