Incredibly simply FG question

[petep1980]

So, my beers never get down to the FG the recipe says during fermentation. I am usually .006 to .008 short of what is called for. However whenever I use the ABV formula and add the .5% for the priming sugar I am spot on with the called for ABV the recipe has.

Is the final FINAL FG supposed to be done after adding priming sugar? My beers get me plenty drunk. I'm just royally confused.

 

[Bob]

Which formula are you using? None of the simple ones are very accurate; they're lucky to get you in the ballpark, much less on the money.

I think it's more important to figure out why your beers are finishing high. So, if the recipe says you should be at 1.012, you end up at 1.018-1.020? Let's try to solve that, first.

Bob

 

[enderwig]

Is the final FINAL FG supposed to be done after adding priming sugar?

Check your final gravity before adding the priming sugar.

 

[s3n8]

I have never had good attenuation with Extract recipes. I tried pure o2 from a stone, yeast nutrient, ramping temps up as fermentation slows. Never had an extract brew get below 1.016. Once I went to AG, I have not had one finish above where I wanted. I still do an extract brew once in a while to try a recipe or yeast. I will only do AG on beers I want to keep around.

 

[petep1980]

Well my beers have turned out fine so far so I'm about to say screw it to this whole gravity thing.

 

[histo320]

I always check FG before racking into secondary for bottling. I am a newbie but have heard that recipes FG are not exact, they can change based on type of water, steeping, boil, and other variants.

Also, the temp you are taking your measurement at can change the hydrometer reading. I think they are calibarated somwhere around 64F, and it is +/- .01 each degree above or below.

 

[jgull8502]

I've been having this issue too (see my topic created a few minutes after this one )

So far as I can tell, my beers have been coming out fine too. My stout even seems more alcoholic than an average beer even though it finished pretty high. So I'm not sure what the deal is.

 

[lmg95]

perhaps your hydrometer is not very accurate and it always reads slightly higher than the actual specific gravity

 

[petep1980]

perhaps your hydrometer is not very accurate and it always reads slightly higher than the actual specific gravity

I would think that but it's spot on at OG testing.

I officially no longer care.

 

[Bob]

That's why I wrote you what I did above. Your worry about your ABV calculations is a combination of something wrong with your procedure and less-than-accurate homebrewer's ABV formulae. You need to solve the problem in your brewery that prevents you from reaching optimal final gravity readings (full attenuation), not petulantly ignore what your calibrated instruments are telling you because you can't understand them.

But hey, if you're looking for an excuse to toss your hydrometer, don't let me stop you. I mean, it's only possibly the most important piece of equipment you'll ever use in your brewery, but if it means your ABV calculations might not make sense, go nuts!

Seriously, if you officially no longer care, the first time I catch you posting a question like "why did my bottles explode" I'll scream, see if I don't!

Bob

 

[mw20]

Since switching to all grain I have consistently been using my hydrometer. Didn't care so much before but now I understand it more. I want to brew the best beer I can and it is a very important piece of equipment.

 

[mw20]

I didn't use my hydrometer much until recently but now I understand it more and use it all the time. I'm doing a brown ale now which should finish @1.012, it stopped at 1.018. I didn't what it that sweet and got it going again. I want to brew the best beer I can and the hydrometer is an important piece of equipment to achieve this.

 

[Bigbens6]

Well my beers have turned out fine so far so I'm about to say screw it to this whole gravity thing.

I think you need to remember that this is not your bank account and the hydrometer is a TOOL to be used in conjunction with other tools.

Example if I brewed a 1.050 OG beer and after 2 weeks it was supposed to be at 1.014...

If it is 2 weeks and i am at 1.015 great bottle it
If it is 2 week and i am at 1.030 DONT bottle it
If it is 2 weeks and i am at 1.019 maybe i wait maybe not, is there krausen, does it look clear, maybe see if it is stable for 3 days then go ahead and bottle it
If it is a 1.022 at 4 weeks you figure you better bottle anyways cause not much is prolly gonna change at that point.

Your hygrometer is not an absolute YES or NO magic 8 ball. Sure you can ignore it, but it is so easy to use and will enlighten you to HOW the beer grows and matures, gimme a good reason NOT to use it outside of this ONE batch... really?


MW20: what do you mean you got it going again? Added more yeast, agitated it, moved it to a warmer location, more priming sugar, do tell!

 

[mw20]

I think you need to remember that this is not your bank account and the hydrometer is a TOOL to be used in conjunction with other tools.

Example if I brewed a 1.050 OG beer and after 2 weeks it was supposed to be at 1.014...

If it is 2 weeks and i am at 1.015 great bottle it
If it is 2 week and i am at 1.030 DONT bottle it
If it is 2 weeks and i am at 1.019 maybe i wait maybe not, is there krausen, does it look clear, maybe see if it is stable for 3 days then go ahead and bottle it
If it is a 1.022 at 4 weeks you figure you better bottle anyways cause not much is prolly gonna change at that point.

Your hygrometer is not an absolute YES or NO magic 8 ball. Sure you can ignore it, but it is so easy to use and will enlighten you to HOW the beer grows and matures, gimme a good reason NOT to use it outside of this ONE batch... really?


MW20: what do you mean you got it going again? Added more yeast, agitated it, moved it to a warmer location, more priming sugar, do tell!

I used a little yeast from a starter I did for another batch and it fermented out some more.