How stable should your FG be?

[adamgm]

Hello all,
it has been 2 weeks since I made my Brew. I've been taking hydrometer measurements. Tuesday I read 1.012, Yesterday was 1.013 and today it looks closer to 1.014.

I'm guessing I should let it go still? Based on the instructions of the kit, I should bottle it as it's been more than 3 days with no bubbles.

I'm also not uber confident of my hydrometer reading skills yet with all the bubbles and the hydrometer sitting in the wine thief kind of on an angle.

I believe my starting was approximately 1.05

 

[jake-k]

Your gravity should not be going up for one thing. I'm assuming the bubbles are floating it a bit. Try spinning hydrometer in the liquid and make sure the bubbles are not helping it float up. Other than that it should be stable for a couple days before bottling. Aka same readings. Try checking out a video of proper hydrometer readings.

 

[philipCT]

yeah, so those numbers are going in the wrong direction. Normally gravity will fall and then steady out. I suspect your beer is done, but your readings might be off.

You might want to:

-let the sample sit for a little while before taking a reading. this reduces foam at the top which can make readings difficult
-when you do take a reading, give the hydro a spin - this will shake off any bubbles that may give a false reading
-take your reading at the bottom of the meniscus - along the liquid line toward the middle of the hydro, not at the part of the liquid line that rises at the edges

But honestly - at two weeks I would bet primary is done. I would usually not even take a reading before 10 days to two weeks. Then I will take one a few days or a week later to see if it's stable. You may not want to rush it. I rarely package a beer that hasn't been in the fermenter for at least three weeks. A little extra conditioning time always seems to help.

For a big beer, like an imperial stout, after two to three weeks you can rouse the fermenter a little and see the fermentation continue down a few points. But for most mid-gravity beers, primary should be pretty much done in a week or so.

 

[adamgm]

Ok, thanks guys. I'll leave it in and try again tomorrow.

 

[flars]

The shipping tube your hydrometer came in will be easier to use than the hydrometer inside a wine thief. Top of the hydrometer will be above the tube for spinning to release CO2 bubbles. Can take a little maneuvering to keep it from sticking to the side, but only takes seconds to get a good reading at eye level.

Don't forget temperature correcting your SG reading if the sample is not at the calibration temperature for your hydrometer, which will be either 60°F or 68°F. The calibration temperature is printed on the card inside the hydrometer.

 

[unionrdr]

I've had beers take 3 to 3 1/2 weeks to finish & settle out clear or slightly misty. Others in as little as 10 days flat. It's done when it's done. But you don't need to take readings every day, or three times a week. And when the rapid bubbling slows or stops, usually only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly, uneventfully creep down to a stable FG.

 

[Subdivisions]

I got a wine thief because I thought it'd be good to take a reading in. It's clunky and doesn't work very well. I ended up buying a hydrometer test jar (the tall cylinder that sits on your table) and it's much easier to do a reading, plus you don't have beer dripping out of the wine thief onto the floor. Or the other fun time when you accidentally press in the end and half your sample drains out.

My hydrometer didn't come in a handy tube.

 

[joshesmusica]

"How stable should your FG be?"

Very.