Noob Hydrometer Question.

[Joe_Stout]

Is it wise to take a reading while I still have airlock activity? I know from what I have read here that doesn't mean it's fermenting, but do you guys normally wait till activity has died off?

It's been in the primary for 11 days now and started fermenting about 8 days ago.

So to sum it up.....

Take a reading after activity is dead or take it when you believe it's been long enough to hit FG?

 

[Nurmey]

After 11 days you are good to take a reading. You don't want to do it while you have krausen but generally you are safe after 10 days or so.

 

[Limited Visibility]

You can... I would wait a little longer till the bubbles died down a bit. Or you can just keep a little sample of what you got brewing in a bottle with a paper towel shoved in the top. Kinda lets you get a better picture w/o having to sample from your whole batch.

Once you sample is constant at a gravity then you should test your batch... IMO

 

[0202]

Many people leave their beer in primary for a month to develop and
clear. If you want to remove it sooner, take a reading. If the FG stays
the same 2 days later fermentation is done.

Airlock isn't a good judge of fermentation. Just use the hydro when
you want to rack or bottle. Generally though - more time before bottling
will mean a clearer beer.

3-4 weeks seems popular.

 

[Joe_Stout]

Many people leave their beer in primary for a month to develop and
clear. If you want to remove it sooner, take a reading. If the FG stays
the same 2 days later fermentation is done.

Airlock isn't a good judge of fermentation. Just use the hydro when
you want to rack or bottle. Generally though - more time before bottling
will mean a clearer beer.

3-4 weeks seems popular.

I'm moving to a secondary before bottle so it will be in it for a week or so.

I'll have to bottle my oatmeal stout this weekend (been in secondary for two weeks.) so I can just rack the brown ale to the other secondary before I bottle if it's ready.

You can... I would wait a little longer till the bubbles died down a bit. Or you can just keep a little sample of what you got brewing in a bottle with a paper towel shoved in the top. Kinda lets you get a better picture w/o having to sample from your whole batch.

Once you sample is constant at a gravity then you should test your batch... IMO

That's kinda what I was thinking. Once the airlock doesn't have any action then take a reading.



Thanks for the tips guys.

 

[Kungpaodog]

I might catch hell for this, but in my experience the fermentation is very closely tied to my airlock activity. If I've got a lot of bubbling, then I'm usually at high krausen, and as the bubbles all but stop, I've hit my FG. That's not to say they are always linked, since due to changing atmospheric conditions there may be some CO2 outgassing from your beer, or a beer may drop a couple of points with no bubbling.

If you feel like you have a pretty air tight bucket or carboy, then waiting for the airlock to slow down before bothering with a gravity reading is a fine idea.

I await my beating.