Hydrometer readings...

[rambone54]

This is my first brew and i missed the step to take an original reading.. I'm brewing a brewers best continental pilsner.

I took a reading a day or so into fermentation and it was at 1.046. Fermentation seems to have stalled out. ( no bubbles in airlock). I'm wondering if anyone knows where my final gravity reading should be at before I rack it and bottle it.

Also I've seen constant bubbles for only 2 days. I been fermenting since the 6th. If I'm not at a good reading. Can I do anything to re activate fermenting?

 

[unionrdr]

When the rapid bubbling slowd or stops,only initial fermentation is done. It'll then slowly,uneventfully creep down to a stable FG. Which I'd say in your case would be 1.010-1.012.

 

[aggiejason]

I don't know the recipe but I would expect your final gravity to be less than 1.020 and probably closer to 1.012. The recipe typically calls this out or you can calculate it based on the target OG and yeast type. It's definitely not done at 1.045.

Might want to respond back with your yeast type and current temperature. Did you get enough air into your wort before you pitched? If you aren't far from your target OG, you could consider giving it a good stir with a sanitized spoon if it's truly stalled. Is it too cold? You might try raising the temp up above 70 if it's not there already.

 

[unionrdr]

Being only 5 days since pitched on,I doubt it's that close. But I would question how you're reading the hydrometer. The longer lines with the numbers read 10,20,30,40,etc. The short lines in between read 2,4,6,8. & you read through the meniscus,not at the top of it (where the liquid curves up the hydrometer).