Hydrometer reading

[plumber8302]

Ok, total n00b here and I'm trying to get a reading on my first batch and I'm still not sure how to read this hydrometer. Will someone please tell me what this reading looks like to them?

 

[Schol-R-LEA]

It's difficult to say from a photograph, but it appears to be at 1.022 SG. Unfortunately, the meniscus is a bit too foamy to read through, but that is where it looks like the bottom of it is at.

 

[freisste]

It's difficult to say from a photograph, but it appears to be at 1.022 SG. Unfortunately, the meniscus is a bit too foamy to read through, but that is where it looks like the bottom of it is at.

Without looking at this answer, I read the picture to be 1.023.

 

[gcdowd]

I agree, the bubbles are covering up the reading but it looks like 1.022

 

[dickproenneke]

I know it's wrong but I read from under all the bubbles, regardless, it looks like 1.022-24

 

[plumber8302]

The FG is supposed to be between 1.012 and 1.018. I am taking from these that it is still fermenting? It has been in primary for 2 weeks 3 days. I am going to dry hop this and I don't want to add them too soon

 

[freisste]

I use a drinking straw to suck up the bubbles so I can get a good reading.

OP, see how the bubbles try to climb the outside? Ignore that and try to see where the level part of the liquid would hit the scale. That's how you get an accurate reading.

 

[plumber8302]

The FG is supposed to be between 1.012 and 1.018. I am taking from these that it is still fermenting? It has been in primary for 2 weeks 3 days. I am going to dry hop this and I don't want to add them too soon

Also, here is a clearer picture. So, I would read this at 1.021?

 

[freisste]

Need the pic

 

[plumber8302]

I'm a dumba$$. Here is the new picture.

 

[DocScott]

1.022

 

[freisste]

No problem. And yes, I would call that 1.021.

Likely the bubbles were causing the hydrometer to float a little higher in the previous picture.

 

[plumber8302]

So could it still not be done after 2 weeks plus?

 

[gcdowd]

Not likely but was this an extract batch? They are notorious for ending around 1.020. Take another reading in 3 days, if it's the same...then fermentation is done

 

[plumber8302]

Not likely but was this an extract batch? They are notorious for ending around 1.020. Take another reading in 3 days, if it's the same...then fermentation is done

Yeah, it was an IPA extract. Thanks for info! Good to know going forward!

 

[freisste]

If this was a relatively high OG (maybe 1.060+), it wouldn't be hard to believe it would end at 1.020. Especially considering it is an extract batch.

 

[plumber8302]

If this was a relatively high OG (maybe 1.060+), it wouldn't be hard to believe it would end at 1.020. Especially considering it is an extract batch.

The projected OG was between 1.064-1.068.

 

[freisste]

Did you measure it? If you didn't top off enough, your OG could be higher than that. That would almost guarantee a higher than predicted FG.

 

[plumber8302]

I did measure it, but with that being said, I am new at this and could have read it wrong. I read 1.065 when I took the OG. That's why I posted this question. I wasn't sure I read the OG right, and wanted to make sure what I was reading tonight was possible.

 

[davek]

I did measure it, but with that being said, I am new at this and could have read it wrong. I read 1.065 when I took the OG. That's why I posted this question. I wasn't sure I read the OG right, and wanted to make sure what I was reading tonight was possible.

Sounds like you were pretty close on your reading it looked like 1.021-1.022 to me too... I'd wait a couple days and take another hydrometer reading if its still dropping take one in two days after that. When you get 3 readings the same it's time to bottle!

 

[ajf]

I would say that your second photo reads 1.022. (You need to read from the bottom of the meniscus.)
However, is the hydrometer accurate and what temperature is the sample? In my experience, very few hydrometers are completely accurate. If you look at the bottom of the scale, it should give you a calibration temperature (probably 60F). If you float the hydrometer in some distilled water at the calibration temperature, it should read 1.000. If it reads 0.998, then you should add 0.002 from every reading. If it reads 1.002, then you should subtract 0.002 to every reading.
If the sample is not at the calibration temperature, you will also need to apply a temperature correction. http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixA.html gives some reasonable temperature corrections for hydrometers.
Your true gravity is probably somewhere between 1.018 and 1.026 depending on the sample temperature and the calibration accuracy.

-a.