hydrometer

[imonix]

This is the 4th night brewing a hoppy ale using a home kit.

The 30 L brewing tub I'm using has a flat lid with no holes. The brew shop that sold it me advised leaving a slight opening somewhere in the circumference, and everything has been fine.

I've sterilised a hydrometer this evening, taken the lid off the tub and dropped the hydrometer inside.

The hydrometer shows 1020, so not quite ready. The shop recommended 1014.

Nearly all of the frothy waist on top has now gone and there is some small bubbling from the beer.

Does taking the lid off the tub to test the gravity by dropping in a sterilised hydrometer every other day cause any problems?

 

[ColoHox]

You risk contamination and oxygen exposure, but with proper sanitation and moving quickly it is not a big concern. I usually dont bother testing gravity until 3 weeks have passed, but stable gravity readings over a day or 2 are what you are looking for.

 

[imonix]

Thank you

 

[obie]

what if you just left the hydrometer in there?

 

[NTXBrauer]

ColoHox follows a good practice IMO. I also take minimal gravity readings. The more you brew the better you will get at estimating when your beer will be ready. I don't take any more than 2 gravity readings per beer brewed. 3 weeks in the FV is a practice I have brewed by, and unless you are brewing a big Ale or Lager, your beer should be ready to keg or bottle at this time.

 

[Potamus]

Leave it alone for three or four weeks. Don't look at it, take a gravity reading or even think about it. Even after active fermentation is complete, the yeast improve the beer by cleaning up their byproducts. I usually don't even think about taking a gravity reading for a month after pitching. It takes patience, but your beer will be better.

 

[RM-MN]

what if you just left the hydrometer in there?

As long as the hydrometer was sanitized before you put it in it won't hurt a thing to leave it. When you take your next reading you will need to spin the hydrometer to knock the bubbles off so you get a correct reading. When it may become a problem to leave the hydrometer in is when you get more than one fermenter and need to take readings from each of them.

 

[unionrdr]

I usually wait 2 weeks before taking a gravity reading. That usually tells me how close to FG it is. My average beers usually take 3 weeks to get to a stable FG & settle out clear or slightly misty. I don't leave hydrometers in the fermenter. They can get gunky stuff on them & give inaccurate readings. I use the cylinder it came in for testing.