Hygrometers - Spill the beans!

[BarmanBean]

I have gone through a couple batches now and I'm realizing that I definitely need to be using my hygrometer more than I have been--need to check OG to ensure that enough fermentation will occur and need to check it along the way / at the end to ensure everything has gone according to plan.

When do folks typically test the gravity and how? Any tips?

Thanks in advance.

 

[619Brewer]

I have gone through a couple batches now and I'm realizing that I definitely need to be using my hygrometer more than I have been--need to check OG to ensure that enough fermentation will occur and need to check it along the way / at the end to ensure everything has gone according to plan.

When do folks typically test the gravity and how? Any tips?

Thanks in advance.

Are you brewing extract or all grain?

I brew all grain and I check my gravity during sparge, after sparge (pre-boil), pre-pitching, mid fermentation, end of fermentation.

As for tips, keep temperature correction in mind.

 

[rhythmsteve]

I test after my wort has been cooled before pitching yeast for a starting gravity, them if I rack to a secondary I take another reading. Usually after about 2 weeks I take 3 straight days of readings using a wine thief, if it stays constant I prepare for bottle conditioning or legging

 

[flars]

Doing extract I take the first hydrometer reading after two weeks in the fermentor.

 

[BarmanBean]

Thanks, folks. Just brewing extract right now.

 

[boydster]

I go 7-10 days usually before I take my first hydrometer reading. Then another when I am getting ready to bottle, usually day 14. It all depends on the beer though. You want to control things like pitch rate and fermentation temperature to make sure you have a healthy fermentation, otherwise you could be looking at longer times for fermentation to finish or for off flavors to condition.

 

[kombat]

I only ever check twice: Once after boiling (to get O.G.) and again after 3 weeks (to get F.G. and calculate ABV). I don't bother taking subsequent readings to make sure fermentation is done, because a) if it's not done after 3 weeks, it's infected, and b) I keg so I'm not concerned about bottle bombs.

 

[MindenMan]

^^^ +1 I agree with the above posters. When doing extract batches, O.G. and two weeks later are all that is usually needed

 

[Hopinista]

a) if it's not done after 3 weeks, it's infected

Or just stalled. But I'm the same way with my hydrometer. 2-3 readings max

 

[broadbill]

nitpicking:

Hygrometer: measures humidity
Hydrometer: measures specific gravity in a liquid.

I would resist the temptation to test more, the information isn't very useful (hint: if you see yeast activity, the gravity is decreasing!) and it wastes beer and increase the chance of infection (marginally, but its there).

Also, the 3 readings over 3 days is also overkill. You can figure out an attenuation gravity based on your yeast strain, and if your gravity reading is close to that, chances are you are at target (or close enough). Give it another 1-2 days to be sure the package.

 

[kombat]

You can figure out an attenuation gravity based on your yeast strain

Strictly speaking, you'd have to additionally know the percentage of fermentable sugars to unfermentable sugars in your wort.

What I mean is the same yeast strain will exhibit substantially different attenuation behaviour when fermenting an all-pale-malt wort mashed at 148 than one containing 20% crystal malts and other unfermentables, mashed at 154.